Ahmadiyya Jabrayilov

Who was Ahmadiyya Jabrayilov?

Ahmadiyya Mikail ogly Jabrayilov was a celebrated Azerbaijani activist of the French Resistance.

When World War II started, he was drafted into the Soviet Army. In May 1942 he was severely wounded, taken prisoner by the Nazis and sent to a concentration camp in Montauban. With the assistance of French personnel of the camp he managed to escape, and joined the Maquis, among whom he became known as Armed Michel. Being fluent in German, he became involved in intelligence and sabotage operations.

Jabrayilov became known for his brave actions in battle. He was again severely wounded during an operation to rescue 500 children, who were being deported as a labor force to Germany. Dressed as a German army captain, with a German I.D. on him, he was picked up by a German patrol and delivered to a military hospital. After treatment in hospital he was appointed deputy to the German commandant of the town of Albi. He used this position to free hundreds of prisoners from German captivity. The German command offered a reward of 10,000 Reichsmarks for the head of Jabrayilov. However Jabrayilov continued his daring actions against the Germans until the end of the war. He personally knew the leader of the French Resistance Charles de Gaulle.