Did you know Voie Élie Gras in Vitry-sur-Seine is named after a man who died for France? Élie Gras was not just any man. He was a postal worker and a communist activist. His life ended tragically during World War II.
Voie Élie Gras is more than just a street. It is a memorial to a brave soul. Élie Gras was born in Paris in 1914. He worked for the PTT. This was the French postal, telegraph, and telephone service. He was also a dedicated communist activist. He lived in Vitry-sur-Seine. Later, he moved to Paris.
During the war, Élie Gras joined the Resistance. He became a member of the OS. This was the Organisation Spéciale. Later, he joined the FTP. These were the Francs-Tireurs et Partisans. He fought for France’s freedom.
In October 1942, police set up a roadblock. They were at the intersection of several streets. Élie Gras was riding his bicycle. He tried to escape. Police caught him near the Église de Montrouge.
Élie Gras shouted to the people nearby. He cried: “Do not let a French patriot be taken away to be murdered by the Boches.” Another report says he yelled: “Do not arrest a French patriot. Long live the Communist Party, down with the Boches, long live France.”
Police searched him. They found a pistol with ammunition. Élie Gras refused to give his name. He was taken to the police headquarters. Inspectors interrogated him.
Élie Gras admitted he was a communist. He said he had been in the Party’s special organization for four months. He declared: “I have done my duty as a militant and I have nothing more to say to you.”
Then, the police beat him. They used truncheons and bullwhips. Élie Gras said he would give his address the next day. He did not want to endanger those at his home that night. He was beaten repeatedly. He died on October 9.
A policeman witnessed Élie Gras’s torture. Georges Fretet later told Alain Guérin about it. Fretet said he was forced to watch the interrogation. They beat Gras. They tortured him until he died. Then, they took his body to the Hôtel-Dieu.
After the war, investigators looked into the case. They found records of other deaths. These people had died the same day they were arrested.
Élie Gras’s father testified about his son’s death. He identified his son’s body. He noted the many marks of beating. His face was completely swollen. His wife also recognized him. She thought his jaw was broken.
Élie Gras’s father filed a complaint. He accused the police of torturing his son. Another official was condemned to death and executed for this crime.
The Ministry of Veterans Affairs honored Élie Gras. He was recognized as “Mort pour la France”. He was a member of the French Resistance. He was recognized as a lieutenant in the FTPF.
Today, Voie Élie Gras stands as a reminder. It honors a man who stood up for his beliefs. He fought against oppression. Élie Gras’s sacrifice is not forgotten. His name lives on in this street. It also lives on in a street in Vitry-sur-Seine. Remember Élie Gras as you walk along Voie Élie Gras. Think of his courage. Think of his dedication to France.