Figure 1.--Here is a photograph of some of the survivors, including the only school child to survive, Roger Godfrin. We're not sure when the photograph was taken, but it looks like te fall of 1944. By this time Frabce had been liberated by the Allies.

We know a great deal about what transpired at Oradour sur Glane because despite the thorougness of the SS killing operation, there were a few survivors. The Germans knew what they wee doing and the villagers did not understand the danger. Five men mamaged to escape fom the shootings at the barns and sheds. One lone woman survived from the Church, but was injured. A 47-year-old local housewife, Marguerite Rouffanche, somewhow managed to get out a small window and hid in the bushes. Another 20 villagers who managed to flee when the SS first appeared also survived. And one boy survived--Roger Godfrin. He was a refugee from Lorraine. On seeing that the NAZIs had come and were taking everyone to the village square, he knew from experience and his mother's instructions that this was serious--although he had not idea just how serious. The family had experience from Lorraine. He managed to slip out of aback door of the school. Although the Germans searched and looted the village, miraculously he was not discovered until he was far enough away to escape. The Germans did shoot at him. He thus became the only school child to survive the terror of that day.

Source

Farmer, Sarah. Martyred Village: Commemorating the 1944 Massacre at Oradour-sur-Glane.

Hebras, Robert. One of te survivors.

Created: 6:49 AM 11/12/2008
Last updated: 9:33 PM 11/12/2008