The Raymonde Beuré-Reseau Possum Affair

Report by Sub-Lt Bruder, 6th December, 1944

Translated from the French by Michael Moores LeBlanc

Background to the affair

The mission of the Possum evasion network was to repatriate to England allied airmen, who were shot down over France. At the beginning of August 1943, Possum was established in Fismes (Marne). The head of the organisation, a Belgian - Commandant Nollet (Edgard Potier), made his first contact in the area with Raymond Gallet, a self employed painter, through his brother, Maurice Gallet of Charleville.The network developed normally in Fismes and the surrounding districts, as well as in Reims.

Commandant Nollet, whose activities were not just limited to this area, left those responsibitilies to Charles Nicholas (Conrad Lafleur), who was also the organisation's R/T operator.

For the month of September, the structure of the organisation looked something like this:

[Note: Georges d'Oultremont (aka Romeo, Gréville) only arrived in France on 7th November 1943]

The organisation functioned without incident until the middle of the month of December 1943. The radio operator, Charles Nicolas (Conrad LaFleur), transmitted frequently: from the home of radio specialist, Camille Beuré, who had become a member of the organisation and from Reims at the home of Mme Mondet at 161 rue Lesage, Reims.

The daughter of Camille Beuré, Raymonde Beuré, specialized in the guiding of airmen and did extraordinary work to the admiration of all. This, we wish to point out, she did without any desire to accept payment.

Gallet was able to find a large number of safe-house centres in Fismes and in the area of Reims; other contacts were made near Sillery.

Jacques Hodin, from Reims, through the contacts he had with the resistance, furnished the major part of the airmen evacuated by the line. Unfortunately, the more the organisation developed, the more the indiscretions multiplied. Also, in Fismes, many in the area knew that Allied airmen were being hidden and in Reims also too many people were aware of the organisation.

The adjutant of Charles Nicolas, Jean Lebon [Jean Lorgé], let it be known he (himself) was a Canadian, even though he was (actually) Belgian, so much so that Commandant Nollet had decided to evacuate him to London believing his bragging would bring harm to the organisation.

All continued as before till an alarm was caused by the arrest of Lacombe, under-chief of the depot of machines of Reims, a man who had given shelter to a number of airmen. He belonged to a resistance organisation and it was thought, at this time, there was no reason to worry.

Following this, on the 29th of December 1943, while Charles Nicolas was transmitting from Mme Mondet's at 161 rue Lesage, towards 5 o'clock in the evening, Raymonde Beuré who found herself with him and was acting as a watch-person, saw a number of cars come to a stop around the house. Charles Nicolas soon realized it was the Gestapo; he ended his transmission message and waited for the Germans with firm feet. He wounded three or four. Raymonde Beuré profited from the commotion which resulted, to leave the house from a door and in doing so gave a hand to the old mother of Mlle Mondet. Charles Nicolas fled by way of the garden.

They came together a few moments later. Together in this reunion were the Commandant Nollet, Jacques Hodin, Raymonde Beuré, Charles Nicolas. Raymonde Beuré made it known that during her preciptous flight, she had left behind at rue Lesage, the purse in which she had, aside from her papers, her photo and a card with with a large number of addresses of persons who worked for the organisation as well as the key to her room. She had rented two rooms in a hotel at 35 rue Jeanne d'Arc [actually 36 rue Jeanne d'Arc], for herself and Commandant Nollet, who had come from London.

For some incomprehensible reason Commandant Nollet decided just the same to sleep at rue Jeanne d'Arc, his identity papers being in order. Raymonde Beuré went to spend the night in St-Brice, and returned to Fismes the following day from where she fled to Amiens where she found Charles Nicolas whom she knew was there. Their lodging were arranged for them through the intermediary of Doctor Beaumont who found different people for them to stay with.

On the night of 29 December, Raymond Jeunet, Raymonde Beuré's fiance, (whose parents lived in Fismes and worked with the line - they had provided lodging for Commandant Nollet and one or two airmen) had not received (an expected) telephone message from her and was still waiting for Raymonde. He left at 1930 hours to try to find her in Reims. Arriving in the Reims railroad station, he was arrested by the Gestapo agents and conducted to rue Jeanne d’Arc the seat of the organisation. It was afterwards said he was confronted (identified by?) with the photographs found in Raymonde Beuré's purse.

