Gaston Bêchard
Gaston Samuel Bêchard (born 21 May 1900 in Aimargues (Southern France); died in deportation on 2 April 1945 in Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria) was a socialist militant professor, trade unionist, and a French politician. Biography. Professional career. In October 1923 he was appointed as an assistant professor teaching technical subjects. He then entered practical school which was newly established by the upper primary school in Montceau-les-Mines in Eastern France. Commitments. He joined the CGT, France's largest labor federation, and also worked with the League of Human Rights, and was engaged in politics in the  socialist ranks. On 19 September 1936 he was elected third deputy to Jean-Marie Bailleau, mayor of Montceau-les-Mines. In 1941 when he was dismissed from his post by the government of Vichy France he joined the opposition to the regime in place, perhaps because of some accusations against him. On 2 August 1944 he was arrested at home by the Gestapo. He was deported to the Natzweiler camp, where he was given the registration number 24082. He was then relocated to Austria, to the Mauthausen concentration camp. He was further transferred to Kommando de Melk. He died of  sepsis in April 1945, just before the liberation of the camp. Reverences. The square of the district of La Sainte de Montceau-les-Mines, as well as a street of Aimargues, have been named after Gaston Bêchard.