N'oublions Jamais - 10 Septembre 2013

N'oublions Jamais - Let Us Never Forget

This is undoubtedly the single most important photograph I have taken on this holiday and I am spending a lot of time on the text to bring to all the details of the inscription, the message of horror it conveys and the exhortation to 'never forget'. I am privileged that my French extends to passable translation (my own) but more than privileged to live in a Europe from which these dark clouds have passed. This simple but moving memorial is affixed to a wall of platform A of Nice Ville station. There are two plaques:
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En Haut/Upper

La République française en hommage aux victimes des persécutions racistes et antisémites et des crimes contre l'humanité commis sous l'autorité de fait dite "Gouvernement de l'Etat français" (1940-1944)

N'oublions jamais

The Republic of France in recognition of the victims of racist and anti-semitic persecution and of crimes against humanity committed by authority of the self-styled "Government of the French state" (1940-1944)

Let us never forget
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En Bas/Lower

Le 31 AOUT 1942, 554 JUIFS, DONT UNE VINGTAINE D'ENFANTS, HABITANT LES ALPES.MARITIMES, LES BASSES.ALPES ET MONACO, ARRETE SUR ORDRE DU GOUVERNEMENT DU VICHY FURENT LIVRES A LA GESTAPO APRES AVOIR ETE REGROUPES A LA CASERNE AUVARE: UN TRAIN LES A EMMENES A LA GARE SAINT.ROCH AU CAMP DE DRANCY EN ZONE OCCUPEE, D'OU ILS FURENT DEPORTES VERS AUSCHWITZ. DU 10 SEPTEMBRE 1943 AU 30 JUILLET 1944, PLUS DE 3000 JUIFS, DONT ENVIRON 300 ENFANTS, ONT ETES ARRETES PAR LA GESTAPO DANS LES ALPES.MARITIMES, LES BASSES ALPES ET MONACO ET DEPORTES VERS AUSCHWITZ APRES AVOIR ETE TRANSFERES DE LA GARE CENTRALE DE NICE AU CAMP DE DRANCY.

PRESQUE TOUS LES DEPORTES ONT ETE ASSASSINES: MOINS DE 3% D'ENTRE EUX ONT SURVECU.

ON THE 31st AUGUST 1942, 554 JEWS, INCLUDING TWENTY CHILDREN, LIVING IN ALPES-MARITIMES, BASSES-ALPES AND MONACO, ARRESTED ON THE ORDERS OF THE VICHY GOVERNMENT WERE DELIVERED TO THE GESTAPO AFTER HAVING BEEN COLLECTED TOGETHER AT THE AUVARE BARRACKS. A TRAIN TOOK THEM TO SAINT ROCH STATION AT DRANCY CAMP IN THE OCCUPIED ZONE FROM WHERE THEY WERE DEPORTED TO AUSCHWITZ. BETWEEN 10 SEPTEMBER 1943 AND 30 JULY 1944, MORE THAN 3000 JEWS INCLUDING AROUND 300 CHILDREN WERE ARRESTED BY THE GESTAPO IN ALPES-MARITIMES, BASSES ALPES AND MONACO AND DEPORTED TO AUSCHWITZ AFTER BEING TRANSFERRED FROM NICE CENTRAL STATION TO DRANCY CAMP.

ALMOST ALL THOSE DEPORTED WERE MURDERED: FEWER THAN 3% SURVIVED.
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Any errors in the transcription from the photograph or inadequacies in translation are mine and invite correction.

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