Callabre, Didier/Vauclair, Gilles Juin 1940. Sur les routes de Cote-d'Or: de la débacle à l'exode. Volume 1

Between May and June 1940, the Côte-d'Or experienced a short but terrible ordeal: that of war, fire and blood. In this chaotic environment, tens of thousands of civilians from Luxembourg, Belgium and the north-east departments of France fled the fighting and crossed the region on the roads of exodus. For many of them, it was a journey of no return. Death seized them there, as it did the French soldiers and their Polish and Czechoslovakian comrades in arms, who fell with weapons in their hands or were swept away by the tides of the debacle. Bombing raids, machine-gun fire, rearguard action, looting, riots, massacres of prisoners... lined the streets, towns and villages of the Côte-d'Or. Men, women, children, soldiers of the infantry, armoured units and colonial troops... During the French campaign from 10 May to 22 June 1940, over 1,000 people were killed in the Côte d'Or! During the French campaign from 10 May to 22 June 1940, over 1,000 people were killed in the Côte d'Or! However, most of these victims died between 15 and 18 June. In mid-June 1940, the Côte d'Or was surrounded by German armoured divisions. In Molesme, Montbard, Saulieu, Arnay-le-Duc, Beaune, Pontailler-sur-Saône, Auxonne, Saint-Seine-l'Abbaye... were the scene of real fighting and numerous skirmishes interrupted the advance of the German troops in the department. At the same time, Châtillon-sur-Seine, Coulmier-le-Sec, Dijon, Beaune, Seurre, Auxonne... were bombed. The chronology of the numerous battles is supplemented by a comprehensive list of casualties. The book is richly illustrated with previously unpublished photographs and is a historical study of this sad period in the history of the Côte d'Or that has never been undertaken before.