He had on him a photograph of his fiancèe and had to admit he knew her. The following morning the German police brought Raymond Jeunet with them to visit different hotels in the town. and finally they arrived at the hotel Jeanne d'Arc. The owner of the hotel was able to recognize Raymonde Beuré in the photographs that they showed her. She told them the young girl in the photograph was the one who had rented the two rooms. They established Raymonde Beuré's room was empty but in the second room they found a Mr Duchesnes, who was none other than Commandant Nollet. Nollet was taken to the Gestapo prison where he committed suicide a few days later [† 11/01/44].

This was how a series of arrests began. On the 31 December 1943, seven persons in Fismes, including the Mayor, the doctor Genillon, were apprehended by the Gestapo; in one of the police cars was a civilian whom Doctor Bertho recognized as Raymond Jeunet.

In Reims on the same day Mlle Gilberte Rochette, a waitress in the café de la Paix, friend of Charles Nicolas was also arrested. A number of witnesses gave testimony that they saw Raymond Jeunet with the Gestapo.

That same night Raymond Jeunet was given his liberty and returned to Fismes. His freedom was surely the price paid for the services he had rendered. It is otherwise difficult to understand why the Gestapo was give liberty to a young man who had broken the rules of the STO (Obligatory Work Service/forced-labour), who was the fiancée of a girl caught 'red-handed' in espionage and an accomplice in the murder of a number of Germans.

Raymond Jeunet attempted to explain this incomprehensible kindness on the Germans part by saying that in fact, his liberty had no other motive than the hope that Raymonde Beuré would be arrested when she tried to rejoin her fiancé. In reality this surveillance of Raymond Jeunet was so lax that he was able to leave for Paris on the 15th of January with Raymonde Beuré who had returned to Fismes on the 13th.

Two hours after the departure of Raymonde Beuré, the Gestapo returned to Fismes and visited the house of the Jeunet family, the house of the Beuré family and also that of Roland Jeunet (Raymond Jeunet's brother).

In reality the denunciation came from Roland Jeunet who had sent a letter to the Gestapo on the 14th of January. This was intercepted and then copied by Mlle Boivin, a young employee of the PTT (post office) of Fismes. In this letter Roland denounced among others, his future sister-in-law Raymonde Beuré and offered his services to the Gestapo.

On the 15th of January, Raymond and Raymonde went to the area of Mars á la Chapelle sur Orbais (Marne) to Mlle Hust's and then (first half of March?) to Paris where they stayed at 81 rue Myra with Mme Serrurier; in the month of April they attempted to get to Spain. They reached Montauban where they spent a day at Mr Buscail's in the Café des Halles, then to Foix where they lodged at the Hotel de la Poste, under the names of Jacques and Jacqueline Fernet.

Unable to leave France they returned to Paris where they were arrested on the 1st of May by Roland Jeunet, his brother and her future brother-in-law. They were imprisoned in Reims, and then at Chalons-sur-Marne after the bombardment of Reims prison.

To everyone's general astonishment they were released from prison at the beginning of June and put under house arrest under the guard of Roland Jeunet in an apartment rented by the Gestapo for him at 31 rue Périn, in Reims.

It seems likely that one of them or perhaps both of them gave the Gestapo clues, that led to the two new series of arrests on the 8th of June and the 27th of July 1944, in Sillery, Mailly, Beine (Marne) and Ville­ sur Retourne (Ardennes). Raymonde Beuré accompanied the Germans and a number of witnesses testified that they saw her dressed in a German cape, afterwards said to have been put on her back by a German when it was found she was ill after seeing the Gestapo beat one of the persons they had just arrested.

Raymonde Beuré and Raymond Jeunet stayed for a month at the home of his brother Roland. They were married on the 13th of June 1944. The Germans were invited by Roland to come by on the Sunday to drink champagne at rue Périn but Raymonde did not assist at this gathering.

It is certain that during the stay this house the Beuré-Jeunet couple were under the surveillance of their brother and his wife. They did not get along and the numerous discussions between Raymond and his brother Roland were such that Raymond Jeunet, either sought revenge, or sensing the arrival of the Allies and wishing to rehabilitate himself, stole his brothers papers and a card which he gave to the resistance through the intermediary of his landlord, Mr Laude, also a member of the resistance. He asked that his brother be done away with.

