La Manécanterie des Petits Chanteurs à la Croix de Bois: History--World War II


Figure 1.--Here we see the PCCB Choir during World War II, probably 1944. They were planning another concert trip to the United States. I believe that the portrait was taken in the Fontainebleau Palace.

World War II (1939-45) was for the Petits Chanteurs, as for everyone, a long period of tests, with its sufferings and its deaths. After several months of relative quiet in the West, the Germans launched their long-awaited Western offensive (May 1940). Abbé Maillet had evacuated 40 of the choristers from Paris. He installed them in a small hotel in Rocamador. He also acquired two busses so the boys could give concerts to refugees and in hospitals (June 1940). The boys had been living at home on Paris, but were now in what amounted to a boarding school. One of the boys, 13-year old Joseph Pistorio recalls that the main salon in the hotel became their rehersal room. "Sometimes we gave four concerts a day, and I can remember many audiences--particularly the refugeees--in tears. But I think we helped people to forget their miseries as we worshiped God with a song". [Barber, p. 103.] Father Maillet for a time considered taking the boys to Bourdeaux where they could reach North Africa. I believe, however, that after the Armistace was signed, that he brought the boys back to Paris. The PCCB in 1942 during the German occupation toured Germany. The Allies had not yet begun the stategic bombing campaign in force and it was still safe to travel by train. They gave several performances for French POWs. (The Germans after the French surrender (June 1940), interned the French Army in POW camps in the Reich. At the time the PCCB had just come from the South free zone and settled at the Rue Eugène Flachat in Paris. The War finally ended in 1945. Abbé Mallet made a major initiative to transform and widen the role of the Choir.

The Phony War (1939-40)

World War II (1939-45) was for the Petits Chanteurs, as for everyone, a long period of tests, with its sufferings and its deaths. The ininital period after the declation of war (September 1939) wasr several months of relative quiet in the West. The period became known as the Phony War. Mgr Maillet was pro-America. The Choir had visited merica in the 1930s (1931 and 36). They had planned to make another trip to America in 1939. The trip had to be postponed when the War broke out (September 1939).

German Invasion (May-June 1940)

The Germans launched their long-awaited Western Offensive (May 1940). They quickly broke through the French lines. After the Dunkiek evacuation, they turned south toward Paris. Abbé Maillet evacuated 40 of the choristers from Paris. He headed for southern France. There was at first sime hope that the Germans would be stopped. installed them in a small hotel in Rocamador, located in the Vichy unoccupied zone. Abbé Maillet acquired two busses so the boys could give concerts to refugees and in hospitals (June 1940). The boys had been living at home on Paris, but were now in what amounted to a boarding school. One of the boys, 13-year old Joseph Pistorio recalls that the main salon in the hotel became their rehersal room. "Sometimes we gave four concerts a day, and I can remember many audiences --particularly the refugeees--in tears. But I think we helped people to forget their miseries as we worshiped God with a song". [Barber, p. 103.] Father Maillet for a time considered taking the boys to Bourdeaux where they could reach North Africa.

America (1940-42)

A French reader tells about the Choir after the German invasion. "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.

German Occupation (1940-44)

The Choir returned to France during Fall 1942 making for Paris. They stayed a couple mounth in Belleville while their new home at the rue Eugène Flachat was being rennovated for them. The boys stayed with their parents during this time. They and their Parents enjoyed a lot because theboys had been away such a long time. They settled in Paris near Saint François de Sales. It was natural that they would return to Paris. The boys were from Paris and very anxious to see their parents after 2 years abroad,even if their country was still occupied by the NAZIs. The boys were put up at a residence in Paris--the Rue Eugène Flacha. We have limited information at this time concerning the choir's experience in occupied Paris. Paris of course from June 1940 was in the German occupied sector of France. We know that some new boys joined the Choir. Some of the older boys had to leave as their voices changed. The PCCB in 1943 during the German occupation toured Germany. Here they gave concerts to French POWs and workers that had been conscripted by the Germans for war work. These events were very emotional experiences for the POWs and workers. The PCCB was the only French boychoir allowed to visit the POW camps. They were escorted by NAZI minders. There were no concerts for German audiences.

Liberation (1944)

The Allies landed in Normandy (June 1944). They were bittled up there for a month, but then finally broke out (July 1944). I do not yet have details of what the Choir did when the Allies reached Paris (August 1944). At the Liberation , the PCCB was seen as a kind of national symbol. They gave many perform in honor of the Liberation. The War finally ended in 1945. Abbé Mallet made a major initiative to transform and widen the role of the Choir.

Sources

Barber, Noel. The Week France Fell (Stein and Day: New York, 1976), 321p.






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Created: 11:22 PM 6/25/2005
Last updated: 5:08 PM 3/29/2013