Assistant teacher at the Lycée de LONS-le-SAUNIER
Jura Departmental Director of Youth and Sports
Head of the United Resistance Movements
Born January 23, 1908 in Foncine-le-Haut (Jura).
Son of Léon Mermet, manager of a diamond factory in Foncine-le-Haut, he was the nephew of Claude Jules Mermet, mayor of Saint-Claude.
Although his health was frail, this didn't stop him from being a militant. In 1927, he joined the Young Socialists. Later, he joined the C.G.T. (General Workers' Union). Particularly interested in popular education, in 1937 he took part, with André Panouillot, in the creation of Tourisme et vacances pour tous, which was to become a national movement.
He then joined the Resistance. In 1942 and 1943, he joined the Maquis.
In 1944, he led the United Resistance movements and became a member of the departmental Liberation Committee.
After the war, he became Inspector of youth movements and popular education.
In 1947, he was appointed departmental director of youth and sports.
For many years, he devoted himself to running the athletics section of the Amicale Laïque Lédonienne.
He died on May 19, 1980 in Clichy-la-Garenne (Hauts-de-Seine).
Source : Michel VERNUS - Lecturer at the Université de Franche-Comté
December 1940
Union resistance - Organization of an underground G.G.T. group with Messrs CHAVANELLE and GOUDOT of the local Union.
Activities: anti-Vichy action, maintaining contacts between the various unions, clandestine information meetings, action on behalf of comrades threatened by "Vichy", intelligence service with branches in the Legion and the P.P.F., action against Legionnaire company unions, distribution of leaflets and newspapers.
May 1942
Joined the "Mouvement Combats". Assigned by Combat departmental chief "Valentin ABEILLE", known as Colléone, to organize the Army, secretary in the Jura department.
Assistant to the departmental chief, he organizes parachute drop sites and a landing site at Courlaoux, 17 sites are detected and organized with a reception team.
Parachute drops take place from August 25, 1942.
Courlaoux will be the site of 2 landing operations, the first on November 25, 1942.
As deputy to the departmental chief, he organized various services for the movement, including N.A.P., false papers, camouflage for "refractory" members and the first maquis, as well as a large number of sectors.
He worked under the orders of Regional Chief BILLON (Chapuis, Moreau) then CHAMBONNET, (Védrine, Didier).
In July 1942, he took part in most of the parachuting operations and landings, as well as the coups de mains organized against the S.C.L..
On November 27, 1942, he camouflaged Alsatians wanted by the German 151st Infantry Regiment police.
He organizes radio broadcasting services.
February 25, 1943
He escaped arrest by the "Gestapo" and went underground.
He remained in the Jura until the liberation, continuing his resistance work and re-establishing links broken by multiple arrests. As a member of the M.U.R. departmental board, he was in charge of the M.A.P., controlling the maquis, political and economic services, and organizing the C.D.I.
He was arrested several times by the Gestapo, on April 25, 1943 in Augisey, on July 16, 1943 in Orgelet and on February 10, 1944 in Courlans.
1944
He was in charge of the M.U.R. department in February 1944, a member of the M.L.N. steering committee in May 1944, and Secretary of the departmental underground Liberation Committee since its creation in September 1943.
He took part in the creation and launch of the underground newspaper "La Libre Comté" in March 1944.
On April 8, 1944, he was arrested by troops operating against the maquis in EPERCY at the clandestine M.U.R. headquarters, before being handed over to the Gestapo.
He escaped on April 10, and also escaped the June 17, 1944 operation against the departmental headquarters at Hautecour near CLAIRVAUX.
A permanent member of the reduced C.D.I. as secretary, he organized the Resistance's "Military Tribunal" at MOLINGES, for which he was responsible.
During the attack on the "Maquis du Haut Jura" (July 8 to 20, 1944), surrounded in the woods and suffering from severe hemoptysis, he had to be cared for in a farmhouse, where he remained camouflaged until the "Liberation".
Shortly afterwards, he underwent a phrenectomy and pneumoperitoneum.
sources Archives Départementales du Jura - Lons le saunier
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Roger MERMET
Knight of the Resistance,
holder of the Croix de Guerre
and Military Valor
President ORIOL made him an Officer of the Legion of Honor on November 5, 1950.