Gilbert Auguste Bostsarron was born in 1903 in

Saint-Galmier Saint-Galmier () is a city in eastern France. It is a commune in Loire department, and belongs to the arrondissement of Montbrison. Saint-Galmier covers an area of 19.5 square kilometers. As of January 1, 2018, it had a population of 5,737, ranki ...

Loire The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône ...

. He was educated as an engineer at the École de la Métallurgie et des Mines in Nancy. In 1927 he joined the engineering company

Société Franco-Belge The Société Franco-Belge was a Franco-Belgian engineering firm that specialised in the construction of railway vehicles and their components and accessories. The company originated in 1859 as the Belgian firm Compagnie Belge pour la Constructio ...

(

Raismes Raismes () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. The flutist Gaston Blanquart (1877–1962) was born in Raismes. Raismes is known for hosting the annual rock music festival Raismes Fest. Population Notable residents *Pierre ...

), in 1934 he became a chief officer of the company, and in 1938 its deputy Director. In 1940 he became responsible for the management of the company after its director had fled to Canada. In 1941 he became a member of the

French Resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...

, with

nom-de-guerre A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

Claude. He contributed to the underground publication '' La Voix du Nord'', and joined the

Libération-Nord ''Libération-Nord'' ("Liberation-North") was one of the principal resistance movements in the northern occupied zone of France during the Second World War. It was one of the eight great networks making up the National Council of the Resistance. ...

resistance movement, taking advantage as his position as director of the ''Société franco-belge'' to pass information whilst on business trips to

Lille Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Pref ...

and

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, and arrange the aerial bombing of the workshops of the ''franco-belge'' when a German locomotive was being serviced there. In 1943 German counter intelligence located a radio transmitter of his resistance network, and twenty members of the network were arrested, including Bostsarron. After a secret trial by the special tribunal of the 65 Corps of German Army he was shot at (

Bondues Bondues (; nl, Bonduwe) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Since 1997, Bondues has housed a Museum devoted to the Resistance of the Nord-Pas de Calais region. The Fort of Bondues, also known as Fort Lobau, was built near ...

) on 20 January 1944.

References

1903 births 1944 deaths People from Loire (department) French Resistance members {{France-engineer-stub