François Bureau, known as "Franchik", was born on April 23, 1921. He regularly stayed in the family fiefdom at the Château de la Meilleraie, in Riaillé.
After studying in Nantes, he was admitted to the Saint-Cyr officers' school in 1943. During this period, he was, like so many other men, affected by the STO (Compulsory Work Service), but he decided to leave the country rather than work in Germany, in order to join "the fighting France".
Handed over to the Germans with comrades by the smuggler, he was arrested on July 18, 1943, in Perpignan. Then began the transfers from camp to concentration camp: Büchenwald, Laura, Ellrich, Nordhausen. He was part of a medical convoy of more than 1,600 patients. Many died during and after the transfer. He was one of the few survivors.
It is at Nordhausen, his last camp, that we can follow his trail. The camp was liberated on April 12, 1945 by the Americans. Death papers mention his death on April 21, 1945, before his repatriation, nine days after the liberation of the camp. François Bureau was therefore free on the day of his death, after more than eighteen months of deportation in Germany.

ouest-france.fr/pays-de-la-loire/ancenis-saint-gereon-44150/francois-bureau-etait-un-homme-de-conviction-4390446

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Elevation 110 m

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Location: Riaillé, Ancenis, Pays de la Loire, France

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