MAQUIS OF REVIN WAR WITH THE GESTAPO In May 1944, a band of about 40 young Frenchmen were organized to make the enemy pay dearly for the occupation of their Ardennaise land. These men ranged in age from 18 to 25 years with a few over 40 years. All were just as determined. They made bold raids on the enemy above Revin, downstream, on the uphill, on the descending road. By using explosives they overwhelmed convoys, broke up cars, smashed open locomotive. They disrupted German transportation wherever possible. The authorities considered them highway bandits. They were known as the "Maquis of Revin" The Maquis set up their hideout in a forest on the Malgre Tout plateau, where the highest point reached 433 meters above Revin, not far from the "Chenes de la Nation" on the right bank of the Manises River, 1500 meters from the Revin-Haut Buttes Highway.
News of the downed American airmen soon reached Robert Charton, head of the French resistance in the area. Charton, a young man of about 24 years, sent instructions to have the Americans brought to his home in Revin where they were his guests for the next five days. Charton said the Resistance was moving allied airmen to a place on the coast where a PT boat would pick them up. In the meantime he would arrange for them to hide with the Maquis of Revin. Charton brought them to the Maquis of Revin campsite on May 16 where they worked along with the men of the Resistance; helping to gather the air dropped containers from the B-24s of the 801 Bomb Group, called “Carpet Baggers”, and storing supplies. These “Carpet Bagger” night missions were at low altitude to avoid radar. They often dropped OSS personnel by parachute to help organize the various Maquis camps in France and Belgium.
On Monday, June 12, bad news was brought to the camp. Since morning, Revin was isolated; all communication with the outside had been cut off. German troops were guarding the exits of the city while others, in armored cars, with machine guns, surveyed the streets. The slightest incident would bring about the annihilation of the city. There were numerous arrests. Feeling it unsafe to sleep in his own home, Robert Charton and his wife were spending the night at a friend’s house across the street when he saw through his bedroom window the Gestapo breaking into his home. He would have returned but because he overslept that morning he was not there when the Gestapo arrived. Robert Charton and his wife fled through the woods by foot to his wife’s ant’s home near Rocroi where he learned of the sad news of the massacre the next day. At the end of the morning a dramatic turn of events occurred. It was believed that an Underground member living in Revin admitted to the local police that the Maquis was several hundred meters from there. Captain Chavanne upon hearing about the 36th Regiment of the Panzer division in Revin immediately took charge of the Maquis defense. The trenches were manned by two sections of men with machine guns and sharp shooter riflemen. Unfortunately the new Maquis recruits had little training. Information was received that 200 German S.S. troops had rounded up 40 Revin workers and marched them across the Manises River where they were questioned in Gestapo fashion. Colonel Prisme (Jacques Paris de Bollardiere) immediately realized that Col. Grauboski was attempting to surround them. Col. Prisme knew that as soon as it was dark they had a good chance to escape the trap. They had several secret trails in and out of camp. At 11pm, the Maquis commander gave the signal to withdraw. Several squads began burying their supplies that they could not carry with them. The column of under grounders, including the Americans began winding their way out of the trap across the highway to another secret area. The unfortunate prisoners were grouped near Hauts-Buttes in Deschamps garden. Unable to move with their hands behind their back, tied with iron wire, they were made to lie on their stomach face down. Some of them were slaughtered in the field for h In the meantime the forest echoed with the sound of machine gun fire. The Maquis fighters hearing these sounds with sad hearts were not aware of the massacre in progress. The tragedy was being perpetrated with all its horror by Col. Grauboski at the head of the S.S. To their death they advanced, groups of five, toward their tombs where they were shot and fell into their communal grave. One hundred five Frenchmen paid with their lives for their attachment and love of their Mother Country. Eighty-three were from Revin.
Joe Rhodes and Pete Clark were very lucky to escape with their lives. They left the Maquis about June 20th with the hope of traveling to safety in Switzerland.
After eight days with the Jean Cordier family, Joe and Pete moved to the home of Marcel Leonard in the village of Floing near Sedan.. Marcel provided them with a room in the attic. Their food was brought to them by Madam Barre who was allowed into their room only after making a secret knock on their door. Madam Barre’s husband was later arrested and executed by the Nazis because of his “Resistance” activities. The American forces liberated Joe and Pete on September 3, 1944.
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Their camp contained a complete radio station, transmitter and receiver, munitions, explosives, grenades, various weapons such as submachine guns, repeating carbines, rifles, colt revolvers and even an anti-tank gun, the bazooka. They were supplied pharmaceutical products such as dressings and medical kits; also clothing items such as leather jackets, gloves and wool sweaters. All these supplies were air dropped in cylindrical containers by the Allies at night, sometimes close to camp, sometimes far away near the Old Mills of Thilay. They received the air drop instructions by use of their radio.
On the first day with the Maquis, Al Pagnotta met an American officer by the name of Victor Layton, a member of the OSS. Joe Rhodes met a downed B-24 gunner, Pete Clark from the 445 Bomb Gp., and they became close friends, as they were the only American enlisted men in camp. Pete Clark was with the Joe Pavelka crew when shot down on April 12, 1944. 
aving spit in the faces of the captors or having tried to escape.
The three-day war was now over. The four Lincoln crewmembers along with Lt. Victor Layton and Pete Clark had been safely evacuated. The Americans immediately paired off in twos. Al Pagnotta and Victor Layton stayed with the remains of the Maquis for a while longer. A rumor existed the Al's mother lived in this part of France. She was a World War I war bride who did not like her life in America and returned to France shortly after Al was born. It is believed Al began his search for his mother. On July 10 he traveled to Oignies en Thierache, France, and remained there until September 3, 1944, when he was liberated by the American 87th Field Artillery. No one knew if Al found his mother, but it is believed he found her in Oignies.
They met a truck driver, Marcel Leonard who gave them a ride to Remilly-Aillicourt.. Unknown to Joe and Pete, Marcel was the Chief of the FFI of Sedan. Marcel was also a professional boxer. After arriving on Sunday, July 9, Marcel delivered them to Jean Cordier’s home where Joe and Pete were introduced to the community as Jean’s wife’s Dutch cousins from Revin. They were evading the Nazis labor camp draft to avoid working in Germany. 
Lincoln and Goldfeder decided to go north in the Ardennes, looking for a way back to England. By now Mickey had learned to speak some French. They found food but no one offered to help them travel to Switzerland. Each contact brought them back to the Ardennes where they were hiding in a cave when the American 28th Infantry Division found them September 2, 1944.