He was in his own way a celebrity, a personality of Gréoux, and it is again, with his death, a page that is turned: that of the Second World War. Because Pierre Rolland – known as Poupouille – was the last survivor of the team of 5 young people who, on the night of August 15 to 16, 1944, blew up the Verdon bridge: Roger Arnoux, Marius Martino, César Paret, Léon Bonacucina and Pierre Rolland. A few years ago he said: “On the afternoon of August 15 (the day of the landing in Provence), the Allies announced that anyone who was on the roads would be strafed. Soon the planes arrived and dropped bombs on the castle and the village. They couldn’t reach the bridge. In Vinon, the bombardments killed 21 people. The Gryselian population had been evacuated. We decided to blow up the bridge“. To do this, our five friends had a large arsenal, which had been parachuted by the Allies and stored in a cave opposite the Colostre. Pierre Rolland was 24 years old at the time.
After this feat, he was a farmer, then a taxi driver in Gréoux-les-Bains. Pierre fell asleep at the dawn of his 100th birthday, after having assiduously frequented the afternoon dances, because he was a very good dancer. His civil funeral was celebrated yesterday at the Gréoux cemetery. To his family and friends, the editors offer their sincere condolences.
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