They called her ‘Agnes’

 

My young French friend ‘Maxence Druelle Fourniez’ is the great-nephew of resistance member ‘Marine Fourniez’ Maxence achieved his ambition on 22^nd February 2021 to have ‘Marine Fourniez’s work with the resistance recognized, he has particularly concentrated his efforts towards a street in her name.

It was on that same day she received a decoration from the National Assembly and the Senate.

Agnes

It’s a project to revive her forgotten history and Maxence continues to research without hesitation. Her story has been told to Max over the years by his grandfather, but it has always been in bits and pieces.

Marine Fourniez was my great Aunt , begins Maxence. She was born on February 12, 1921 in La Bussière and she died on March 15, 1947 in Wingles. As for the resistance she went under the name of ‘Agnes’

For three generations, this painful story remained almost confidential and only remembered in those pieces of conversation between Maxence and his grandfather. This was sometimes brought to life because of the documents that were kept in a safe place under the stairs and only rarely seen.

But at the age of 16, Maxence broke with tradition, he started to trace the life of Marine and now has achieved in getting her name recognised by the National Veterans Office.

“My grandfather told me Marine’s anecdotes, so it’s passed down from generation to generation. For this teenager, the life of Marine Fourniez is a family legend and a heritage to be protected.

“The papers were in a cupboard, the cupboard of my grandfather which was sacred” he explains. No one should touch Marine’s papers. It was the story of his daughter, one that he had lost when she was very young. “

Indeed, from 1943, Marine Fourniez became Agnès, a liaison officer for the Francs-tireurs and partisans, the FFI and the patriotic militias when she was already suffering from a chronic illness.

“She knew she was going to die” continues Maxence. “ I think she said to herself you might as well be useful for something.”

A life for France

And the young woman was taking risks, like that day in 1944. She was carrying ammunition in her briefcase which she had collected at the station. She arrived home, she told her father to hide the weapons in the fire. At the same moment, the Gestapo arrived, they were searching everywhere because they were convinced that the resistance was hiding there and they were not wrong.

Marine’s father then pretended that it was cold in the house and made to light the fire, with the grenades and dynamites hidden within, and made out that the suitcases were filled with food. The Germans believed them and finally left. And they both rushed to put out the fire before it all blew up.

Her extraordinary life finally ended two years after the Liberation in anonymity. Her illness worsened and became widespread. She died on March 15, 1947 at her home. Max said, “I think she would have preferred to die for France.”

On Monday February 22^nd 2021, thanks to the work of her great nephew (Maxence), Marine Fourniez received the medal of the National Assembly and the Senate, Max accepted the award on behalf of Marine. It was presented by Benoit Potterie, deputy of the 8th district of Pas-de -Calais as well as the senator of Pas-de-Calais Cathy Apourceau-Poly.

A street named after Marine.

Wingles will also soon have a street in the name of Marine Fourniez by the end of the year or early 2022. The construction work is currently underway. ‘In fact, it’s quite a symbolism’ he explains. ‘It turns out that 75 years ago, Marine Fourniez passed here to go to Lens to look for leaflets, weapons and ammunition’.

We are now waiting for the naming of the future ‘Rue du Marine Fourniez’.

My congratulations to the high school student ‘Maxence’ who has made it his mission to restore her memory. “It is so good to have the commitment of women in the resistance recognized,” he concludes.

Bravo young Maxence.