At the end of June 1944, following an argument, Raymonde and Raymond were sent to Fismes prison.

They were again arrested after the liberation, judged by the military tribunal of Chalons-sur-Marne and condemned to death on the 31st of October 1944.

As a result of a number of reports we received, asking for an intervention in favour of Raymonde Beuré, we have opened an inquiry.

We have determined that:

1. The sentence of death pronounced against Raymonde Jeunet, née Beuré is unjustified due to the immense services which she rendered the resistance over many months. This opinion is also that of the Commissioner of the Government of the Military Tribunal of Chalons, who has asked for a sentence of 3 years in prison against Raymonde Beuré
   The Military Tribunal wishes to review the severity of the sentence for the first affair which it judged. In this it had condemned the same day eight persons to death, as follows:
   
   - Raymonde Jeunet, née Beuré
   - Raymond Jeunet, her husband
   - Roland & André Jeunet, her brothers-in-law
   - Colette Jeunet her sister-in-law
   - Camille Jeunet her father-in-law.
   - Marie-Louise Jeunet née Jacques, her mother-in-law
   - Louise Jeunet, née Broie, the wife of Roland
   
2. The Commissioner of the Government wishes to reverse only three of the death sentences.The investigation of this affair by the Commissioner Guibert was very partial. The latter enforced by all available means, testimony against Raymonde Beuré, and eliminated those which were favourable.We have also obtained retraction of the testimony charged against her by Mlle Roger whose deposition appeared to us to be dubious and who has now avowed she was influenced in such a manner by Commissioner Guibert when he interrogated her. During the course of our investigation in Reims, we have, besides, learned that Commissioner Guibert has been arrested in Parthenay (Deux-Sèvres).
   
3. At the time of judgement, the witnesses for the defence were unable to testify, because the summonses arrived on the same day as the judgement and these people were not able to be present.For this reason, we have decided to pursue this investigation with the addition of a certain number of testimonies.
   
   We have heard from:

A. Jacques Hodin - see report no. 4
Jacques Hodin, an active member of the resistance is an ardent defender of Mlle Beuré and can furnish precious testimony on the manner in which Raymonde worked with him until her flight from Reims on the 30th of December 1943.

B. Mlle Mondet - see report no. 2
Mlle Mondet, whose mother was deported to Germany, no longer thinks Raymonde Beuré is guilty. She places all the responsibility on Raymonde's husband, Raymond Jeunet. She further made the remark that Commissioner Guibert made every effort to have her believe Raymonde Beuré was guilty.

C. Mme Bulart
Nothing interesting to report.

D. Mr Raymond Maupu
See attestation no 3.

E. Captain Bertin
For reason of the services rendered by Raymonde Beuré, he had recommended her name to London for the award of the Médaille de la Résistance. Like Jacques Hodin, he can only offer testimony on the good work performed by Raymonde before the 29th of December.

F. Mr Gallet & Mr Rigaux - see deposition no 4
Mr Gallet, a professional painter, was one of the leaders of the evasion line in the region: Rigaux, his worker, aided him in the search for hiding places for airmen. The judgement which they each hold on the development of affairs is marked by complete partiality. Both men fled on the 31st of December and could not be witnesses to the developments which followed, something which does not prevent them, especially Mr Rigaux, to continue to make accusations not only of Raymonde but also against her father. Mr Rigaux said in his declaration of 12th September 1944: "Mr Beuré did not warn anyone before his own flight, etc….. his attitude appears suspicious”.

We confronted Camille Beuré, Gallet, Rigaux together. Gallet was obliged to admit that Mr Beuré made him aware of the 29th of December developments on the 30th of December.

In addition, we were able to verify that Mr Beuré, contrary to the allegations of Mr Rigaux, did not have money at his house, Commandant Nollet having re-sent to Paris the 3,000,000 francs brought by him from London.

We can likely understand the attitude of Mr Rigaux when we realize that on his return to Fismes not a single member of his family would receive him, all of them feeling despite everything else, that he was responsible for the deportation of many of his own kind.

