Les Ormes, Yonne

Commune in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France

Coat of arms

Location of Les Ormes

(2020–2026) Danielle Maillard^[1]Area

8.55 km² (3.30 sq mi)Population

(2021)^[2]

310 • Density36/km² (94/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)INSEE/Postal code

89281 /89110

Elevation165–238 m (541–781 ft)¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Les Ormes (French pronunciation: [le.z‿ɔʁm] ^ⓘ) is a commune in the Yonne department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France.

History

During World War II, the Yonne region fell under German occupation after the Battle of France in 1940. The area would again see fighting in August 1944 during Operation Houndsworth, in which local Maquis resistance fighters and British commandos from the Special Air Service were tasked with harassing German troops behind the frontlines.

On August 23, 1944, a detachment of commandos from C Squadron, 1st Special Air Service (led by Captain Derrick Harrison) stumbled upon a Waffen-SS unit preparing to execute local civilians in Les Ormes' town square. The two SAS jeeps opened fire on the Germans, and a brief firefight ensued before the commandos made their escape. Harrison estimated at least 60 German soldiers wounded or killed in action. One commando, Lance Corporal James 'Curly' Hall, was killed.

References

^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.