Evening star., 1944-07-16
5 French Boys Lived
In Forest for Months
To Escape Nazi Draft
BY HAL BOYLE.
Associated Press War Correspondent

| Associated Press War Correspondent
ST. SAUVEUR LIE VICOMTE,
July 7, Delayed. - Five French
youths, who played Robinson CRU
soc for four months, hiding in the
woods to keep from being drafted by
the Nazis for forced labor, have
come out of hiding near here to
help the Allies by guiding lost para
troopers and pointing out German
positions.
These brave, stubborn boys man
aged to keep alive in the wilderness
by trapping small game, was told
by young infantry officer, Ii.
George P. Tobler, Smithtown
Branch, N. Y. He started to take
me to the farm home of one of
the boys, but we met the boy pedal
ing down the road on a bicycle. AS
jeepS and ammunition trucks rum
bled by, he told his story.
He is a freckled, blond haired boy
of 20 named Pierre. can't give you
his last name, because that might
give the Nazis a chance for re-
venge.
Tipped Off BY Underground.
"One night one of our leaders in
the underground came to our farm
and told mother-my father is dead
that the Germans would soon be-
gin taking more of us to Germany
to do their war work" Pierre said.
One group of us decided we would
rather run away and live in the
woods than be shipped off to work
for Hitler.
There were five Of us-Michel,
20; George, 81; Jean. 20, and Ber-
nard, 81. Some of us lived on farms,
some were students. We set out to-
gether and made our way to the
center of great woods-called Bois
de Limors-southeast of st. Sau-
veur lie Vicomte.
I'VE found an old woodcutter's
abandoned cottage in the center of
the forest, and We all slept there.
1t was February then, and some
times We were very cold. But it
wasn't such a bad life =.
Trapped Game With Snares.
1--WE had plenty of meat to eat.
We trapped wild rabbits and other
game with SnareS and made friends
with one Woodcutter who brought
us more meat. What We missed most
was bread and cheese.
Germans came by several times
and questioned us said Pierre,
laughing at the recollection. but
We convinced them that we were
cutting wood for German Army use,
so they let us alone.
Some of us were pretty home
sick by the time we heard over the
little radio in our hut that the
invasion had begun. We were all
excited and left at once. The Ger
mans came by our hut later that
day and stole everything in it, in
cluding the radio.
we met some American para
troops lost in the woods and. after
spending the night with them, We
showed them the way to a small
town where about so other men in
their outfit had set up headquarters.
They had garlands of flowers around
their necks. given them at a farm
house by French women.
Told of Nazi Positions.
when we rowed them across the
marsh I saw they were embarrassed
by the flowers but afraid to get rid
of them because of fear of making
me feel bad. So I took them off and
threw them into the water.
Il told your officers all I knew
about the German positions, and 1
also let them know where some
Germans were in the woods at that
moment. They fired mortars on
them and killed three before the
rest of the Germans ran away"
asked Pierre whether he had anv
desire to fight the Germans him
self.
Il hate the Nazis,' he said. "and
I wait only for the arrival of Gen.
de Gale. Then will enlist. 1 want
to fight in a French army"