G. Doctor Bertho see disposition no. 5.
He was the only one in Fismes who had an impartial judgement on the affair. His deposition charged Raymond Jeunet but he admitted voluntarily that Raymonde might be accused of intelligence with the enemy. According to him, she may have motivated in this by cowardice, fear of deportation, or of death, but not in cold blood.

H. Mlle Simone Ledru
Her sister (Lucienne) was deported to Germany. Like the majority of the Fismes population, she violently accuses Raymonde; nonetheless, she cannot support any element of her accusations with evidence.

I. Mme Dekegel
This person who accuses Raymonde still admits she was astonished by the announcement of Raymonde's guilt because she had great confidence in Raymonde. Mme Dekegel held in suspicion one of her neighbours, Mr Catillon, a notorious collaborator who frequently received Germans at his home, where her own husband was arrested during the course of arrests.

J. Mr Remy Chandelot
He was the chief of the Maquis in the region. He confirmed that Raymonde did not know the members of the resistance in the region. He believed Raymonde must have worked for the Gestapo in view of the favourable treatment reserved for her.
It is interesting to note that not all the airmen recovered in the region were passed on to the organisation Raymonde belonged to. Of the 12 airmen recovered by the Mailly group, only two were given over to it.
The Gestapo were therefore likely put on the trail of the Mailly group by other means.

K. Mlle Rogier - see deposition no. 6.
The deposition of this person is one of the most damning for Raymonde Beuré but we have been able to affirm in great measure that it is false. Mlle Roger signed a declaration for us admitting that the deposition she had previously made was influenced by Commissioner Guibert. Declaration no. 7. This deposition is a tissue of lies from beginning to end:

1. Raymond Jeunet never formed a resistance group in Sillery. He was not sufficiently courageous nor enough of a patriot to do so.
2. Raymonde did not return to Fismes in the month of April and again less (believable) with Roland Jeunet, who had her arrested in Paris on the 1st of May.
3. The description of Roland Jeunet by Mlle Roger is as follows: "A big blond", then "Roland Jeunet is very brown almost black haired."

These three points allows us to determine what importance should be attached to the declarations of Mlle Roger. In addition, Mlle Rogier was arrested on the 8th of June with her bosses, Mr and Mme Picon, both of whom were deported to Germany. It is no less extraordinary that she herself was released the same night. Given the morality of this person, unmarried girl with two children, known throughout the countryside as having loose morals, it behooves us to give her declarations the value they merit.

L. Mme Deguerne - see deposition no. 8.
This is the declaration most damning for Raymonde Beuré. We saw Mme Deguerne, She is obstinate and maintains the declaration she made on 12th September 1944.
We have noticed a fact which, without making Raymonde Beuré innocent, removes doubt about her.
If she worked for the Germans, in cold blood, it would not have been on the 18th of July that Mme Deguerne was arrested but on the 8th of June. It therefore seems Raymonde did not denounce these people, but that the Germans used other evidence they had in hand.
Mr Delay, who had also been arrested by the Gestapo but was able to escape, was invited to her home while we were there. He had been in a cell with Mr Mottet from Nogent Labasse, near Reims. Mr Mottet told him that he himself had been sold, along with others, by Maget, the guard from Beine, at whose place Raymond and Raymonde had been in hiding. Maget, according to his story, enjoyed favourable treatment in prison. He circulated freely. He was a 'flunkey' of the Boches (these were the exact words employed by Mr Delay).

M. Lt Conrad Lafleur (aka Charles Nicolas) - Georges d'Oultremont (aka Gréville, Roméo)
The declarations of these two chiefs of the evasion organisation testify that Raymonde rendered them great services. She enabled Lafleur to escape the Gestapo though the capture of this man was of great importance to the Germans.
Lafleur defends himself of having been Raymonde Beuré's lover. Besides, he was having a liaison in Reims with Mme Gilberte Rochette who was deported to Germany.
George d'Oultremont always considered Raymonde to be a girl with loose morals, and also confirmed the declarations of Gallet concerning the desire that Nollet had to quit working with Raymonde due to her lack of her seriousness.

N. Raymonde Beuré - see deposition no. 9
The interrogation we conducted at Chalon-sur-Marne of Raymonde Beuré, made us think she placed no importance on the acts which she had committed. It must be always recalled that the accusations against Maget seem justified.

