René-Yves Creston

Born in Saint-Nazaire, Creston studied art there and at Ancenis, followed by the École des Beaux-Arts in Nantes and Paris.

After the fall of France in 1940, Creston helped to set up one of the first resistance networks, centred at the Musée de l'Homme.

Most importantly, he organised a group to prepare and submit to him detailed plans of the port of St. Nazaire, especially the submarine base that the Germans had arranged for their own use, and particularly those aspects that were vulnerable to bombing.

[2] Creston's Resistance activity contrasted markedly with the collaborationism of other Breton nationalists, including colleagues in Seiz Breur.

Fellow members Yann Goulet and Olier Mordrel were active supporters of Nazi Germany, in the belief that German victory would lead to Breton independence.

Nevertheless, during his period back in Brittany after 1941 Creston illustrated articles for their collaborationist publication L'Heure Bretonne, signed with his pseudonym "Halgan".

After World War II, Creston succeeded Yann Sohier as president of Ar Falz, an organization devoted to the promotion of the Breton language and of progressive and secular values in Brittany.

In 1949, he joined the Centre national de la recherche scientifique, conducted his research on Breton peasant costumes, and was sent on a mission to Naples and Sicily.