Henri Fertet

Execution and burial At around dawn on Sunday, 26 September, the sixteen condemned men were told that their appeals had been rejected. They were provided with writing materials and given the opportunity to compose a last letter. They were taken to the Citadel of Besançon and, between 7:36 and 8:25 AM, shot in batches of four. The German officer who commanded the execution party reported that they had all refused blindfolds and died bravely, shouting "Vive la France!"

Eight of the sixteen, including Fertet, were buried in Saint-Ferjeux Cemetery, Besançon. In defiance of German orders, local people covered their graves, identified only by numbers, with flowers.