Plaine de Chanfroy

Nestled near the village of Arbonne-la-Forêt in the Fontainebleau forest, the Plaine de Chanfroy is today a peaceful landscape. But beneath its calm surface lies a tragic history. In the summer of 1944, during the final months of the German occupation of France in World War II, this area became the site of horrific executions carried out by Nazi forces. Today, three memorial plaques stand as a solemn reminder of the 36 men who were killed here for their role in the French Resistance.

A Place of Remembrance

The site features three black marble plaques set into sandstone and granite. One plaque bears the simple yet powerful inscription:

"Passerby, here victims of Nazi barbarity, 36 men died so that France might live. Remember."

Two other plaques mark the dates of the executions:

July 21, 1944 – 22 men executed.
August 17, 1944 – 14 more killed.

The two memorial steles are placed exactly where the executions took place. These men, many of them resistance fighters and local civilians, had been arrested and imprisoned in Fontainebleau before being transported to this quiet plain, executed, and buried in hastily dug mass graves.

The Historical Context

In July 1944, the Allied invasion of Normandy intensified German fears of an uprising in occupied France. Resistance groups around Fontainebleau, including the "Bara" group of Moisenay and forest-based maquis in Achères-la-Forêt, increased their sabotage efforts. This led to a brutal crackdown by the Gestapo, German military police, and collaborators from the French Milice.

On July 21, 22 prisoners were removed from Fontainebleau prison with their hands tied and loaded into a truck. They were executed in the Plaine de Chanfroy and buried in a common grave. Less than a month later, on August 17, another 14 prisoners met the same fate, just days before the liberation of Fontainebleau.

Among the victims were students, poets, railway workers, farmers, and senior figures of the Resistance such as Colonel Yves Masiée and Captain Jacques Desbois. The youngest was just 16 years old.

The Discovery and Commemoration

Months later, on December 7, 1944, American soldiers digging in the area to collect sand stumbled upon human remains. Authorities were alerted, and two mass graves were uncovered, containing the bodies of all 36 victims. Many were identified, though some could not be named. National funerals were held in Fontainebleau on December 14, 1944. Most families were able to bury their loved ones, while others were laid to rest in the local military cemetery.

Each year, locals and officials gather at the site to remember these martyrs. In 2019, a 75th anniversary ceremony was attended by over 200 people, including the regional prefect and war veterans. The 36 names now surround the graves, each marked by a plaque bearing their name.

The monuments on the Plaine de Chanfroy remind us of the bravery and sacrifice of those who resisted tyranny and paid the ultimate price.

The 22 Executed on the Plaine de Chanfroy – July 21, 1944:

From the "Bara" Resistance Group in Moisenay, arrested following denunciation:

André Léonard Perret (45), stone worker, group leader

Auguste Perret (23), his son

Eugène Bailay (38), railway worker and resistance member

André David (25)

Jean Méry (21)

Victor Gervaise (19)

Albert Guart (20)

Bernard Ourteau (29)

From Villebéon:

Robert Canaux (23)

Marcel Calmel (23)

Raymond Golisset (24)

Léon Morel (48)

André Morel (20), his son

Gilbert Ingrain (22)

From Achères-la-Forêt:

Laurent Poli, young forest ranger (20)

Germinal Matta (19)

Robert Rius (30), poet of the Surrealist movement

Jean Simonpoli (32), editor of Cahiers de Poésie

Marco Ménégoz, young Norman poet (16½)

René Girard (24)

Edgar Ferrand (49), farmer and member of FN-Vengeance

Maurice Daudet (34), from the MLN–FTPF

The 14 Executed on August 17, 1944:

Colonel Yves Masiée (47), FFI leader

Captain Jacques Desbois (44), FFI commander of Seine-et-Marne

André Berge (39), FFI military leader in the Meaux sector

Marius Billard (55), member of the Guérin-Buckmaster network

Jean Bolastre (35), member of Resistance Nord

Jean Etienne (34), member of Resistance Nord

Henri Rivoire (29), member of Resistance Nord

Marc Chemin (20), member of FTPF

Claude Chailleux, of the "Vélite Thermopyle" organization

Georges Papillon (33), from the movement Ceux de la Résistance

Maurice Renoul (50), likely on a mission, from an unknown network

Robert Fournier, resistance member from the town of Mouroux

Roger Genty (22)