O. Raymond Jeunet
He incontestably merits his condemnation. His declarations are almost all fabrications. He told us in particular that he had warned Mme Rochette that the Gestapo would be coming to arrest her, but contrary to this in fact, he accompanied the Gestapo to the arrest her.

With the facts exposed and the hearings of the witnesses, we have ascertained the following:

1. The descent of the Gestapo at rue Lesage on the 29th of December 1943, was a consequence of a denunciation which did not originate from the Jeunet family, but was more likely due to Jean Lebon (Jean Lorgé) a member of the evasion line, whose chiefs had already been worried about him for some time. At the time, it had been a question of either doing away with him or sending him to England with the next convoy of airmen.
2. The arrest of Commandant Nollet on the morning of the 30th of December can be blamed on Raymond Jeunet who had hoped to find Charles Nicolas at the rue Jeanne d'Arc instead of Nollet.
   This arrest was helped by the unspeakable attitude of Mme Herbillon, owner of the hotel rue Jeanne d'Arc, who told the Gestapo, she had rented 2 rooms to the young girl whose photograph they showed her. She also added that only one room was occupied.
3. The arrests in Fismes on the 31st of December were certainly due to Raymond Jeunet who by cowardice, and for the sake of his liberty told the Gestapo all he knew about the escape organisation. For this reason we can reproach Raymonde Beuré for the too great a confidence which she placed in her fiancé. She should have been more discrete in her work for the resistance.
4. After his departure from Fismes with Raymonde Beuré, Raymond Jeunet hid from the her, the denunciations he had made.
5. Until her arrest by Roland Jeunet, on the 1st of May 1944, Raymonde Beuré did nothing for which she should be reproached.
   She exhibited an excellent French patriotism; convoying a large number of airmen (about 50-60). Her liking of the Canadian Charles Nicolas was distorted by the gossip of the Fismes population.
   It is to be noted, and this note comes from Charles Nicolas, that the persons most taken with the idea of damning Raymonde Beuré are those who consistently refused to do any work for the resistance, which they had been asked to do, due to the risks involved.
   By comparison, Raymonde always made herself available to the escape line and always accepted every mission asked of her and she did this without ever wanting payment.
6. After her arrest the attitude of Raymonde Beuré was for the most part ambiguous. It cannot be doubted that her arrest was of great interest to the Germans.
   During the interrogation we submitted her to in Chalons on Monday the 20th of November, in the presence of Charles Nicolas (Conrad LeFleur), it seemed she spoke with complete candour.
   She admitted she was faint-hearted and that she was afraid, at that moment, of deportation. She swore she never denounced anyone to the Germans, that she only confirmed that which they already knew, as they already had so much proof she could deny nothing.

We must reiterate that a number of persons she knew were never investigated (by the Germans):

• Mr and Mme Bruno, baker. 119 rue Lesage. Fismes. (hid 2 airmen) [Charles Bronner and William Dunning (USAAF)]
• Mr Drion, 31 rue Lamouche, Reims. (hid 4 airmen) [Fred Gardiner (RAF), Herbert Pond (RNZAF), ...]
• Mlle Huot, La Chapelle-sur-Orbais, Marne. (hid 2 airmen) [Charles Breuer & Stanley Chichester (USAAF)]
• Mr Raymond Maupu, 39 Place d'Erlon, Reims. His home was used for meetings of the heads of the escape line

Other persons, by contrast, in Sillery in particular, were arrested and we believe that she did not know any of them.

We must reproach her for her compliance with regard to the Germans who forced her to accompany them during the arrest operations. These could always be considered as, "having intelligence with the enemy".

It must not be forgotten the means which the Germans used to make people, they had arrested and knew were guilty, talk.

Of this no one is ignorant, and each and everyone hoped to say nothing if they were arrested. In the atmosphere of prison more than one person saw their courage evaporate and it is difficult not to admit that a young girl of 20 years of age often does not have the resistance needed in a similar situation.

As a consequence, we believe that Raymonde Beuré did not deliberately betray her country.

Her laxity allowed the deportation to Germany of a number of persons who, perhaps, may have got away.

Due to the excellence of her work during the course of many months, to which we must give credit, the sentence of death pronounced against her is not justified and we believe that it should be transformed to a light term in prison.

Paris, 6th of December, 1944

Sub-Lieutenant Bruder