" During 1944 the Loches and Sud Touraine maquis set themselves up and prepared for resistance actions against the Germans. The following maquis (armed combattants) were the most active around Loches:
*The Maquis d'Eperon, directed by Commandant Constantini, nicknamed Eperon, in reference to the Governor of the Chateau de Loches in the 16th century. He brought together more than six hundred men, mostly those dodging the draft into the STD (German compulsory labour scheme) and former officers of the 32nd Infantry Regiment. The Maquis d'Eperon was under the command of ORA (Army Resistance Organisation) and its bases were mainly in the Forests of Preuilly and la Celle Guenand.
*The Maquis Césario, also under the command of ORA. Led by sub-Lieutenant Brétegnier, alias Césario, who gathered more than 270 men in the Forests of Manthelan and then Verneuil.
*The Groupe Franc-Tireurs et Partisans Francais (FTPF) was first put together in 1943 around the Loches Athletics Club Resistance hub before it was dismantled in July 1943. In 1944 it reformed under the leadership of Engineer Captain Imbert. Composed of about 150 men, it was close to the Communist Party. They operated successively from Perusson, Saint Hippolyte and then the Tivoli camp in Loches.
*The Maquis Lecoz is a specific case. It was a group of 155 men led by Captain Lecoz (real name Georges Dubosc). This fake captain and fake doctor founded his own maquis after having been rejected by Eperon. Known mainly for pillaging and summary executions, this 'black maquis' hung out initially in the Forest of Loches."
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Note: The 32nd Infantry Regiment was traditionally made up of men from the Touraine, so they were locals, who knew the geography and the people.
This poster is part of an exhibition in the Chancellerie on 'Loches in 1944' https://www.ville-loches.fr/expositions-article-3-10-56.html
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