Michel Hollard

Michel Hollard
World War II portrait
Born	June 10, 1898 Épinay-sur-Seine, Eure, France
Died	July 16, 1993 (aged 95) Ganges, Hérault, France
Resting place	Gorniès, Hérault, France 43°53′29.13″N 3°37′32.78″E / 43.8914250°N 3.6257722°E
Nationality	France
Education	Engineer
Occupation	French wartime resister
Organization	Réseau AGIR, French Resistance
Known for	Investigation of the V-1 flying bomb facilities in Northern France during World War II
Spouse(s)	Yvonne Gounelle
Children	Francine, Florian ( former conductor of the Orchestre symphonique de la région Centre) and Vincent
Parent(s)	Auguste Hollard Pauline Monod
Awards	Commandeur de l'ordre de la Légion d'Honneur (France) (1987) Croix de guerre 1914–1918 (France) Croix de guerre 1939–1945 (France) Rosette de la Résistance (France) Distinguished Service Order (United Kingdom)
Website	www.michel-hollard.com

Michel Hollard was a member of the French wartime resistance and engineer, who founded^[1] the espionage group Réseau AGIR during World War II.

His contribution was recognised by the British by the award of the Distinguished Service Order for having "reconnoitered a number of heavily guarded V-1 sites and reported on them". Hollard's efforts included 49 trips smuggling reports to a British attaché in Switzerland.

Thanks to his reports, from the end of December 1943, the V1 launch sites in France, ranging from Normandy to the Strait of Dover, are systematically bombed by the Royal Air Force.

Life

Initially serving in World War I, Hollard subsequently became an engineer^[2] and was employed by Maison Gazogène Autobloc, a manufacturer of wood gas generators. Hollard founded AGIR in 1941.

Following his capture in February 1944, he was tortured and imprisoned first at Fresnes Prison and in June 1944 as a forced laborer at the main Neuengamme concentration camp (prisoner "F 33,948").^[3] In 1945, as a result of Swedish intervention Hollard was one of a group of prisoners transferred to the ship Magdalena after being evacuated on April 20 on the prison ship Thielbek. The Thielbek was sunk on May 3 by a Royal Air Force attack on German shipping.

V-1 site no. 685, Val Ygot near Ardouval (Seine-Maritime, France); a V-1 on a reconstructed ramp torso.

After the war, Hollard "was given the rank of Colonel"^[1][4] and, despite the V-1's destruction of over 80,000 English houses between June and September 1944, Sir Brian Horrocks called him "the man who literally saved London".^[5]

A high-speed train that operates Eurostar's high-speed rail service between Britain, France and Belgium via the Channel Tunnel was named after him.^[6]

References

Citations

1. "Michel Hollard: Heros de la Resistance" (in French). Retrieved 2010-02-09.
2. "What happened to Michael Hollard, the man who saved London". TheAnswerBank.co.uk. 18 June 2001. Retrieved 2010-03-29.
3. Florian Hollard (2005), Michel Hollard: le Français qui a sauvé Londres (in French), Le cherche midi, p. 214,
4. "Profile: WWII spy Michel Hollard". BBC.co.uk. 27 April 2004. Retrieved 2010-03-29.
5. Lee, Bruce (2001). Marching orders: the untold story of World War II (Google Books). p. 226. Retrieved 2010-02-11.
6. "Eurostar tribute to WWII hero". BBC News. 27 April 2004. Retrieved 8 July 2011.

Bibliography

• Martelli, George (1961) [1960 Agent extraordinaire (French)]. The man who saved London: the story of Michel Hollard, D.S.O., Croix de Guerre. Odhams Press. Retrieved 2010-02-11.
• Hollard, Florian (2005). Michel Hollard: le Français qui a sauvé Londres (French). Le cherche midi. ISBN 978-2-7491-0387-7

External links

• Foot, M. R. D. (25 August 1993). "Obituary: Michel Hollard". The Independent. Retrieved 8 July 2011.