Neuvic, Dordogne, July 1944
Famous for its Chateaux, Wine and Truffles, the Dordogne has always had a special place on the world stage.
But often overlooked are the stories from World War II, notably the events of 26 July 1944 when the Résistance carried out the world biggest, most audacious, train robbery.
Netting a staggering 2.28 Billion Francs (around 400m Euros/420m USD) the robbery changed the course of history and within 4 weeks the Nazis had fled the region.
Following the D-Day landings in Normandy to liberate France by the Allies in June 1944, it was obvious that there wasn’t enough cash to support and arm all the new recruits in the south west of France.
The commander of the French forces based in London, General Koeing, suggested that the Résistance lie low while more weapons could be provided, but the Maquis in the Dordogne had other ideas.
The head of the Dordogne résistance André Gaucher was tipped off that between 8 to 10 Billion Francs were held in the vaults in nearby Perigueux – and that trains regularly transported cash to Bordeaux on order of the occupying Nazis.
Gaucher found out that a heavily guarded train would be leaving on 26th July, carrying 2.28 Billion Francs (400m Euros) – held in 150 sacks and weighing six tons.
The local Maquis groups were informed and a plan was hatched to stop the train at Neuvic sur L’Isle The spot was chosen because of its distance from the main road – which was usually full of German patrols – and the proximity of little used country lanes, ideal for hiding the escaping trucks. The local villages, and staff at the station, were also thought to be trusted. Only a few weeks before, the Nazis had executed 52 civilians in nearby Mussidan in revenge for Résistance attacks.
Arriving at 7pm, the Maquis then laid in wait for the train. Two trucks had been prepared to spirit away the loot and then an ordinary passenger train puffed into the station at 7.45 pm…
Doubting they had the right train, the fighters boarded the Engine, and the driver directed them to the first carriage, where they found 150 sacks marked ‘Banque de France’. A few guards put up a pretend fight, then the carriage was decoupled and moved into a siding.
While the sacks were unloaded, the station masters at Mussidan and St Astier were told to expect the train late, saying that shoes were being loaded from a nearby factory destined for Germany.
Incredibly (or not for those who know anything about French bureaucracy) an Officer in the résistance was asked to sign a receipt for 2,280,000,000 Francs by an on-board representative of the Banque de France.
The six tons of cash was split between the two trucks and, the group carefully trundled through the night to the rendezvous 40 km away in Cendrieux. One of the trucks broke down after a heavy thunderstorm, and so all of the loot was put onto one of the wagons, which arrived at the woodland hideout at 2am.
The sacks were counted and one was missing! …For years after the war, the mysteriously vanished 15 million francs was blamed for any good fortune in the area, such as a new shop or business.
In the following days and weeks, the money was shared to liberate resistance fighters, paid to shopkeepers, doctors and hospitals – and buy food and guns.
By the end of August 1944 every Nazi had fled the Dordogne, and the start of the victorious fight back had begun.
If you would like to explore the region’s history further, I would recommend:
–Wine and War by Donald Kladstrup – a fascinating insight into how the local winegrowers outwitted the Nazis
–Le Partage des Milliards de la Resistance by Gillot Lagrange (in French)
–The Resistance Man by Martin Walker
Article written by Daniel Arnold
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