André Bollier

Who is André Bollier?

André Bollier was a member of the French Resistance during World War II.

Bollier was born in Paris, and enrolled in the École Polytechnique in 1938. He was called up for military service after his first year of studies, in September 1939, at the start of the Phoney War. He trained in Fontainebleau, and was sent to Alsace in February 1940, assigned to the 68th Artillery Regiment of the 70th Infantry Division. He saw combat there, and was severely wounded and captured in an engagement with German troops on June 21, 1940. Due to his injuries he was released by the Germans in November 1940, and returned to study at the Polytechnique.

In 1941, Bollier became active in the resistance, participating in the distribution of the underground newspaper Les Petites Ailes. Following his graduation from the Polytechnique, he made contact with the resistance organization Combat. He wrote in the group's newspaper, also named Combat, under the pseudonym Lefranc, among other activities. His participation in effecting the escape of Berty Albrecht on December 23, 1942, caused him to be briefly arrested, and subsequently to go underground. In 1943–44 he devoted himself to organizing the printing of Combat, taking over as printer from the first printer, Martinet, and turning it into a significant operation that printed over a million newspapers in several regions. During this period he used the pseudonyms Carton and Vélin.