Considering the sacrifice made here on Rue du Commandant Louis Bouchet. This street remembers a brave man. Louis Hippolyte Alexandre Bouchet was born in Paris. He died too young at just 42.
Louis Bouchet was more than just a Parisian. He was a railway worker and a member of the French Resistance. During the German occupation, he joined the FTP-Metro network. This was the Section of the Free Shooters and Partisans of the Parisian Metro. Within the resistance, he became known as “Commandant Arthur”.
Bouchet worked as an engineer. His station was Bel-Air. He lived with his wife Madeleine and their two children in Épinay-sur-Seine. In November 1943, he was put in charge of the FTP groups. These groups operated within the metro system.
On August 21, 1944, Bouchet received an important mission. He was to seize the offices of Le Petit Parisien. The Germans had used this newspaper for propaganda. The Committee of Liberation in Paris wanted to give the building to L’Humanité and Le Parisien Libéré.
That morning, Louis Bouchet left the Bel-Air station. He traveled with colleagues in a Citroën. André Ancelin, Ulysse Benne, Robert Ferrer, Émile Goeury, and Arthur Speeckaert were with him. They were stopped at a German checkpoint. This was on Avenue de Daumesnil. They managed to pass. A truce was in place. It was supposed to allow freedom of movement.
However, not all German soldiers followed the truce. Bouchet and his comrades were stopped again. This happened at the corner of Rue Traversière and Rue Michel Chasles. A man in civilian clothes led the search. The resistance members were taken to 15 Rue Traversière. This was a SNCF courtyard.
Later that day, they were put on trucks. They were taken to the Fort Neuf de Vincennes. The next day, August 22, 1944, they were executed. They were buried in a mass grave. After the liberation, their families identified their bodies.
Louis Bouchet was posthumously made a Knight of the Legion of Honor. A commemorative plaque stands in the Château de Vincennes metro station. It honors Bouchet and his comrades. Each year, the RATP organizes a ceremony. This is part of the Liberation of Paris commemorations. His widow, Madeleine Bouchet, became president of the RATP’s social works.
The name “Commandant Bouchet” was given to this street. It also appears in other suburban communities. The Rue du Commandant Louis Bouchet stands as a reminder. It honors his courage and sacrifice.