Youth Raymond Maufrais was born in
Toulon, an only child. His parents were forced frequently to send the boy away from a young age, starting when he was nine. With two comrades he climbed the wall of the children's home they lived in in the
Var department; the police spent three days looking for them. He attended Rouvière school in Toulon in October 1939, where he showed promise in French and classical literature. By 1940 his father was a prisoner in Germany. In 1942, having listened to the BBC broadcasts, he decided to flee to England but an accident in
Dieppe prevented his flight and by August had returned to Toulon. He played a minor part in the
French resistance, distributing newspapers, writing graffiti, and reporting troop movements. His father had, in fact, joined the resistance in June 1942, leading a group of the
Armée secrète. He later joined the maquis in
Périgord and worked with his father preparing landings in
Provence; he was awarded the
Croix de guerre 1939–1945 (with bronze star) and the
Medal of French Gratitude, before he even turned 18. After liberation he joined the army, first as a war correspondent and then as a paratrooper, but finished his service before being called up. He then worked as a correspondent in Corsica, Italy, and along the Côte d’Azur. Maufrais intended to investigate. He left in June 1949, having secured an advance payment from the magazine
Sciences et Voyages for writing travel reports. An attempt to build a raft failed (it fell apart, waterlogged), so instead he intended to wade downstream and then, after being rested and re-equipped, to return upstream and continue his journey. On 13 January, he left all his notes and photo equipment in a bag in a hut, keeping only a little bag with necessities and his machete. He got into the water and disappeared in the rapids, never to be seen again. ==Legacy==