In 1939, as with every summer, the family of Jean Calvet (grandfather of the present owner) gathered at Tauzia. They listened anxiously to the news on the T.S.F. (?) In early September, war was declared.
Two of Jean Calvet’s sons had been killed in 1914-18; Daniel had been an aviator then, but he was too old to be remobilized; Jacques was sent to the United States to take part in a commission charged with buying horses (that says a lot about France’s preparation for the war which was beginning); finally Andre, the last son, was mobilized. He left Tauzia for the Maginot line where he would be taken prisoner in May 1940.
Château Tauza Tauzia before the war
The women and children stayed at Tauzia until the end of September, then moved back to their house in Bordeaux. Before leaving Tauzia, an artillery shell from the D.C.A. fell in the park several meters away from the children, a German reconnaissance plane having flown over the region. Jacques d’Welles, a friend of the family, chief architect of the city of Bordeaux, colonel in reserve and responsible for several batteries of the D.C.A. organized the detonation of the shell, which fortunately had not exploded on the ground. More frightened than hurt! Most of the windows at Tauzia were painted blue on orders from the “passive defense” in order to avoid being spotted by the Germans.
From October to May, like every year, Tauzia was empty. The Calvet family returned to Tauzia during the terrible month of May 1940 during which the French army fought desperately against the invader. The children played war games in the park while the T.S.F. announced the capitulation of Belgium, the arrival of the government in Bordeaux, and finally the armistice, which plunged everyone into an agonizing stupor. On June 30 1940, during a stifling heat wave, a dozen Feldgendarme on motorcycles and sidecars, with their iron crosses on their chests, arrived in the courtyard of the chateau. They were followed by a hundred men on horseback: an officer dismounted and asked to speak to the owner of the chateau.
Copy of the original requisition order issued by the German authorities
Thus it was that Jean Calvet learned that the only mounted cavalry regiment of the German army would occupy Tauzia. The officers would live in the Chateau with the family before they left, and the troops would be sheltered beneath tents. It was about 4 o’clock. At 6 o’clock Colonel von Berg and three other officers requested tennis rackets and played doubles as if the war no longer existed. In the evening before dinner, there was a collective prayer recited aloud, each man beside his horse. The colonel was Catholic. He requested authorization to dine with the family.
Tauzia, during the period it was occupied by the Italian Navy.
(Photo Elio Andò)
Dinner took place in an impressive silence. The colonel explained that his regiment had encountered much resistance on the Loire where the cadets from Saumur fought very courageously. Mme. David Calvet’s sister, having sought refuge at Tauzia, told them: “My son is a cadet from Saumur.” “Those men bring honor to France,” the colonel replied, and he retired with his two officers. The one who remained explained to the family that he was Austrian, recruited by force into the German army. “Beware of the young captain, he watches all of us, and the colonel can do nothing against him. He’s a member of the Gestapo.” The Calvet family thus discovered the Nazi system.
After several days, they left for Bordeaux, leaving Tauzia in the hands of the Germans. They lived there only two months, leaving the place to Italian marines from the submarine base in Bordeaux, who would remain at the chateau for three years and would cause much damage. Mussolini’s son came to spend several weeks of rest there.
Finally the war ended and the F.F.I. took over the chateau in 1944. After their departure, the family found a devastated house: furniture broken, pictures ruined or missing. The house remained empty until 1960, when the granddaughter of Jean Calvet decided to restore it, one room at a time, and this jewel of 18th century architecture was thus saved.
Translated, with the permission of the author, Ms. Francine Musquère, from the original French versions by Laura K. Yost. Originally published on “Gradignan, de la vigne à la ville” in 1995