Maquis (World War II) Maquis (World War II) The Maquis () were rural guerrilla bands of French Resistance fighters, called "maquisards", during the Nazi Occupation of France in World War II. Initially, they were composed of men and women who had escaped into the mountains to avoid conscription into Vichy France's "Service du travail obligatoire" ("Compulsory Work Service" or "STO") to provide forced labor for Germany. To avert capture and deportation to Germany, they became increasingly organized into active resistance groups. Originally the word came from the kind of terrain in which the armed resistance groups hid, high ground in southeastern France covered with
Maquis Vallier sector, but joined the Moors and the coast in August 1944 to support the Provence landings. Maquis Vallier The Maquis Vallier was one of the maquis groups of resistance fighters during World War II. The maquis operated in the north of the Var département, particularly in the Verdon valley. The maquis Vallier was initially part of the "Mouvements Unis de la Résistance" (MUR) organization, before becoming the primary structure of the "Armée secrète" (AS) in its zone. In 1944, it was under the authority of the "comité départemental de libération". The maquis Vallier was led by Louis Picoche. Like many