æt ðə stˈɑːɹt ʌv wˈɜːld wˈɔːɹ ɹˌoʊmən tˈuː hiː ɛnlˈɪstᵻd ɪnðə fɹˈɛntʃ ˈɑːɹmi ænd wʌz tˈeɪkən pɹˈɪzənɚ, bˌʌt wʌz lˈeɪɾɚ fɹˈiːd ænd ɹᵻtˈɜːnd hˈoʊm ˌʌndɚ ðə dʒˈɜːmən ˌɑːkjʊpˈeɪʃən ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi wˈʌn.
At the start of World War II he enlisted in the French Army and was taken prisoner, but was later freed and returned home under the German occupation in 1941.