Page 139 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SUMMER 2019 PORTUGAL

French radio reports on ministerial reorga-
nization in Vichy and the progressive elimina-
tion of the last republican elements of the
government, in which Laval [the architect of
the Vichy government’s collaboration with
Germany] is becoming more dominant. His
first act deals with citizens in le train de
déchus [the train of fallen] — those stripped
of their French nationality, including five
members of the De Rothschild family who are
considered warmongers. He identifies them as
Edouard, Maurice, Robert, Henri, and
Philippe, and other well-known Jews like
David Weill, two members of the Stern family,
and renowned antique dealer Edouard Jonas.
What is our government preparing to do? How
much influence do the Germans and the Ital-
ians have over the spirit of our government?
Each day brings its own trouble. We must re-
sign ourselves to bide our time while dreading
the worst. ¶ We learn third hand of a recent
RAF bombardment of Châlons-sur-Marne that
caused numerous casualties, especially among
the occupying troops. It also resulted in seri-
ous damage to the town and put the railway
line there out of commission.
According to my newly acquired family tree,
many more family members than I realized
had died in the Holocaust. I had delivered
what the French call a "devoir de mémoire,"
duty of memory, my personal mission to
memorialize a family who were murdered so
unjustly. The next phase of our travels would
take place at the holding camp where Blanche
spent her last days before being sent by cattle
car to Auschwitz. For that panful chapter, I
would follow the letter that Blanche wrote
from the holding camp of Ecrouves, near
Nancy, where she was sent along with her
daughter Anny, before being carted off to
Auschwitz by cattle car. But that is for the
next chapter of this family saga.

WINEDINEANDTRAVEL.COM 139