La famille Viot

L'histoire

Anne Héloin est née à Rouen en 1938. Elle est la fille d’Henri et Germaine Héloin. Sa grand-mère maternelle, d’origine turque, née à Constantinople émigra à l’âge de 19 ans en France et travaillait comme couturière. Son grand-père d’origine russe était tailleur. Ils vécurent quelque temps à Paris puis vinrent s’installer à Rouen.

Dans la nuit du 15 au 16 janvier 1943, Germaine est arrêtée à son domicile par des policiers français accompagnés d’un officier allemand. Le cousin germain d’Anne est présent. Les policiers annoncent qu’ils vont revenir. Le père profite de ces quelques heures de répit pour se sauver avec les enfants. Anne se souvient qu’ils se sont cachés en divers endroits chez des voisins pendants quelques jours. Le père fait alors appel à un ami qu’il a connu quand il était mobilisé en 1939, Lucien Viot.

Ce dernier répond aussitôt et vient chercher lui-même la petite Anne en voiture. Lucien et sa femme Marthe tiennent à Ouilly-le-Tesson dans le Calvados un café souvent fréquenté par des soldats allemands. Le couple Viot va veiller sur Anne pendant toute la période de l’occupation allemande, traitant la fillette comme leur propre fille en dépit des risques encourus. Anne allait à l’école avec les fils de la famille Viot, Gilbert âgé de cinq ans et Michel âgé de dix ans.

Le 29 septembre 2013 l’Institut Yad Vashem de Jérusalem a décerné le titre de Justes parmi les Nations à Monsieur Lucien Viot et à son épouse Madame Marthe Viot.

Anne-Marie Heloin was born in 1938 to a mixed family: her father, Henri, was Christian, and Germaine, her mother, was Jewish. The family lived in Rouen, France. When the war broke out in 1939, Henri was recruited to the French Army, where he first met and became friends with Lucien Viot. In 1940 France capitulated, and Henri was sent back home to his family.

In 1943 the French police came to the Heloins’ house and arrested Germaine. They told Henri they would return to take the child as well. As soon as they left, Henri rushed out of his house with Anne-Marie. He ran away as far as possible, moving from place to place, never staying too long in the same spot. After a few days of running, he decided to try to find a safer, more stable place for his daughter. He then contacted Lucien Viot, his friend from the army, and told him about his situation.
Lucien understood the situation perfectly, and he immediately agreed to take Anne-Marie. He came to Rouen, all the way from his home in Ouilly-le-Tesson (Calvados), and took Anne-Marie back with him.
Lucien and Marthe Viot lived with their two children. They took full responsibility for Anne-Marie until the end of the war. The risk was real and great, especially since Anne-Marie was known and wanted by the authorities. Nevertheless, they did not hesitate or demand anything in return. It was an act of pure compassion. Anne-Marie was well treated, fed, and cherished.

After the liberation Henri came to take her back. His wife, Germaine, had managed to stay in Drancy and was not deported, thanks to the fact that she was married to a non-Jew: she had survived. The whole family was reunited and went back to live in Rouen. The bonds made during those years between the Heloins and the Viots remained strong, and they all kept in contact for many years.

On September 29, 2013, Yad Vashem recognized Lucien and Marthe (Basset) Viot as Righteous Among the Nations.

Source: Le comité Français pour Yad Vashem