Louise Boitard (20 May 1907 – 4 April 2001), also known as Jeanine Boitard and Jeanine Gille, was a member of the French Resistance during the Second World War. Later a local politician, she was one of France's most decorated women.[1]
Career in the Resistance
Boitard, the daughter of a wine merchant, joined the Resistance in 1941, becoming known by the code name "Jeanine". She helped many people to escape from occupied France.[2] In October 1943, she hid two small Jewish children at a farm near Lisieux.[1] In 1944, during the invasion of Normandy, she rescued a Canadian airman, Jack Verbout, and hid him in her home.[3] A character based on Jeanine appeared in the film The Longest Day, played by Irina Demick. When the film was released in 1962, she travelled to Chicago to meet Verbout again.
Post-war activity
Immediately after the war, she married Léonard Gille, a lawyer and Resistance worker whose secretary she had been since 1940. She was a board member of the weekly publication Liberté de Normandie.[2] In 1945 she went to Sweden to work with childcare experts, subsequently setting up several crèches to support families separated by the war.[1]
On 18 April 1971, Jeanine Gille became the first woman to sit on the conseil général of Calvados, in succession to her husband, who had died two months earlier.[4] She was re-elected in 1973, but defeated by eight votes in 1979.
She was buried beside her husband in the cemetery at Poirier, in the commune of Frénouville, east of Caen. In 2015, the "square Jeanine Boitard" was named after her, in the Saint-Paul district of Caen.[5]
Références
^ abc"Jeanine Boitard: un square à son nom". actu.fr (in French). 10 June 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
louise, boitard, 1907, april, 2001, also, known, jeanine, boitard, jeanine, gille, member, french, resistance, during, second, world, later, local, politician, france, most, decorated, women, career, resistance, editboitard, daughter, wine, merchant, joined, r. Louise Boitard 20 May 1907 4 April 2001 also known as Jeanine Boitard and Jeanine Gille was a member of the French Resistance during the Second World War Later a local politician she was one of France s most decorated women 1 Career in the Resistance EditBoitard the daughter of a wine merchant joined the Resistance in 1941 becoming known by the code name Jeanine She helped many people to escape from occupied France 2 In October 1943 she hid two small Jewish children at a farm near Lisieux 1 In 1944 during the invasion of Normandy she rescued a Canadian airman Jack Verbout and hid him in her home 3 A character based on Jeanine appeared in the film The Longest Day played by Irina Demick When the film was released in 1962 she travelled to Chicago to meet Verbout again Post war activity EditImmediately after the war she married Leonard Gille a lawyer and Resistance worker whose secretary she had been since 1940 She was a board member of the weekly publication Liberte de Normandie 2 In 1945 she went to Sweden to work with childcare experts subsequently setting up several creches to support families separated by the war 1 On 18 April 1971 Jeanine Gille became the first woman to sit on the conseil general of Calvados in succession to her husband who had died two months earlier 4 She was re elected in 1973 but defeated by eight votes in 1979 She was buried beside her husband in the cemetery at Poirier in the commune of Frenouville east of Caen In 2015 the square Jeanine Boitard was named after her in the Saint Paul district of Caen 5 References Edit a b c Jeanine Boitard un square a son nom actu fr in French 10 June 2015 Retrieved 29 March 2018 a b Resistants du Calvados HS June 1994 Dave Clarke Nov 9 2012 Heroine of French Resistance saved Neponset vet from Germans The McDonagh County Voice Retrieved 29 March 2018 Les annees 70 dans le Calvados hors serie Ouest France page 3 2007 Un square Jeanine Boitard dans le quartier Saint Paul Ouest France in French 13 June 2015 Retrieved 29 March 2018 Second World War portal This article about a Calvados politician is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Louise Boitard amp oldid 1056020471, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
