The last survivor of the World War Two Oradour-sur-Glane massacre has today (June 1) published a book about his experience, saying that 鈥渋t is essential to bear witness to what happened鈥�.

Robert H茅bras, aged 96, has written the book along with his granddaughter, Agathe. It is entitled Le dernier t茅moin d'Oradour-sur-Glane (The last witness of Oradour-sur-Glane) and is published by HarperCollins.

Read more: President Macron to honour last survivor of Oradour-sur-Glane massacre

Mr H茅bras was 19 years old when, on June 10, 1944, a Nazi SS division entered the village of Oradour-sur-Glane (Haute-Vienne), separated the men from the women and children, and shot or burned alive nearly every inhabitant.

The massacre 鈥� which was believed to be committed as a reprisal for French Resistance attacks 鈥� was one of the worst atrocities to be committed on French soil during the conflict.

The village has since been preserved 鈥� along with a visitors鈥� centre 鈥� in the state in which it was left as a memorial to the tragedy.

Mr H茅bras had lived in the village during his childhood and as a teenager, and lost two of his three sisters, as well as his mother, in the atrocity.

In the book, he recalls what happened that day, and notes that none of the inhabitants of the village had any inkling of what was about to take place when the SS officers arrived.

Mr H茅bras was injured when the Nazi SS officers shot at him and the other men in the village. Gravely injured but alive, he stayed still to 鈥減lay dead鈥�, and only managed to escape when he realised that he was about to be burned.

Overall, 642 civilians were killed, including 205 children.

Only seven villagers (including Mr H茅bras) survived the massacre: six men and a woman, while another 15 were able to escape the village before the massacre began or were able to avoid the roundup by hiding.

Later, he was reunited with his surviving sister, who lived in a nearby village, and found his father, who went back to Oradour to check on his mother and other sisters. It was then that the father realised that they had been burned alive, and told Mr H茅bras that he would never see them again.

Mr H茅bras *: 鈥淚 think that was the biggest shock I鈥檝e ever had in my life.鈥�

Now, Mr H茅bras describes his granddaughter, Agathe, who helped him write the book, as his 鈥渙xygen鈥�. She said that the feeling is 鈥渞eciprocal鈥�, and that the two are 鈥渓inked even when we鈥檙e not together鈥�.

She said: 鈥淚 often say that he is my superhero. For a long time, I believed that he was immortal. It took me a long time to realise that I wouldn鈥檛 have him here all my life.

鈥淚 know that one of his fears was that I wouldn鈥檛 go to school. And he also wanted to see me when I was nine, the age of his little sister Denise, who was in Oradour. He is the most important man in my life.鈥�

Mr H茅bras said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 essential to bear witness to what happened.鈥�

Earlier this year, President Macron awarded Mr H茅bras as commandeur de l鈥橭rdre national du M茅rite in recognition of his tragic experience and his work in raising awareness and telling the story since then.

The Connexion鈥檚 Samantha David visited the site in 2017. You can read her full, emotive account of the trip here: The village where time has stood still since Nazi atrocity.

Le dernier t茅moin d'Oradour-sur-Glane, by M茅lissa Boufigi, Agathe H茅bras and Robert H茅bras, is

*The full, original interview with Mr H茅bras and his grandaughter with FranceInfo can be .

Related articles

France marks 75 years since Oradour-sur-Glane tragedy

Plea over shock photos at French war atrocity site