| Name |
Dr
Robert C A BEAUMONT |
Aliases |
Bistouri |
| Date of birth |
22 September
1907 |
Profession |
Medical
doctor |
| Address |
Warloy-Baillon, Picardie, France
~18 kms NE of Amiens
|
Spouse/
Children |
Liliane
(b1915) /
Maryse (b1934) & Daniel (b1936) |
| Position |
Head
of Amiens sector |
Awards |
US
Medal of Honour |
| Photo courtesy
of Pierre Ben and the Beaumont family |
|
References |
NARA:RG498/290/55/27/2
Box 22 - Awards' file - Robert Beaumont
NARA:RG498/290/55/27/2 Box 109- Awards' file - Lucien
Delacroix
NARA:RG498/290/55/27/2 Box 126 - Awards' file - René
Dhaille
NARA:RG498/290/55/21/1 - John Watlington (SPG/1925 Appendix C)
|
Dr Beaumont was recruited into the Possum network, because of an encounter
with Conrad Lafleur at the end of August 1942. Three French-Canadian soldiers
- Lafleur, Robert Vanier and Guy Joly of the Fusiliers Mont-Royal had been captured
in the Dieppe raid on 19th August 1942. While being transported to a POW camp
in Germany, they escaped from the train. On 25th August 1942, they arrived at
Pont-Noyelles (~10 kms NE of Amiens). Vanier had been bayoneted in the back
and Lafleur had suffered shrapnel wounds to one leg. Dr Beaumont was summoned
and their wounds were treated. He took photographs of them, dressed as workmen,
and the next day returned with three ID cards, money, papers and a contact in
Paris.
In August or October 1943, depending on which report you believe, Dr Beaumont
began organising a sheltering and evacuation centre for Possum, around Amiens.
Being a country doctor, he had a lot of contacts in the region. He also owned
a car, which helped in searching out lodgings and moving evaders from place
to place. His other activities included the provision of food, clothing and
identity cards. He also established five landing sites for Lysander and possibly
Hudson operations.
Potier had been planning to move his headquarters to Amiens, as Possum was
becoming too well known in Reims. The arrests at the end of 1943 effectively
scuppered these plans.
It is not known precisely how many airmen were helped by Dr Beaumont, but Lafleur
stated that he received ten in December 1943 and was supposed to receive a lot
more.
On 27th December 1943, Carlyle Darling, Robert Deghetto, Alden Faudie (USAAF)
and John Watlington (RCAF) arrived in Amiens, from Reims. Dr. Beaumont collected
them and drove them to safehouses in Toutencourt, about 20 kms north-east of
Amiens.
On 30th December 1943, after the arrest of Potier, Lafleur left Reims and
arrived in Amiens, that same evening, where he went to see Dr. Machoire. Machoire
drove him to Dr. Beaumont’s home at Warloy-Baillon. He stayed there until
4th February 1944 and then left for Suzanne Bastin's home in Paris.
He also sheltered and conveyed Raymond Beuré and Jacques Hodin to a
little village near Warloy-Baillon, where they stayed for seven days. Hodin
claims he stayed until ~20th January 1944.
On 21st January 1944, Dr. Beaumont took Darling, Deghetto, Faudie and Watlington
to Contay and handed them over to René Dhaille.
On 12th February 1944, he collected Deghetto and Darling from Mme. Magniez's
home in Contay and took them to his house at Warloy Baillon.
Paul Guifer/Guyon of Harponville, Somme claimed that Dr. Beaumont treated the
wounds of two RAF airmen.
He was arrested on 15th February 1944 at his home and taken to Amiens prison.
It is claimed he was denounced. Three days later on 18th February, the RAF launched
a bombing raid (Operation
Jericho) on the prison in an effort to release French resistance workers.
Tragically, Dr. Beaumont died in this raid.
