Castelnau-sur-l'Auvignon
During the Second World war the bastide of Castelnau was a Resistance centre, being the base of the 'Wheelwright' network of SOE under George Starr. Yvette Cormeau, in the house called 'Mamoulens', sent a record-breaking 400 wireless messages back to England, and another member of the network, Anne-Marie Walters, later wrote a book, Moondrop over Gascony, relating her experiences. After D-day the Resistance. reinforced by Spanish Guerrilleros from over the border, came out into the open and harried the SS Das Reich division (see Oradour), after which Castelnau was attacked and totally destroyed. Stone from the castle was used to rebuild the village.

  

  

  

  

  

  

Mamoulens