René Bliki

René Bliki (24 September 1926 – 5 January 2025) was a French-born Belgian resistance fighter, war volunteer and sport cyclist.

Biography
World War II
During World War II he joined the resistance (Gewapende Weerstand / Witte Brigade). With dynamite he blew up important railway lines towards Brussels and smuggled explosives and weapons. During the War he was one of the people who saved a girl under the rubble of a house after a bombing raid. Because she had no home anymore, she lived in their home for months. Bliki fought and captured Germanin in the Battle of Arnhem in the Netherlands; in the flooded area between the Meuse and Waal. After the Battle of Arnhem, Bliki volunteered the First Canadian Army. In 1945 he was chosen to train volunteers in the United Kingdom for departure to Japan. He was for six months in Scotland and Ireland. He was about to go to Japan at the time of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, after which Bliki was sent home.

Bliki is praised for his war exploits. In 2015 he received the Order of Leopold II from the Minister of Defense Steven Vandeput. He was honored again in November 2017.

Cycling
During his childhood, World War II, he practiced cycling. After World War II he was a road and cyclo-cross cyclist for twenty years. At the age of 33 he was most successful. He rode for the proffessional teams  in 1949, Plume Sport in 1959 and Dr. Mann in 1960. He competed in among others the Tour of Belgium, Omloop van Midden-Vlaanderen and Egmont Cycling Races. In cyclo-cross he beated the German world champion in Mechelen and received a lot of media attention in the newspapers.

Personal life
Bliki was born in Chevilly-Larue, France on 24 September 1926. He had six brothers and sisters. His father had a café and bakery.

After World War II Bliki was married and lived in Hillegem. Next to cycling he worked for the police and the post in Brussels and also moved to Brussels. He divorced and later married Ida Van Lierde. During the last part of his life they lived in Sint-Martens-Lennik. He died there on 5 January 2025, at the age of 98.

References

Other websites


Category:World War II resistance members
Category:Belgian people of World War II
Category:Military personnel of World War II
Category:Belgian cyclists
Category:1926 births
Category:2025 deaths
Category:People from Val-de-Marne
Category:Place of death missing