André Aalberg, a French Resistance fighter, fought in China, escaped capture, joined the Free French Forces, and was killed in 1943 after refusing to speak under torture.
Early Life and Military Service
André Aalberg was born in Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines on June 5, 1913. He worked as a secretary in a textile factory before being called up for military service in October 1934 to the 33rd Infantry Regiment in Belfort. Career in the Colonial Infantry
In April 1935, Aalberg was promoted to corporal and enlisted as a first class soldier in the colonial infantry in September of the same year. He participated in the campaign in China for three and a half years and was promoted to sergeant on June 1, 1939. Service on the Western Front
Returning to France, Aalberg requested assignment to the German border with the Free Companies, where he took part in numerous raids. He received two citations for his actions and ended the French campaign in June 1940 on the Maginot Line. He was cited a third time, wounded, and captured. Escape and Resistance Activities
Aalberg escaped fifteen days after his capture and made his way to southern France. He was assigned to Fréjus, where he volunteered for service in Indochina. However, he deserted at Dakar to join the Free French Forces and attempted to reach English Gambia on foot. He was arrested 300 kilometers from Dakar, imprisoned, and returned to France in April 1941. Legal Consequences and Resistance Involvement
Aalberg was tried and condemned by the Clermont-Ferrand court to one year in prison with a suspended sentence. After his release, he joined the Resistance and became a member of the Mithridate network, where he quickly rose to positions of leadership under the pseudonyms Dieudonné or Jean-Louis. Mithridate Network Expansion
The Mithridate network, established between December 1940 and February 1942 by Fernand Gibelin and Pierre Herbinger-Bressac, expanded significantly during the war. It operated in regions such as Sardinia, Italy, Brittany, Lille, and later in Paris, Bordeaux, and other areas across France. Aalberg’s Leadership and Arrest
Aalberg played a key role in developing the Mithridate network’s various services and showed great initiative. In May 1943, the entire organization joined the French Combatant Forces. However, as arrests of transmitter hubs increased, Aalberg was arrested in Clermont-Ferrand on October 10, 1943, after being denounced. Death and Posthumous Recognition
During his arrest, Aalberg attempted to escape, shot a German soldier, and was himself shot three times in the abdomen. After being tortured, he refused to speak and died from his wounds five days later on October 15, 1943. He was buried under the name Lucien Navarron. Aalberg was posthumously awarded the Companion of Liberation in 1945 and the Cross of War 1939-45, with four citations.
