RAOC Gazette - page 230
Image details
| Corps | RAOC |
|---|---|
| Material type | Journals |
| Book page | |
| Chapter head | |
| Chapter key | |
| Chapter number | |
| Full title | RAOC Gazette |
| Page number | |
| Publication date | 1980 |
| Real page | |
| Colour | Yes |
| Grey | No |
| Early date | 1980 |
| Late date | 1980 |
| Transcription |
DOWN THE ISERE VALLEY Photographs (including the cover photograph) by Lance Corporal R. Walters IN 1979 the Corps Troops Ordnance Company sent an adventure training party to the Isere Valley in South East France to participate in canoeing activities. It proved to be such a success that a repeat performance was planned for 1980. In order that the maximum number of people could go, this time from all RAOC Corps Troops Companies, the. scope of the exercise was broadened. To this end it was proposed to include in the activities some climbing, abseiling and hill-walking. Unfortunately, as in so many similar cases, we were unable to find the necessary qualified instructors for our pursuits from within RAOC Corps Troops. However, we were fortunate to ' loan ' two very experienced canoe instructors from elsewhere, namely W 2 Tony Bloor RPC of Headquarters 13 Group RPC and Lance Corporal Bob Little from 4th Armoured Division Ordnance Company. On the hillwalking/climbing side we could find no qualified person and therefore modified that activity to hill-walking under the leadership of Second Lieutenant Mike Dolamore. The party which finally left Gutersloh comprised nineteen all ranks from 1 CTOC, CVC, 85 Supply Depot and 4th Armoured Division Ordnance Company. A trip of twenty-six hours, virtually non-stop, found the group in Chateau de Beauvoir near St Marcellin. Activities started in earnest on Monday morning. The canoeists chose the calm, cool waters of the River Boume at St Nazaire-en-Royans as a centre for their activities. After the initial swimming test it was on with the lessons under the expert eyes of the instructors. Throughout the week all the techniques of proficient canoeing were taught on still and graded waters of the Rivers Bourne and Lyonne. By the Friday evening seven students had been passed as 'ACU Proficient' and a celebration was held that evening. The story of the hill-walkers does not reflect similar successes although the participants gained much from their experiences! The aim of the walking activity should, perhaps, be explained at this point. The area of France which had been chosen, we discovered, was the centre of considerable activity involving the French Resistance and SOE during World War 2. With this historical background we hoped to retrace some of the routes used by the Resistance fighters and learn something of their operations. The activities of the Vercour groups (named after the hill complexes to the South and East of the River Isere below Grenoble) is not well documented but we were able to trace activities largely from memorials and gravestones dotted about the countryside. The main actions appear to have taken place in the early months of 1944. Up to this time the badly armed Frenchmen had taken part in local skirmishes with German troops and were little more than a nuisance. They operated in small cells under code names and rarely came down from the Vercour Plateau into the valleys. In May of 1944 SOE took an interest and sent agents into France to organise increased resistance. Some three thousand men were organised into large fighting groups with the orders to inflict the best possible damage on German logistics, com- munications and on the lines of communication generally. In an enormous air-drop in July 1944 on the Plateau, some one thousand containers, brought small arms, ammunition and uniforms which were much needed. However, there was a lack of heavy weapons—machine guns and small artillery pieces— for which the resistance fighters had specifically asked. The Frenchmen met with considerable success and were able to declare the Vercour free from German occupation by late July 1944. The Germans took exception to the exhibition of open revolt and made tremendous efforts to gain access to the Plateau but were unable to do so. The revolt in the Vercour was seen as an example of how many Frenchmen, from other areas, should be acting and an upsurge of open revolt spread across South East France. The Gestapo was moved to the Vercour and in August 1944 — SSG Private J. T. Cooke (4 ADOC) and Private C. T. Wickes (1 CTOC) discussing grand strategy with Dutch fans on the campsite at Chateau de Beavoir. a Division of SS attacked the Vercour Plateau. Despite heavy resistance they achieved their aim. There followed a story of mass execution and savagery on French men, women and children. The resistance fighters of the Vercour became victims of, what many locals regard, the interference by SOE. There is today, considerable mistrust and dislike of the British among the older generations in the region and few were willing to relate first hand experiences. However, back to the hill-walkers. During the first three days we planned to walk up the steep side of the Plateau and follow the signed routes which criss-cross the top. The hills top at about one thousand two hundred to one thousand three hundred metres and the best part of a day was taken with the climb. Along the route there were numerous memorial plaques and plates to those who had died at the hands of the Germans in those horrific months during 1944. On the Plateau memorials were to scores of dead rather than individuals. The crossing of the Plateau was fairly easy going despite constant rain and not so consistent mapreading.. Eventually the party descended into the next valley and a campsite. That night the heavens released the remainder of France's annual rainfall, the adjacent river broke its banks and six walkers floated across the campsite. The call of ' mission abort' was made and the wet and bedraggled marchers returned to St Marcellin. The remainder of the first week, Thursday and Friday, was used to dry out and make day trips along more of the Resistance routes. The weekend was given up to local leave. A small party travelled the two hundred miles to St Raphael on the South coast and spent most of the time sight-seeing along the beaches. The more intellectual spent Saturday sight-seeing in Lyons. The second week followed much the same pattern as the first. The walkers became a little more adventurous and took to the higher hills (nearly mountains) South of Grenoble. This region was chosen because the climbs were steeper and longer and the opportunity to snow walk was a definite attraction. For four days it was a story of up hill and down dale and six very weary men returned to St Marcellin. The expedition had been a total success. Ten soldiers had passed the ACU Proficiency Test and eight had gained consider- able enjoyment and experience in the field of walking and trek- king. While the weather was not kind to us it did warm up towards the end. 181 — |
| Book number | R0404 |