Percy

In the autumn of 1940, the Esparron Hermitage was in use by 200 young men of the Chantiers de la Jeunesse (Youth Work Corps), occupied in forest husbandry and physical education. Even before the Chantiers were disbanded in June 1944, Esparron was a refuge of the Resistance. On February 3, 1944, at dawn, the seven hundred Germans, with armored vehicles and mortars, attacked and put an end to AS-Vercors camp C11. The besieged Frenchmen (30 young men, including 10 led by their chief, Grange) fell back after losing one of their own, Charles Yves Bassinet-Dufour, who was covering them. The alarm system had failed, and the maquis were taken by surprise. Once they had the upper hand, the Germans burned the buildings, while Grange led his men toward the Mont Aiguille. Marius Desserre was killed.

The Resistance memorial in the upper part of the location commemorates the event. There are three plaques. The first is inscribed thus: "Here Charles Yves Bassinet-Dufour fell while on clandestine operations, on February 4, 1944, aged 25. A maquis volunteer, he died a hero to allow his fellows to fall back during the attack on the Esparron camp by the Nazi hordes." Another says: "In memory of Michel Fissore, aged 30, who gave his life for France during deportation on November 17, 1944 in Mathausen in Austria." The third says: "In memory of Marius Desserre, age 21 (aka Berlingot), 4th squad, 11th Heavy Calvary, gave his life for France on February 3, 1944."

After the war, the chapel was transferred to the inn that the Chantiers had begun to build. The walls of the burned buildings were taken down. Starting in 1980, the diocese of Grenoble, which owned part of the site, rebuilt, thanks to the donations of pilgrims and to a large number of volunteer workers, the buildings necessary for the reactivation of the spiritual actvities of the pilgrimage.

Source: Musée de la Résistance en ligne