28th to 31st August 2019
Clermont, Ully-Saint-Georges (Oise)
Visit of the CAMP and BERGERON families
Copyright © 2019 - Association des Sauveteurs d'Aviateurs Alliés- All rights reserved -
En français 
The show “Odette Sauvage, a Resistant” was initiated last year and directed by the Théâtre du Pressoir. The residents of Clermont have eagerly awaited the rest of the show which was held on August 31st of this year. Our Association helped with this project, mainly in regards to the aid to the Allied airmen.
During the Second World War, Odette Sauvage lodged more than twenty Allied airmen in her small house in Clermont with the help of her friend Gaston Legrand and her son, Edmond.
This project did not fail to attract the attention of our American friends. The families of 2nd Lt. Glenn E. Camp and of S/Sgt. Leonard F. Bergeron immediately decided to cross the Atlantic to attend this performance.
2nd Lt. Glenn E. Camp was the pilot of the B-17 "Judy", 379th Bomb Group, which crashed near Ully-Saint-Georges on 30th December 1943. His escape led him to stay at Odette Sauvage’s home for three weeks in January 1944. While on board a train near the Spanish border several months later, he was unfortunately taken prisoner by the Germans.
S/Sgt. Leonard F. Bergeron was a waist gunner aboard the B-17 # 42-31388, 306th Bomb Group, which crashed in the territory of Campremy on 11th February 1944. S/Sgt. Bergeron stayed at the Legrand-Sauvage home for a week and the following month he managed to return to England through the Shelburn escape line, after passing through Paris and Brittany.
2nd Lt. Glenn E. CAMP S/Sgt. Leonard F. BERGERON
A few days before the show, we welcomed Cherrie, daughter of 2nd Lt. Glenn E. Camp, accompanied by her husband Tom who traveled from Texas. Their daughter, Glenda from Colorado was also in attendance. We went to the village of Ully-Saint-Georges, which is near the site of the crash. We were welcomed by the municipality and an intimate tribute was paid near the monument that was erected in 2011.
Coming from Connecticut, Stephen Bergeron (son of Leonard Bergeron) and his wife Sandra joined us the next day. Linked by this common history that had seen both of their fathers helped by Odette at some point during the war, members of the Bergeron and Camp families were able to meet for the first time, 75 years later.
Glenda Gray, Sandra and Stephen Bergeron, Cherrie and Tom Warren,
in front of Odette's dairy shop in Clermont.
Cherrie Warren and Stephen Bergeron in front of Odette's home
An exhibition entitled "Resistances from Yesterday to Today", which was created by schoolchildren, college and high school students from town, retraced the life of Odette Sauvage from childhood to the post-war period. The exhibit also touched on the different forms of resistance and struggles that women face today. Some panels on the Resistance and Liberation of Clermont made by our Association, completed this exhibit.
For the performance, the roles of three airmen were staged. Virginie Dupressoir, having taken some liberties with the historical truth (they were not part of the same crew), decided to give them the names of Glenn Camp, Leonard Bergeron and Russel Faulkiner.
A few hours before the show, a meeting that was just as improbable as it was odd, took place. The American families were able to “meet” their loved ones when they met the actors who would play them on stage.
Glenn was played by Malo.
Glenn Camp's family had a lot of emotions upon “meeting” him. "He looks like a lot like my grandfather!" Glenda exclaimed instantly. She then asked Malo to pose for a photo next to a picture of Glenn from the exhibit. For his part, Malo admitted that it was a great responsibility for him to play the role of someone whose family was present for the first time!
Stephen Bergeron with his "father” Leonard !
Stephen was also delighted to meet his "father", Leonard, who was played by Quentin. "It's funny, he's a lot younger than me!" he said in a burst of laughter.
The Camp and Bergeron families together.
On the dungeon esplanade, which dominates the town of Clermont and was going to serve as the backdrop for the show, technicians and actors were busy making final preparations.
Soon the sun disappeared on the horizon, giving way to the sweetness of a beautiful summer evening. As the public began to arrive for the show, it quickly became clear that the number of attendees would far exceed the expected number.
By nightfall, everyone had managed to take a seat and the performance with its professional actors and thirty or so extras could begin ... in front of more than 700 spectators!
Different scenes with some flashbacks, would follow with pictures projected on the walls.
After being parachuted, the three airmen are rescued by the population.
The airmen at "Little Mama" Odette.
The faces of Odette, Edmond and Gaston.
The choir of the women of the Resistance.
At Odette's shop !
Odette (on left, played by her great-great granddaughter Ema) with her mother and her sister.
After years of preparation, the show was very well received and the applause went on for several minutes. The talent of Virginie and her troupe was again amply recognized by all the spectators. What a success !
Our American friends were flooded with emotion as the story unfolded. Discovering the risks that Odette took to harbor their family members during the dark hours of our history was overwhelming. Many tears flowed as they saw the faces of their family members projected on the walls of the set, while also watching the actors bring history to life. Watching the actors in the roles of the airmen was especially touching.
A dance followed the show, during which the members of the Association "N’Oublie Pas 44" joined the public, allowing everyone to plunge further into the atmosphere of the Liberation.