Hirsch Trocki
Hirsch Trocki was born August 15,
1904 at Dunilowicz near Vilna (Vilnius, Poland)). His
father, a lawyer, insisted for a very complete his education. Also,
having followed the course of his small tow’sn high school, he became a student
at the Polytechnic of Vilna. It
was at this time that he became active in the Polish labor movement. But
the reign of Pilsudski, the crackdown on progressive activists forced Hisrch
Trocki to emigrate. He
settled with his wife in Paris, where he found a job in the building sector. When
in 1936 Franco attacked the Spanish Republic, Trocki Hirsch volunteered to
defend freedom. However,
as he spoked fluently Spanish, he did not join in the International Brigades but
rather the Spanish republican army. After
the defeat, like so many others he was detained in the Gurs camp where he knew
suffering and privation He managed to escape, but to fell ill with a facial
paralysis. Barely
healed, when war broke out in September 1939, Hirsch engaged in one of the
three regiments of foreign volunteers. During
the Occupation, he continued fighting without uniforms and joined the partisans
in the “maquis” of La Besse near St. Féréol in Corrèze. This
resistance groupe is the one who caused the most troubles to the rear of
Hitler's army, and the SS, were charged of the mission of their "liquidation".
On
November 15th, 1943, 400 SS, attacked the 42 partisans in La Besse. After
a fierce struggle of ten against one, that lasted for several hours, 18
patriots were killed and others captured. But
for the Nazis, there were no prisoners, and the next day all survivors were
massacred. Hirsch
Trocki, was killed at his post fighting for his ideals of freedom, peace and
progress and for the independence of France, his second homeland. On
9 October 1945, he was cited posthumously army in dispatches in the following
terms: "On November 15th,
19432, in La Besse (Corrèze) he fought valiantly against 400 SS, who attacked
his camp. Killed
in the battle, he was horribly disfigured without any respect by an opponent.
"
Excerpts
taken from "Affairs, Martyrs and Heroes of the Resistance" by David
Diamond Edition Renewal