Par
Matthieu Gain
Published on
December 23, 1946. Rene Lasseau23, was killed by a machine gun burst in his farm at Salle Verte in Ergué-Gabéric (Finistère), near Quimper.
A fascinating story
Table of Contents
The former clerk, Annick Le Dougettraces the history of this assassination in his latest book entitled The Quimper underworld, between Resistance and banditry.
I knew a little about this affair because it had a great impact on the national level. I would say that it comes just behind the Seznec affair in the history of Finistère.
The beginning of his research was not easy. “When I went to the Departmental Archives in Quimper, I came across two very voluminous files. Inside, it was messy. But I got hooked! »
Looting of farms
After “18 months of non-stop work”, Annick Le Douget draws a fascinating story.
“Just after the assassination, several hypotheses were put forward. Is this revenge? Retaliation after the end of the Second World War? Had the victim’s family collaborated with the Germans? At the start of the investigation, the investigating judge follows the trail of looting gone wrong. »
In Finistère, the looting of farms are then numerous in the aftermath of the Liberation. “Peasants were suspected of having collaborated with the Germans. However, it has happened that people have been attacked to steal food and all their savings. THE farmers were helpless. They had no weapons because the Germans had confiscated them. Finally, if their farm had been pillaged, that meant they had collaborated. »
The lice gang
This is the context in which the assassination of René Lasseau occurs. “The weapon was never found. The investigation stalled but after a month, a neighbor of the victim denounced the culprit, Henri Bourmaud. He was part of the Poux gang (Gaston Poux, Editor’s note). The latter was a tobacconist, avenue de la Libération, near Quimper station. He was a vain man who played like a big name. It was he who had organized the looting but he did not leave his business. He called on henchmen. Characters with often troubled pasts who had joined the Resistance late in life. »
The culprit sits down at the table
Annick Le Douget continues: “Henri Bourmaud was undoubtedly the weakest of the group. The weak link. He quickly sat down at the table. In his hearing, he delivers Gaston Poux, whose home is searched. The police found kilos of notes and information on Quimper’s collaborators there. All these documents show that Poux had started its own purification because he felt that justice was probably not moving quickly enough. »
“An explosive trial”
The four accused are tried in July 1948 by the Finistère Assize Court, in Quimper. Annick Le Douget continues: “It’s an explosive subject because the population has not forgotten the events which took place two years earlier. The impact of the affair is enormous because we realize that the culprits are former resistance fighters. And it is difficult to understand how men who gave so much for their country could fall into banditry. »
The killer, Henri Bourmaud, is sentenced to forced labor for life. The sponsor, Gaston Poux, to 15 years of forced labor. The other two to five and ten years of imprisonment.
However, they have not served their entire sentence, concludes Annick Le Douget. “During this period, France is in the process of reconstruction and institutions are slow to get back in place. Ten years after his trial, the killer Henri Bourmand found freedom. »
Practical information. Tuesday, November 11, Annick Le Douget gives a conference at 4 p.m. at the Ti-Kreis room, route de Croas Spern in Ergué-Gabéric. It’s free.
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