French resistance in Alsace 1942-1944

Discussion in 'France' started by suzydeyoung, Jan 11, 2025.

  1. suzydeyoung

    suzydeyoung Member

    I am searching for information on my dad, Pierre Adrian (1926-1972) He was conscripted into the German army as a young apprentice cook in Colmar. He was able to escape and join the French Resistance...and as we had been told our entire lives...sheltered in the Vosges mountains in a cave (where we hike every year in his honor and memory) He came to the US in 1951 and became the first Mobil 5 star chef in Cincinnati. He died of cancer at just 46 years old. I am researching his time in the Resistance
     
  2. suzydeyoung

    suzydeyoung Member

    I am researching my father Pierre Adrian. A French boy apprenticing as a cook in Alsace at Hotel du Parc. He left and joined the French resistance where his home was a cave in the Vosges Mountains above his town. (now called Les Roches des Fes) He came to USA in 1951 where he was a chef in NYC before coming to Cincinnati , establishing the first of 44 Mobile 5 star awards for The Maisonette. He died in 1972 when I was just 13 of cancer. I have spent many summers with his family in France and most everything ever shared from his parents, sister,brothers was verbally. I am in the process of writing his story and looking for any possible connections with the resistance in Colmar 1943-44
     
    Lindele likes this.
  3. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    Suzy,

    Welcome aboard. This in my experience is not the best place to get help as it concerns the French Resistance generally. I would suggest you use this part of the forum which is on researching individuals: Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy or a geographic thread for the Home Front in France: France

    We do have some French members and others who know the French Resistance better than I.

    It would help to have his Date of Birth and Date of Death. Did he ever write his memoirs or is there an obituary?
     
    Lindele likes this.
  4. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce Patron

  5. suzydeyoung

    suzydeyoung Member

    he was born March 16 1926 died June 3 1972. Unfortunately the only memoirs were his letters home to his parents that were later destroyed in a fire...I was able to read thru MANY and foolishly left them so I could read the rest when I returned the following year. He was quite well known in the chef community..and like many other French chefs..knew many of the familiar names..Pierre Franey, Jacques Pepin, Andre Soltner were just a few...Rene Verdon was the White House chef for the Kennedys ..he came to visit us when I was a child. His obituary is easily found online
     
  6. suzydeyoung

    suzydeyoung Member

    hello, I am looking for information on my father Pierre Adrian 1926-1972. He was a cooks apprentice in Colmar at Hotel du Parc. He somehow left in 1944 and joined the resistance. I have spent many many summers in Fouchy France, his town...and we walk a "pilgrimage" to where he lived during that time in a cave. The cave now is called Roche des Fes. He immigrated to America in 1951 and worked as a chef in NYC before settling in Cincinnati as the first Executive Chef of the Maisonette. He died at 46 of cancer . His story fascinates me and newly retired am working on a book of his very very remarkable life
     
  7. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce Patron

    JimHerriot and dbf like this.
  8. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce Patron

    Suzy - best not post your query on multiple threads as it confuses members :). One post will suffice and a moderator will move your post to an appropriate thread if it's in the wrong place.
    Lesley
     
    JimHerriot likes this.
  9. suzydeyoung

    suzydeyoung Member

    thank you Lesley. I am one day into this site..and someone told me to post in another thread so I did..my apologies..I'm a newbie!
     
    JimHerriot, dbf and 4jonboy like this.
  10. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce Patron

    It's ok, no problem, it'll get sorted out.

    Lesley

    Edit: There you go Suzy, your query here now under its own thread, thanks to moderator :).
     
    Last edited: Jan 11, 2025
    JimHerriot and dbf like this.
  11. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    His Wiki: Pierre Adrian - Wikipedia

    A newspaper obituary: 1972 Pierre Adrian obit 2

    Note he was conscripted into the Wehrmacht for 1942-1944 (no date) and left the Wehrmacht in 1945 to join the Resistance (no date). Possibly joining after his parents home, Fouchy, was liberated by the US Army; he was an apprentice chef @ Colmar. May be the gaps are filled below?

    Suzy wrote this:
    From: March News

    Note when searching online with: "Pierre Adrian" + "resistance" that id'd another Frenchman, an author who has written books on resistance more recently.

    Over to others to carry on.
     
    Last edited: Jan 11, 2025
    JimHerriot likes this.
  12. suzydeyoung

    suzydeyoung Member

    yes, I wrote " My Father's story. I know understand from one remaining relative of that period he was not taken to Natzweiller Struthof but rather as a cook in a hotel over looking Natzweiller Struthof. It was a hotel that housed the German officers that had the most magnificent view of the valleys
     
  13. JimHerriot

    JimHerriot Ready for Anything

    Hello Suzy.

    Have you ever searched the FFI part of the Mémoire des Hommes website?

    Use the link below, and just find the geographic area you wish to view in the left hand menu e.g. HAUT-RHIN, and click on the secteurs (e.g. Colmar) within the expanded menu, and then click on "consulter les images". You'll be met with a folder cover as such (below) and you can scroll through the documents (images) within from there.

    archives_SHDGR__GR_19_P_68_010__0001~2.jpg

    Here's the link:

    Archives collectives des Forces françaises de l'intérieur - Mémoire des hommes

    There's a wealth of information within "Mémoire des Hommes", e.g. dates and outlines of operations Colmar resistants were involved in, plus names of Colmar secteur resistants. Hopefully you may find something of interest.

    Good luck with your searching.

    Kind regards, always,

    Jim.
     
    Last edited: Jan 12, 2025
    dbf and 4jonboy like this.
  14. suzydeyoung

    suzydeyoung Member

    I am so overwhelmed with so many peoples kindness on my quest...so very very appreciative
     
    4jonboy and JimHerriot like this.

Share This Page