Raymonde Rolly

Raymonde Marthe Andrée Rolly (17 February 1917 – 11 July 1988) was a New Caledonian member of the French resistance during World War II.

Early life Raymonde Marthe Andrée Rolly was born on 17 February 1917 in Koné, New Caledonia, and was the daughter of Héloïse Clavier and Henry Rolly. She began her career as a driver at her father's company in Nouméa, transporting mail and passengers for four years. She also worked as a typist in at an English office in Nouméa.

Resistance

In September 1940, Rolly and her friend Raymonde Jore decided to travel overseas to support the Free France movement led by Charles de Gaulle.

After they arrived in London in June 1941, Rolly and Jore both became drivers for General Charles de Gaulle's officers. Rolly met de Gaulle in October. Afterwards, she cried on a friend's shoulder, overwhelmed and elated by the meeting, and confided that de Gaulle was "like a God" to her and that he was taking a special interest in them. She later became de Gaulle's driver.

On 5 February 1942, the French military court in Saigon sentenced Rolly to thirteen to twenty years hard labour for being an accomplice to the "delivery of territory" to a foreign power.

In 1943, twenty months after her arrival in Europe, Rolly was transferred to Nigeria where she held the rank of corporal. On 25 February 1943, she married the Oslo-born doctor Herman Beer in Lagos. Rolly also went to Brazzaville and was stationed in Bangui, Douala and Yaoundé. On 6 November 1944, she travelled to Sète, which was the first time she set foot on French soil.

She reunited with her husband in London on 31 March 1945. She returned to New Caledonia with him aboard the Sagittaire along with other New Caledonian recruits and arrived there on 21 May 1946.

Later life and death After her return to New Caledonia, Rolly became a teacher and taught at Tiebaghi Primary School, Suzanne Russier School, Faubourg-Blanchot School and the Noumea Technical College. Rolly spent her retirement in Tahiti with her husband. She died there on 11 July 1988, at the age of 71.