Who Were These POWs?

The POWs who arrived on foot at Etobon were British soldiers from what is now India and Pakistan. While the French called them all "Indous," an old term for Indian that is now used as "Hindu," the written accounts of the time show that, while some were Hindu, others were Muslim. At least one Canadian soldier, of native American origin, possibly Huron, was among the group. Jules Perret reports that he lived in Montreal, on the Rue de Rosemont. The written journals also say the soldiers were captured at Tobruk, but which units they served with is unclear. A few photos exist of the POWs posing in front of the parsonage at Etobon, and of some of them at the time of the liberation. One of the soldiers is buried in the Protestant cemetery at Chenebier, and his gravestone identifies his unit. The story of his death and secret burial is another intriguing part of what happened in 1944.

Update on Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at 10:49AM by Katherine Douglass

Some of the rescued POWs on the parsonage steps in Etobon. Photo from "Ceux d'Etobon," Benjamin Valloton/Jules Perret The parsonage steps in Etobon today. A plaque commemorates the dark days of 1944.