During World War II, 61 Indochinese laborers died in Bergerac, along with one Tirailleur. Initially, these 62 men were buried at the Pont Saint Jean Cemetery—also known as the Protestant Cemetery. Each was given an individual grave, marked by a beautiful headstone.
[To go directly to the biographical entries for these men, click here]
In 1972, the Bergerac city council sought to reclaim space in this cemetery. The remains of these men were then transported in 62 small wooden boxes to the Beauferrier Cemetery and placed beneath an Indochinese mausoleum built in 1926 to house the remains of the “Indochinese” (laborers and riflemen) who died in Bergerac during World War I.
The civil registry records in Bergerac are very incomplete on this subject, and the names of the deceased are often misspelled.After extensive research in the Bergerac archives, at the ANOM in Aix-en-Provence, and at the Diplomatic Archives in La Courneuve, I was able to compile a complete list of these 62 Vietnamese individuals who died and were buried in Bergerac. This work also allowed me to determine the exact spelling of each person’s name.
In 1972, the city had not seen fit to include these men’s names on the mausoleum. Together with Michel Lecat, we proposed to the city administration led by Jonathan Prioleaud that they “rectify” this oversight. On October 10, 2025, the city of Bergerac unveiled a marble plaque bearing the list of 62 names that I provided to them.
To view the complete list of the 62 Vietnamese whose names are now inscribed on the mausoleum at the Beauferrier Cemetery, click here. These names are accompanied by biographical details: date and place of birth, parents’ names, date of enlistment and arrival in France, date and cause of death, etc.