Sellen, Huguette

Huguette Sellen nee Musso grew up in the Lorraine region of France. When the war began, her father would not collaborate, and as a result she and her family were deported to Silesia and forced to work in German-run factories. They were kept in the camps under very difficult conditions, and they were on the verge of starvation. Huguette was about 6 and 7 years old in the camps, but her grand-mother got the permission from the person in charge ofthe camp to withdraw Huguette from the camp and bring her back to Metz, in Lorraine, where she lived. Once they knew their young daughter was gone and safe, her parents could then escape from the camp separately, for more chance to make it and had to cross all of Germany to go back to Metz, where they got their daughter back and made it through the nearby border to find themselves in occupied France. From there, they mainly hid in the Alps, but at one point near the end of the war, they were able to go back near Metz in Pont-à-Mousson on the French part of the border, where they got bombed by the Americans who were trying to make an opening in the border to advance and liberate Metz and Alsace-Loraine before continuing towards Berlin.

Huguette is the grandmother of Crestwood student Noah Sellen, who did this interview in 2008. The interview was conducted in French.