La Manécanterie des Petits Chanteurs à la Croix de Bois: World War II: Trip to the Americas (1940-42)


Figure 1.--Here we see the Choir aboard a French naval vessels, probably somewhere in the North Atlantgic. he photograph is undated, but we think it may have been take during World War II when the Choir returned from America to France (Fall 1942). You can tell it is a little chilly because one boy is dressed warmly with his beret, sweater, and heavy coat. The other boy seems comfortable in his shortsleeves laying in the sun. The beret helps date the image as they became less common fter the War.

A French reader tells about the Choir after the German invasion and occupation of France (June 1940). "L'abbé Maillet (he was only a priest at this time) was strongly anti-NAZI and a fervent French patriot. He refused to colaborate with the German occupation authorities. He took the whole choir from German occupied Paris to the unoccupied (Vichy) sector. Once there he worked on leaving France. He wanted to take the PCCB to the United States or Canada. Travel directly to the United States and Canada was impossible at this time. He managed to take the Choir to the French colony of Martinique in the Caribbean. The Choir began an extraordinary travel troughout the United States, Canada, and Latin America which lasted almost 2 years. The PCCB in 1940 was not a boarding organisation. The children lived at home and when making trips to perform they were taken in by local families in each city. That was a tradition so the boys lived in American and Latin American homes, picking up quite a bit of English and Spanish. They were hosted by families in each city where they gave concerts. The boys did not see their parents for 2 long years". The Choir finally returned to France (fall 1942). This was not an easy undertaking. At the time not only was the Battle of the Atlantic was at its peak with the North Atlantic teeming with U-boats. I'm not sure just how the Choir traveled back to France, perhaps aboard a neutral vessels through Portigal and Spain. Or it may have been aboard a Vichy naval vessel. They arrived home just before the Allies invaded French North Africa (November 1942). This caused the Germans to retaliate by occupying the unoccupied Vichy zone.







HBC






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Created: 5:41 PM 3/29/2013
Last updated: 5:41 PM 3/29/2013