 His grand mother, Cecile Patinot, gave Joseph Kessel his first assignment for the "Journal des débats".His studies at Janson de Sailly high school were interrupted in May 1940 by the German invasion.His family, having settled in the South of France, Jean Pierre and his younger brother Jacques started resistance activities in September 1941 by delivering several suitcases of hand guns to Jean Guyot, aka Gallois, the leader of several resistance networks.