Maquis de l'Oisans Memorial

Memorial in tribute to the resistance fighters of the maquis de l'Oisans.

During the World War II, the Oisans, like the Vercors, became a mecca for the Resistance in the French interior against the Nazi occupation. It formed the first of six Secret Army sectors in the department, itself divided into three sub-sectors: Grenoble, Basse Romanche and Uriage. In February 1943, Captain André "Lanvin" Lespiau was assigned to Jarrie with the 14th Indochinese company (workers or riflemen) of the 1st sub-group of the 1st Groupement militaire d'indigènes coloniaux rapatriables. Commandant "Sylvain" de Reyniès, then departmental military commander for Isère, immediately entrusted him with the Romanche sub-sector, then, in December of the same year, with the entire sector. He was joined by numerous Africans from the French colonies and other foreigners, as well as young Frenchmen fleeing the compulsory labor service58. The maquis carried out guerrilla actions. By the summer of 1944, it numbered more than 1,500 men, but Lanvin's knowledge of the terrain and his swift actions led the cautious Germans to believe that the numbers were ten times higher.

However, at the end of July, the maquis du Vercors fell and the Germans encircled and then, at the beginning of August, invaded the Oisans through its passes. The Forces françaises de l'intérieur surgical hospital at L'Alpe-d'Huez is evacuated and the wounded are hunted down. However, on August 15, the débarquement de Provence forces the Germans to withdraw; several hundred of them are surrounded and taken prisoner at Vizille by the maquisards' counter-attack. Lanvin orders Grenoble Resistance fighters to take part in the liberation of their city, which takes place on August 22

Source Wikipedia
Photo credit Thomas Lérat

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Memorial in tribute to the resistance fighters of the maquis de l'Oisans.During the World War II, the Oisans, like the Vercors, became a mecca for the Resistance in the French interior against the Nazi occupation. It formed the first of six Secret Army sectors in the department, itself divided into three sub-sectors: Grenoble, Basse Romanche and Uriage. In February 1943, Captain André Lanvin Lespiau was assigned to Jarrie with the 14th Indochinese company (workers or riflemen) of the 1st sub-group of the 1st Groupement militaire d'indigènes coloniaux rapatriables. Commandant Sylvain de Reyniès, then departmental military commander for Isère, immediately entrusted him with the Romanche sub-sector, then, in December of the same year, with the entire sector. He was joined by numerous Africans from the French colonies and other foreigners, as well as young Frenchmen fleeing the compulsory labor service58. The maquis carried out guerrilla actions. By the summer of 1944, it numbered more than 1,500 men, but Lanvin's knowledge of the terrain and his swift actions led the cautious Germans to believe that the numbers were ten times higher. However, at the end of July, the maquis du Vercors fell and the Germans encircled and then, at the beginning of August, invaded the Oisans through its passes. The Forces françaises de l'intérieur surgical hospital at L'Alpe-d'Huez is evacuated and the wounded are hunted down. However, on August 15, the débarquement de Provence forces the Germans to withdraw; several hundred of them are surrounded and taken prisoner at Vizille by the maquisards' counter-attack. Lanvin orders Grenoble Resistance fighters to take part in the liberation of their city, which takes place on August 22Source WikipediaPhoto credit Thomas Lérat.