Sébastien Jean-Marie SONNERY was born at 3am on Friday 29th July 1892 to Pierre Marie SONNERY (34) and Emilie BONNEFOND (27).

Later that day at 5 pm, Pierre Marie, accompanied by Céleste Joseph PERRIN, an Instituteur
who had also witnessed Pierre Marie’s birth registration and Joannès DUGELAY, informed Gaspard BROSSETTE, the mayor of Chamelet, of the birth of his second son, Sébastien Jean-Marie.

Sébastien Jean-Marie SONNERY and Adéle Alice PFAENDER were married at 9 am Monday 22 September 1919.- by Justin CATTEY, the mayor of the commune of Faverois. The ceremony occurred in the “Maison Commune ” of Faverios and was witnessed by SONNERY’s brother Pierre, who had served in the same regiment as his brother Jean Marie and had been demobilised on 27th February that year. Adéle Alice PFAENDER’s witness was her uncle Jean.

Whilst we continue to look for confirmation, it would appear to be that they met in the Belfort region as the First World War drew to a close. The map above shows the position of the garrison Town of Belfort in relation to locations of significance to the PFAENDER family.

Sébastien Jean-Marie SONNERY signed up for Military Service in 1912. He was initially assigned to the 9th Foot Artillery Regiment. (RAP – Régiment d’artillerie à pied)

Towards the end of the First World War, on 1 October 1918, the 9th RAP, in which SONNERY was a driver, was reorganised into the 159th Artillery Regiment and inherited the traditions of the 9th Foot Artillery Regiment. They were garrisoned in and around Belfort.

The newly formed regiment was created too late to be engaged in the final battles of the First World War, and shortly after the cessation of hostilities, the 159e was disbanded.

SONNERY was demobilised on 28 August 1919 and later received “médaille de la victoire 14-18” since he had completed campaigns against the Germans and been on active service from 2 August 1914 until his demobilisation.

The 159e was reinstated in 1937 as an Artillery Regiment on the Maginot Line. On 10 May 1940 SONNERY was assigned to the 14e Cavalry of the agricultural department. However, he was never deployed and still attended all the meetings of the Conseil Municipal at this time, 18 February and 9 June 1940.

The Father of Jean Marie SONNERY, Pierre Marie SONNERY, served on the Conseil Municipal of Chamelet until he died in 1918 at 59.

Jean Marie was first elected to the Conseil Municipal of Chamelet in May 1925 and again in May 1929. The last time was in the final election of the 3rd French Republic, where Jean Marie and 11 others were installed in the Conseil Municipal of Chamelet on 19th May 1935. The sitting Mayor, Jean Joseph THOLIN, was not present at the meeting but was still voted in as Mayor, eleven voices to one. Standing against him was a new councillor, Charles MARIZY, who subsequently stood against Joannes BOUILLARD in the vote for deputy. This time, he was successful, and at eleven voices to one, was voted Adjoint.

The Conseil Municipal, on this occasion, was blessed with several experienced members. Many, including Jean Marie SONNERY and Jean Joseph THOLIN, had served before. Others included Jean RIVIER, Jean Desvignes, Joannes DUGELAY, Jean Marie DUBOIS and the person who had stood against MARIZY, Joannes BOUILLARD. Very shortly, France would face a test for its very future existence.

On 17th June 1940, Marshal Philippe PÉTAIN announced that he would seek an armistice with the invading Nazi Forces¹.

The Mayor of Chamelet, Jean Joseph Tholin, died at his home on what is now the Rue de la République at 14:00 on 25 March 1943. He died of natural causes.

His daughter Anne Marie Tholin registered the death along with the Adjoint to the Mayor, Charles Arsène MARIZY, who witnessed the entry for the commune.

Charles MARIZY, as Adjoint, automatically became the new Mayor of Chamelet. However, this was VICHY France and such an appointment needed to be confirmed by the Préfet of Lyon. Details of this process and the archives of the documents can be found on the Biography page of Charles MARIZY.

Charles MARIZY officially became Mayor on 12 April 1943. A lot had changed since MARIZY entertained thoughts of becoming the Mayor of Chamelet back in 1935 when he stood against the incumbent, THOLIN. 

THOLIN had died, and MARIZY was being asked to undertake a role he did not want. A lot had happened since 1935; France had declared war on Germany, been invaded, and an armistice had been declared, resulting in the division of France into two parts. Chamelet was in VICHY, France, but since 10 November, the south had been occupied too. 

The German army had been humiliated at Stalingrad earlier in the year, and it was no secret that MARIZY had solid connections in Ukraine. He had worked there for a considerable time, and both his children were born there.

On 8 June 1943, Charles Arsène MARIZY resigned as Mayor of Chamelet, citing his poor health. He died within four years. 

Chamelet needed a new Mayor. However, during his period in office, MARIZY chaired just one meeting of the Conseil Municipal. There had been no general meetings to discuss issues relating to the commune and no election of an Adjoint. Consequently, upon his resignation, a replacement was needed. He chaired just one meeting that started at 19:00, 7 July 1943, to enact the decree made by the Préfet Délégué on 24 June 1943. By the end of the meeting, he was no longer the Mayor.

No communal records describe the decision process to nominate Sébastien Jean Marie SONNERY as the next Mayor of Chamelet.

The Conseil Municipal had several options from its more experienced counsellors despite having lost three eligible counsellors since the election:

Jean Joseph THOLIN had died.
Charles Arséne MARIZY, his adjoint, had resigned as Mayor, precipitating the situation.
Joannes BOUILLARD, having been found guilty of selling wine unsuitable for human consumption in Lyon on 22 October 1940, was fined 9 francs at a tribunal. He subsequently was dismissed from the Conseil Municipal by the Préfet of Lyon.

That left the following:

Jean Marie SONNERY
Jean RIVIER
Jean Desvignes
Joannes DUGELAY
Jean Marie DUBOIS.

Suppose we presume that the selection was made after Marizy had officially resigned, and I must emphasise that there is no evidence to support or negate this either way. In that case, we know that the selection was made between 8 June 1943, the date of the resignation and 15 June 1943, when the Sous-Préfet in Villefranche wrote to the Préfet of Rhône with the proposition.

On 24 June 1943, the Deputy Prefect of the Rhône, M. Jean DISSARD, wrote two letters to the Sous-Préfet of Villefranche sur Saône. The first is to Charles Marizy, which he asks the Sous-Préfet to pass on. In this, he accepts Marizy’s resignation. The second contains his instructions that the duties of the Mayor of Chamelet are to be undertaken by Monsieur SONNERY and that he, the Sous-Préfet, is to oversee his installation and the completion of the various records.

The first minuted meeting of the Conseil Municipal of Chamelet under Mayor MARIZY occurred at 19:00 on Wednesday, 7 July 1943.

Along with Mayor MARIZY were
Jean RIVIER
Jean Marie DESHAYES
Antoine RIVIER
Louis BRÉCHARD
Jean DESVIGNES
and, of course, Jean Marie SONNERY

Mayor MARIZY described the details of the orders of the Préfet and that Sébastien Jean Marie SONNERY, who displays all the qualities of a Mayor, will indeed be the Mayor of Chamelet.

12:10 hrs Monday 17th April 1944.

Sébastien Jean Marie Sonnery, prisoner number 6814, was 51 years old when he died in Flossenbürg Concentration Camp.

The official cause of death was “sudden cardiac death”.

The bodies of the dead Flossenbürg prisoners were burned in the camp’s crematorium, and their ashes were spread in the surroundings. After the war, they were collected and built up to form a “Pyramid of Ashes”, which is part of the memorial site today.