The Cruel Victory: The French Resistance, D-Day and the Battle for the Vercors 1944. Paddy Ashdown

most cases crudely armed French men and women put their lives at risk quite as much as those who stormed the beaches, because they were determined to help throw out a hated occupier and join the fight to liberate their country.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

BENNES, Robert (BOB)*

      Zeller’s radio operator and commander of La Britière radio house.

      BILLON, Francis (TARTANE)

      Parachuted in with Tournissa. Injured. One of those shot at the Grotte de la Luire.

      BLAIN, Léa

      Cipher and coding assistant to Eucalyptus. Runner for Jean Prévost.

      BLANC, Paul (JEAN-PAUL)

      Commander of the Trièves Maquis unit on the Pas de l’Aiguille.

      BOIRON, Victor

      Tractor driver in Vassieux.

      BOISSIÈRE, Gustave (BOIS)

      Speleologist and liaison officer to the Eucalyptus Mission.

      BORDENAVE, André (DUFAU)

      Commander of 6th BCA.

      BOURDEAUX, Louis (FAYARD)

      Commander of a Maquis company in Royans.

      BOURGEOIS, Maurice (BATAILLE)

      Maquis leader who accompanied Vernon Hoppers on the Lus-la-Croix-Haute ambush.

      BOURGÈS-MAUNOURY, Maurice (POLYGONE)

      Military delegate of R1, then National Military delegate.

      BOUSQUET, René (CHABERT)

      Huet’s deputy.

      BUCKMASTER, Colonel Maurice

      Head of SOE’s F Section.

      CAMMAERTS, Francis (ROGER)

      SOE F Section Organizer of Jockey circuit.

      CATHALA, Gaston (GRANGE)

      Maquis leader in the west of the plateau.

      CHAMBONNET, Albert (DIDIER)

      Commander of the Secret Army in the Lyon area.

      CHAMPETIER DE RIBES, Maude (DANIELLE)

      Milice spy and mistress of Dagostini.

      CHAVANT, Eugène (CLÉMENT)

      (Le Patron) Political leader of the Vercors.

      CONSTANS, Jean (SAINT-SAUVEUR)

      Responsible for assistance to the Vercors in Algiers.

      CONUS, Adrien (VOLUME)

      Member of Eucalyptus Mission. Sent by Huet to get help from Bauges Maquis on 21 July.

      COSTA DE BEAUREGARD, Roland (DURIEU)

      Responsible for the northern sector of the Vercors.

      COULANDON, Émile (GASPARD)

      Resistance leader on the Mont Mouchet.

      CROIX, Yves (PINGOUIN)

      Eucalyptus Mission radio operator.

      CROUAU, Fernand (ABEL)

      Commander of Compagnie Abel.

      DAGOSTINI, Raoul

      Milice Chief.

      DALLOZ, Pierre (SENLIS)

      Conceived Plan Montagnards in 1942.

      D’ANGLEJAN (ARNOLLE)

      One of Huet’s staff officers. He organized the counter-attacks in Vassieux.

      D’ASTIER DE LA VIGÉRIE, Emmanuel (BERNARD)

      Senior French Resistance official in London and Algiers.

      DARIER, Albert (FÉLIX)

      Member of the Mens section of the Compagnie de Trièves.

      DELESTRAINT, Charles (VIDAL)

      General. Head of the Secret Army in southern France. Captured and died in Dachau.

      DESCOUR, Jacques (LA FLÈCHE)

      Marcel Descour’s son. Killed at Vassieux, 21 July 1944.

      DESCOUR, Marcel (BAYARD and PÉRIMÈTRE)

      Chief of Staff of the Secret Army in R1 and FFI Commander of Region 1.

      DESMAZES, Marie Alphonse Théodore René Adrien (RICHARD)

      Secret Army conspirator with Delestraint in Bourg-en-Bresse.

      DROUOT, Jean (HERMINE)

      FFI leader in the Drôme.

      EYSSERIC, Gustave (DURAND)

      Maquis commander at Malleval.

      FARGE, Yves (GRÉGOIRE and BESSONNEAU)

      Commissioner of the Republic.

      FISCHER, Dr Ladislas

      Doctor in Saint-Martin and Grotte de la Luire. He sometimes used the false identity Lucien Ferrier while in the Vercors.

      GANIMÈDE, Dr Fernand

      Doctor in Saint-Martin and Grotte de la Luire.

      GARIBOLDY, Paul (VALLIER)

      First leader of Groupe Vallier.

      BLUM-GAYET, Geneviève (GERMAINE)

      Early Vercors Resistant activist.

      GAGNOL, Abbé

      The priest of Vassieux.

      GEYER, Narcisse (THIVOLET)

      Maquis commander. Responsible for the southern sector of the Vercors.

      GODART, Pierre (RAOUL)

      Maquis commander at Malleval.

      GRANVILLE, Christine (née Krystyna SKARBEK) (PAULINE)

      SOE F Section courier for Jockey circuit.

      GUBBINS, Brigadier Colin

      The operational head of SOE.

      GUÉTET, Dom (LEMOINE)

      Marcel Descour’s counsellor/monk.

      HAEZEBROUCK, Pierre (HARDY)

      Commander of the defence of Vassieux. Killed 21 July 1944.

      HOPPERS, Vernon G.

      Commander of the US Justine Mission.

      HOUSEMAN, John (RÉFLEXION)

      Member of Eucalyptus Mission.

      HUET, François (HERVIEUX)

      Commanded the Maquis on the Vercors.

      HUMBERT, Jacques

      Retired General who walked to the Vercors to join the battle on 21 July 1944.

      JACQUIER, Paulette (MARIE-JEANNE and LA FRETTE)

      Leader of Maquis group in the Chambarand forest.

      JOUNEAU, Georges (GEORGES)

      Garage owner and head of the Motor Transport Depot on the Vercors.

KALCK,* Louis (ANDRÉ and JOB-JOB)

      Commander of Compagnie André defending the eastern passes.

      KNAB, Werner

      Commander German Sipo/SD Lyon area.

      KOENIG, Marie Joseph Pierre