Found in Australia, a wedding photo of Paul Alfred Hector Pernaut-Caron and Jeanne Juliette Merchez-Pot, the paternal grandparents of Jean-Pierre Pernaut, has just been formally identified by a first cousin of the presenter who disappeared soon ago two years, who wants to remain discreet.
The story of this photo dating from November 1912 and taken in Albert (Somme) is quite unique.
It was allegedly found in rubble in 1916 by Sydney Stewart Menzies Smith, an Australian soldier, who brought it back to his country.
“While tidying up, his granddaughter, Gill Bullard, found the photo as well as letters dating from 1961 intended for the mayors of Amiens and Albert.
He wanted to return the photograph but that did not happen,” report Thierry Gourlin and Blandine Chailland, managers of the Somme 1916 Museum in Albert, to whom Gill Bullard turned to find out who appeared in the photo.
Jean-Pierre Pernaut died on March 2, 2022 in Paris.
An appeal launched on social networks and shared more than 4,000 times by Internet users put an end to the suspense: “Gill Bullard must come to France this summer.
She wants to complete her grandfather's process.
It’s really incredible, magnificent,” continue our two interlocutors.
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In Albert, Paul Alfred Hector Pernaut-Caron was a renowned industrialist in machine tools.
The family factory was bombed in 1914 and the activity transferred to Amiens.
In June 2011, Jean-Pierre Pernaut, his brother Jean-François, their mother and their first cousin attended the inauguration of Place Pernaut-Caron, built where this factory was located.