Her Camera and Paris

By William Plante

Midnight in Paris.
Camille was hunched down behind barrels, watching the execution of Mata Hari. While troops quietly placed her body on a stretcher and carried it away. Lights were turned off, it remained dark and quiet until she heard a whimper, a puppy appeared at her feet. She picked it up and stuffed it under her coat, warm, it went to sleep.
The girl had been thinking about the small dog. She would have to find a home for it. The Vet said it was in perfect health. A plan was developed for its placement.
Monsieur LeFevre, a neighbor, had his morning coffee at a café, he had three small children. On his way home, Camille walked up to him, stuffed the puppy in his arms and said, “Dr. Vomer says he is in perfect health. Your three children now have a dog” and walked off.
Camille de Croix was known for running people’s lives, with good intentions.

• Language: English
• Publisher: William Plante
• Release date: Nov 17, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005023775

William Plante

I write to entertain, laugh at, intrigue and gasp. No shortage of subjects. I lugged my cameras and tripod over oceans through countries; photographed hippos and hips.Bunked down in the ‘talked’ about hotels, drank in 'the water holes'. Met a spectrum of characters; sat in Hemingway’s Ritz chair, drink scotch now.I'm writing days and nights now; tales of suspense and spice. Voila.Read less

Book preview

HER CAMERA AND PARIS

INTRIGUE

WD PLANTE

Copyright © 2021, WD PLANTE

All rights reserved.

HER CAMERA AND PARIS

Bright and buoyant, Camille would never have a shortage of stimulation in her life.

The girl owned a camera, a good one. Her father was the Chief Magistrate of Paris. He had a bombastic voice; she overheard his conversations.

At dawn, 1917, during World War I, she crept across the dry moat of the Chateau Vincennes estate. Hiding behind barrels, she photographed a secret execution by firing squad of a woman, Mata Hari. The photos were published; however, no credit was given to the photographer. You see, Camille was only sixteen.

Taking pictures was one thing, knowing who to show them to, another. She learned the name of the editor to see. As expected, Sorry, he is busy.

Her father once told Camille, You are a persistent little cuss. She handed the receptionist one print, black and white, sepia was the only other option. It would be greatly appreciated if you would show the editor this one photo. I have others.

Just as well the photos were anonymous. German Secret Service, implanted in Paris, was furious. They released three French counter-intelligence agents held as prisoners in exchange for the execution to be kept quiet. The Germans had another woman trained to duplicate the voice of Mata Hari. The propaganda would continue. The French considered the deal worth it for the return of the captured men, who were certain to die.

Not even the Magistrate knew his daughter took the photographs. She was known not to be the most obedient child – had objectives of her own. Neither did the Germans suspect the photo was taken by such a young person, and certainly not a girl.

The editor asked her, Do you have more? Our Sunday edition needs more photos such as these.

Yes, she did, drawers of them. Before the war in 1914 her parents gave her the new 35mm Leica Camera with a supply of film along with equipment and chemicals to develop and make prints. She had been anxious to engage in the hobby for some time. At 14 she was fully involved and had a darkroom up and operating. World War One erupted, there would be shortages. She was clicking up a storm; worried about having a supply of film and chemicals available? Her mother owned a pharmacy. Don’t worry Dear. I have a source that ships me from the United States – be judices though.

Camille had a deluge of war subjects to photograph. Though trench warfare was way to the north the wounded came back to Paris to its core of hospitals. The girl had an older brother to escort her, most times she skipped off on her own.

One of her early photos that would appear in the Sunday edition was of a young girl searching hospitals for her wounded father. When she found him, he had died. Camille’s photo of the child sitting on steps, tears on her little face would never fade from your memory.

Another photo of an old monastery had the caption. ‘This is where socks are mended,’

Camille had no shortage of subject matter. There were bombed out buildings, stores and homes along with the homeless. It was hard to record starving children. The girl had a habit of saving lollipops. She had bags of them and always stuffed her pockets with them when setting off on a photographic shoot. A sucker for a child’s empty stomach eased the pangs of hunger.

You should know, something else of importance happened directly after the execution. Camille was hunched down behind the barrels, watching quietly while the body was placed on a stretcher and carried away. Lights were turned off, it remained dark and quiet until she heard a whimper, a puppy appeared at her feet. She picked it up and stuffed it under her coat, warm, it went to sleep.

On the way home she passed Doctor Vomer’s clinic, a vet. A cleaning lady was on duty. Ask the doctor if he would check out this puppy. I’ll pick it up in a day or so, he knows me, Camille.

The girl had been thinking about the small dog. She would have to find a home for it. The Vet said it was in perfect health. A plan was developed for its placement.

Monsieur LeFevre, a neighbor, had his morning coffee at a café, if available, he had three small children. On his way home, Camille walked up to him, stuffed the puppy in his arms and said, Dr. Vomer says he is in perfect health. Your three children now have a dog and walked off.

Camille de Croix was known for running people’s lives, with good intentions.

Days after the Mati Hari photos appeared Camille departed for school. A Paris morning can be misty and mysterious. Not this day, the sun obliterated any weather concerns. A block away, waiting for her was a young man in a French soldier’s uniform. Approaching him, he said, Good morning, Camille de Croix, beautiful day.

Yes, do I know you?

No, I’m Corporal Pierre Duval of the French Officer Training Corp. On the night of the Mata Hari execution, I was one of four soldiers assigned to carry the woman’s body to a truck. I happened to see a movement behind some barrels. Completing my duties came back to the moat, everyone departed, I witnessed you climbing out of the ditch and followed you home, knew it was the house of the Chief Magistrate. I assure you I’ll never divulge this to anyone.

Will you hold this over me, ask favors?

Never, I only ask you to meet me after school for an hour. If you do not show up, I won’t bother you again. By the way, how is that puppy you rescued?

She smiled, He has a home.

She did show up, Camille de Croix and Pierre Duval would be in each other’s company many seasons.

It should be known, the beginning of the war was the only time the Germans were close to Paris, 48 kilometers. They would have reached the Eiffel Tower if over 6,000 French troops had not been loaded into taxis and transferred to the front. They drove the enemy back. For most of the war the Krauts were a safe distance from Paris. Though, on occasion they dropped bombs and hurled artillery shells onto the city with significant deaths and casualties.

June of 1918 a last-ditch German offensive was launched 30 miles north of Paris in the forest area known as Belleau Woods. The Bolshevik revolution had taken Russia out of the war, which allowed Germany to move troops from the eastern front to the