Vincent Besombes: Hundreds of Azerbaijani soldiers died in Aveyron for France`s freedom
Rodez, May 20, AZERTAC
“Many groups operated in the Resistance movement in the Aveyron department. Azerbaijani soldiers also joined these groups, known as the Maquis, and fought alongside them for freedom,” said Vincent Besombes, President of the Rodez City Committee of Souvenir Français, in an interview with AZERTAC during a commemorative event honoring Azerbaijani soldiers who fought for the liberation of Rodez.
“Unfortunately, the exact number of Azerbaijani soldiers is unknown, but they joined the Aveyron partisan movement. Some of them died, and because their names are unknown, they lie in unmarked graves. Others, as you can see here, do have marked graves,” Vincent Besombes emphasized.
Highlighting the valiance of the Azerbaijani warriors, he noted that the number of Azerbaijani soldiers brought to Aveyron in the summer of 1944 is known, and it is estimated at approximately 1,000–1,200 individuals. However, it is not known how many of them joined the partisans, because the Resistance Movement was like a secret army, and therefore the exact numbers and exact names are not known. Everything was kept secret to avoid repression by the Nazis. This is the main challenge regarding Azerbaijani soldiers—there is no exact information about their numbers or names.
However, what is certain is that on August 17, 1944, five Azerbaijani soldiers were executed by the Nazis in Rodez. Sixty Azerbaijani soldiers were tortured in Nazi barracks—mutilated with their hands and feet cut off—and then killed,” Besombes added, noting that hundreds of Azerbaijani captives were brought to Aveyron and died heroically in the fight for France’s freedom.
Azerbaijani partisans who joined the French Resistance have gone down in history as heroes in the fight against fascism during World War II.
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