Chateau Montigny and beyond !!

[the colonel]

So when we think of WW1/WW2 and France , we think Normandy and the western front, so when I say Burgundy/Champagne you think wine and champagne right ??? , wrong . After 12 years living in Montigny I have discovered tons, and just when I think ive found out the lot, something else pops up. So lets start with my village chateau, chateau montigny built in the 12th century has gone through many changes, but during WW1 it was the officers mess as the village was the home of the US 2 corps school of artillery, see pic of the young officers one of whom was a Lt Harry Truman, later to become 33rd President of the USA. I found a WW1 era postcard in my barn from a GI that was billeted in my house thanking the former owner M Jacob for his hospitality and letting him know he was being returned stateside,  and my neighbours house has WW1 American graffiti in one of the upstairs rooms. Things in the village changed greatly though during WW2 , firstly certain villagers were sent to death camps, their names are marked on our village war memorial , as the German forces made chateau montigny their area HQ, see image from inside the chateau of the eagle and swastika. There is a story attached to this, when the current chateau owner began renovating the place a wall was pulled down revealing 2 huge red Nazi banners left from ww2, the lady is a Parisian and lived through the occupation, she had one of the gardeners rip the banners down and take them into the garden, where upon she doused them in petrol and set light to them, the eagle stencil was saved due to the intervention of the French govt.

Then theres the story of Charles De Gaulle, it only turns out his family home was just down the road, not only that but he is buried there and theres a huge monument and visitors center, again see pics. However if I go the other way I end up at the village of Nod sur Seine where on the 12th September 1944 the two French armies finally met up, the 1st army coming up from Provence and the Leclerc brigade down from Normandy, this is comemerated with the memorial shown with the jeep and half track.

Finally a wee snipit for a future post to keep you awake will be the story of the resistance, a huge 3 day battle, SOE,  an old French lady and a Canadian pilot buried nearby,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, isn't history fun !!!