Yvonne Abbas (29 April 1922 – 13 December 2014) was a member of the

French Resistance The French Resistance ( ) was a collection of groups that fought the German military administration in occupied France during World War II, Nazi occupation and the Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy#France, collaborationist Vic ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. She survived deportation to

Ravensbrück concentration camp Ravensbrück () was a Nazi concentration camp exclusively for women from 1939 to 1945, located in northern Germany, north of Berlin at a site near the village of Ravensbrück (part of Fürstenberg/Havel). The camp memorial's estimated figure of 1 ...

Early life

Abbas was born in

Pérenchies Pérenchies (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department in northern France. It is part of the Métropole Européenne de Lille. Population Heraldry People from Pérenchies *Yvon ...

, to an

Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

n father who died of tuberculosis when she was a child, resulting in her having to go out to work at the age of thirteen. As an employee of Épiceries du Nord, she became a Communist Party activist and was involved in the industrial action of 1938. At the age of seventeen, she married Florent Debels. Both entered the Resistance and joined the FTP (Francs-tireurs et partisans).

Life during the Second World War

Abbas was arrested on her 20th birthday in 1942 (along with Louis Petit and Jean Bracq, both of whom were shot). She was imprisoned in

Rennes Rennes (; ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in Northwestern France at the confluence of the rivers Ille and Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the Brittany (administrative region), Brittany Regions of F ...

and, in April 1944, she was sent to Ravensbrück. There she was subjected to torture and

forced labour Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, or violence, including death or other forms of ...

. She was working in a munitions factory in Holleischen in May 1945, when the camp was liberated. On her return home, she learned that her husband had been shot and killed at Wambrechies, two months after her address; her brother had also been killed in October 1944 in Belfort.

Later years

Abbas was awarded a number of decorations by the French government: : Legion Honneur Officier ribbon

Officier de l'

Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

(1992); Commandeur de la

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

(2014)Awarded 18 April 2014
/ref> : Medaille militaire ribbon

Médaille militaire The ''Médaille militaire'' (, "Military Medal") is a military decoration of the French Republic for other ranks for meritorious service and acts of bravery in action against an enemy force. It is the third highest award of the French Republic, ...

Croix du Combattant Volontaire de la Resistance ribbon

Combattant volontaire de la Résistance : Palmes academiques Chevalier ribbon

Chevalier dans l'

ordre des Palmes académiques A suite, in Western classical music, is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral/concert band pieces. It originated in the late 14th century as a pairing of dance tunes; and grew in scope so that by the early 17th century it comprised up to ...

She became President of the musée de la Résistance at

Denain Denain (; ) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Denain had a population of 19,877, on a land area of 11.52 km2 (4.448 sq mi). It is the largest of 47 communes which comprise the Communauté d'agglomération de la Por ...

, and was a member of the Comité national de l’Amicale de Ravensbrück, and President of the Comité de Lille de l’Anacr.

Death

She died on December 13, 2014 in Loos, Nord.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abbas, Yvonne 1922 births 2014 deaths People from Nord (French department) Ravensbrück concentration camp survivors French people of Algerian descent Commanders of the Legion of Honour Chevaliers of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques Communist members of the French Resistance French World War II forced labourers