Font Rousse camp

Shacks were built here to house young men as part of the paramilitary youth workcamps – Chantiers de Jeunesse – belonging to the Monestier-de-Clermont group, which were set up during the summer of 1940. The task was to instil a sense of discipline and duty together with respect for authority, since military service was no longer permitted under the conditions imposed by the Armistice (June 22, 1940). Working in the forest kept the young men busy, while festivals were held to glorify the commitment to the homeland. The group's workcamps closed in early October 1943. A short while later, members of the Resistance from Camp 2 (initially set up at Puit des Ravières in Corrençon) dropped down through the highland areas of the Vercors to the sheepfold near the sawmill before moving on to the premises deserted by the Chantiers de Jeunesse. Louis Kalck (André) took over command of the Font Rousse camp before handing it over to Jean Beschet in the spring. The latter orchestrated the ambush against the German convoy that was crossing the Allimas pass on July 3, 1944.