SITE DE LA BROSSE

As well as being a place for visitors to relax, the La Brosse site was the scene of the last military action of the Second World War on French soil.

On 12 May 1945, the day after the liberation of St-Viaud (as a reminder, St-Viaud was part of what is known as the St-Nazaire pocket, despite the presence of FFI in the area from 10 May 1945, it was not officially liberated until the signing of the surrender of the pocket on 11 May 1945), an FFI platoon from the 21st infantry regiment was in the village of La Brosse where German prisoners from the surrounding villages had been gathered.

There was a barn there where the German soldiers had collected their weapons and ammunition as a sign of surrender. Most of the FFI section was still inside when a deafening explosion took the men still inside with it. The first thought on everyone's mind was that the Germans had booby-trapped the ammunition, so everyone turned to André Desourteaux, their leader, who had lost 18 members of his immediate family in the tragedy of Oradour sur Glane, and who had enlisted in the spirit of revenge, in his words: "I felt that I had only one thing to do to make the massacre complete. After some inner hesitation, I took my place again, not very proud of myself. Today, I'm satisfied and happy.

This tragedy left 5 dead on the FFI side, all from the Limousin, and 2 dead civilians, 2 locals.

Probably accidental, the tragedy at La Brosse marked the end of the war and its misfortunes for our local and national territory. For choosing peace over revenge, and for all his actions on behalf of the nation, Mr Desourteaux was made a Knight of the Order of Merit on 12 May 2019.

This site is part of the Pays de Retz 39-45 remembrance trail. You will find a panel detailing this event, as well as a commemorative area.