Robert Chambeiron had met Jean Moulin in 1936, in the office of the Air Minister, and it was with Pierre Meunier that he organised the inaugural meeting of the National Council of the Resistance, on the rue du Four, in May 1943. He became its deputy general secretary, and was, at his death in 2014, its last survivor. At ninety-seven, he was still founding an association.
The story
With Pierre Meunier, he had co-organised the first meeting of the National Council of the Resistance, on 27 May 1943, in the rue du Four in Paris — the one Jean Moulin chaired. At his death, on 30 December 2014, he was its last survivor.
Born in Paris on 22 May 1915, he had joined in 1936 the private office of Pierre Cot, Air Minister in Léon Blum's Popular Front government, where he met a young chief of staff named Jean Moulin. Under the Occupation he carried out missions for him in the northern zone, once Moulin had become General de Gaulle's representative. He became deputy secretary-general of the CNR.
A Progressive deputy for the Vosges, elected to the European Parliament in 1979 and 1984, he chaired the ANACR, the national association of Resistance veterans, from 1992 to 2010, and founded, at ninety-seven, one more association for the defence of the values of the Resistance. A national tribute was paid to him at the Invalides.
In the collective grave of the National Committee of the French Communist Party, where he rests with Roland Leroy and Gaston Plissonnier, his name is carved — not all of them have that — and the title beside it is that of the meeting he had himself organised.
The grave
The collective grave of the National Committee of the French Communist Party, where his name, unlike Claude Cabanes's, is carved: “Robert CHAMBEIRON, 1915-2014, Secrétaire Général Adjoint, du Conseil National de la Résistance.” — Deputy General Secretary of the National Council of the Resistance. He rests there with Roland Leroy (1926-2019) and Gaston Plissonnier (1913-1995). The carved title is that of the meeting he had himself organised, on the rue du Four, on 27 May 1943.
On site, do not miss
His name is carved with the title he bore all his life: “Secrétaire Général Adjoint, du Conseil National de la Résistance” — Deputy General Secretary of the National Council of the Resistance. In this collective grave, not everyone is so lucky.
Visitors' questions
Where is Robert Chambeiron's grave?
In Division 97, avenue Circulaire, in the grave of the National Committee of the French Communist Party — but his name does appear on it, unlike others: “Robert CHAMBEIRON, 1915-2014, Secrétaire Général Adjoint, du Conseil National de la Résistance”, deputy secretary general of the National Council of the Resistance.
Daniel CordierWhat did Chambeiron do on 27 May 1943?
He co-organised, with Pierre Meunier, the first meeting of the National Council of the Resistance, in rue du Four in Paris — the one Jean Moulin chaired. He became its deputy secretary general, the title his stone would carve seventy years later.
Christian PineauDid he know Jean Moulin before the war?
Since 1936: both served in the private office of Pierre Cot, air minister in Léon Blum's government. It was for Moulin, by then General de Gaulle's representative, that he would carry out missions in the northern zone.
Adolfo KaminskyWas he the last survivor of the CNR?
He was: at his death, on 30 December 2014, he was the last member of the National Council of the Resistance. He had founded the ADVR, an association for the memory of the Resistance, at ninety-seven, and chaired the veterans' association ANACR from 1992 to 2010. He was given a state tribute at the Invalides.
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