Henri Louis WAJNGLAS 1922 – 2003
Henri WAJNGLAS est né le 24 avril 1922 à Paris dans le 12ème Arrondissement.
Before the outbreak of the Second World War, he learned the trade of upholsterer-decorator.
On July 6, 1942, he was drafted into the “chantiers de jeunesse n°11” (youth work camps), where he remained until June 19, 1943.
He escaped from France to go directly to North Africa, crossing the Franco-Spanish border on July 14, 1943, the national holiday.
He was interned in Spanish jails the following day, and not released until November 16, 1943.
He landed in Casablanca on November 23, 1943, where he joined the Air personnel depot at base 209.
He joined the 1st RCP on February 18, 1944.
He took part in the Italian campaign from March 31 to September 4, 1944.
He obtained his parachute licence n°1944 on May 1, 1944 in Sicily.
On September 6, 1944, he touched down in France at Valence-Chabeuil in the Drôme region (26).
With the 1st company of the 1st RCP, he took part in the terrible campaigns in the Vosges (October 1944) and Alsace (December-February 1945).
He was demobilized and discharged from the army on August 16, 1945.
Returning to civilian life, he and his wife founded VAINGLAS (now VAINGLAS INTERNATIONAL) in 1960, specializing in upholstery and decoration.
He died on May 29, 2003 in Boissise-le-Roi (77) at the age of 81.
With this portrait, we pay tribute to him and his comrades-in-arms.
