Surprisingly, Roparz Hemon, who was born as Louis Nemo in Brest, was not a native speaker of the Breton language.

Although Hemon's Foricher grandparents were native Breton speakers, they had both chosen to speak only French to their children and grandchildren.

[2] Despite the religious persecution of the Affaire des Fiches, the Nemo family remained practicing Catholics and attended traditional Breton Pardons, particularly those in Le Folgoët and Locronan.

Hemon's sister later recalled that her brother took great delight in hearing the Breton sermons and hymns, which he kept trying to recite afterwards, despite not understanding them.

[clarification needed] In November 1940, he was appointed as director of programmes at Radio Roazhon-Breizh, a Breton language weekly broadcast set up by the Propagandastaffel.