Bissley, Giselle: my Red Cross recollections (December 6, 2010)
PublicAn interview/narrative of Giselle Bissley's experiences during World War II. Mrs. Bissley served with the French Red Cross. Interview took place on December 6, 2010.
Interviewer: Baker, Timothy
Interviewee: Bissley, Giselle
ABSTRACT: Giselle Bissley nee Fraissinet Giselle Fraissinet served in the French Red Cross throughout the Second World War. From 1940 until 1943 she escorted French evacuee children to the North African colonies on board ship across the Mediterranean. She also brought some into Switzerland. After the Allied invasion of North Africa she commanded an ambulance unit in Marseilles. Following Operation Dragoon, the invasion of Southern France in August 1944, she found herself in Menton when the Canadian/American First Special Service Force arrived. During the fighting near the city she made several trips behind German lines attempting to negotiate a ceasefire and permission to evacuate French civilians from danger. Fraissinet served as a liaison with the First Special Service Force until their disbandment in late 1944. At war’s end she assisted with the repatriation of former French prisoners of war back to France. Part I Introduction- 00:00-00:56 Early life and background- 00:57-02:43 Early war experience and enlistment in the French Red Cross- 02:44-4:57 Evacuating children to North Africa- 4:58-6:19 Memories of German invasion, 1940- 6:20-8:01 More on the Red Cross evacuation of children to North Africa- 8:03-10:56 Germans prevent evacuation of Jewish children to Argentina, 1942- 10:57-11:20 Memories of voyages with the children- 11:21-15:51 Life under Vichy and Occupied France, feelings about Germans- 15:52-21:50 Evacuation of children to Switzerland- 21:51-24.55 Red Cross ambulance duty in Marseilles- 24:55-28:07 Allied landings in Southern France, restrictions on civilians, German atrocities, special conditions in Menton- 28:08-32:26 Memories of Allied Forces arrival in Menton, evacuation of the city, on communist resistors- 32:27-38:47 Memories of the Arrival of the First Special Service Force in Menton- 38:48-40:27 Assisting the First Special Service Force- 40:28-42:57 Attempt to negotiate truce to evacuate civilians from no-mans land, talks to Major General Fredericks, negotiates with German local commander at Castillon- 42:58-48:10 Part II Returns to Castillon for answer about truce request- 00:00-1:53 Travels to Sospel to attempt to negotiate evacuation of town with German general, Germans refuse to let civilians evacuate to France- 1:54-10:20 French reaction to attempt to negotiate truce, accused of being German spy- 10:21-16:28 Liaison service with First Special Service Force- 16:29-19:12 Disbandment of the First Special Service Force, Dec. 5 1944, later connection with members of force- 19:13-29:00 Part III in England to obtain medical supplies, mission canceled- 00:00-5:05 Memories of V-E Day, letter about death of brother arrives on V-E Day- 5:06-7:10 Red Cross duties after V-E Day, repatriation of French P.O.W.s- 7:11-10:55 Awards during in the war – 10:56-
- In Collection:
- V-E Day, 1945
- Negotiation
- World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Canadian
- France--History--German occupation, 1940-1945
- Allied Forces--Special Service Force, 1st
- Marseille (France)
- World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Africa, North
- Women spies
- World War, 1939-1945--France--Red Cross
- World War, 1939-1945--War work--Red Cross
- Jews--France
- France--Colonies--Africa
- Liaisons
- World War, 1939-1945--Evacuation of civilians--France
- Children and war
- Fraissinet, Giselle--Interviews
- Evacuation of civilians
- World War, 1939-1945--Children--France
- Castillon-du-Gard (France)
- France--Politics and government--1940-1945
- Red Cross and Red Crescent
- Armistices
- Jewish children in the Holocaust--France
- World War, 1939-1945--Jews--Rescue--France
- Ambulance drivers
- World War, 1939-1945--Prisoners and prisons
- World War, 1939-1945--Atrocities--Germany
- Prisoners of war--France
- D-Day, 1944 (Normandy invasion)
- Operation Dragoon, 1944
- Ambulance service
- Allied Forces--Special Service Force, 1st--Canadian Special Service Battalion, 1st
- Prisoners of war--Germany
- Bissley, Giselle--Interviews
- Frederick, Robert Tryon, 1907-1970
- Hidden children (Holocaust)
- World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--France--Normandy
- Sospel (France)
- Military attache´s
- Menton (France)
- Civil-military relations
- World War, 1939-1945--Armistices--France
- World War, 1939-1945--France
- 1 sound recording (MP3)
- 52.16045, -0.70312
- 49, 0
- Original sound recordings (WAV) also available.
- Canadian Military Oral History Collection
- BG_675
- Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/military-oral-history-collection
- May 5, 2011
- Digital sound recording in .mp3 format at 192 kbps and 44 kHz. Recorded in digital format by interviewer, technical and cataloguing metadata provided by JF and JP. Interview recorded in digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2011. Migration metadata by KD and MT.
- Rights
- This interview has been posted with the understanding that it may be used for research purposes only. Should the interviewee or their heirs have any objections to this interview being accessible on the Internet, it will be removed promptly. Contact UVic Special Collections for permission if using for other than research purposes: speccoll@uvic.ca
- DOI
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