Memorial to the Chasseurs Alpins - Diables Bleus, on Grand Ballon
by RicardMN Photography
Title
Memorial to the Chasseurs Alpins - Diables Bleus, on Grand Ballon
Artist
RicardMN Photography
Medium
Photograph
Description
In France, at Soultz along the Route des Cretes and on the Grand Ballon are two memorials to the Chasseurs Alpins, or, to be more precise, a monument in two parts. The original single monument was erected in 1927 but was dynamited by the Germans in July 1940 during the occupation of the 1939-1945 war. The first memorial comprises a small pedestal with a bronze depicting the typical oversized beret worn by the Chasseurs perched on the top. This beret was retrieved from the original monument. A plaque fixed to the monument tells us that the land was given to the Club Alpin Francais by the town of Soultz as a thank you to those who helped France secure the return of Alsace and Lorraine and a second plaque tells us that it is dedicated
"AUX DIABLES BLEUS"
which was the nickname of the Chasseurs Alpin. A little further on there is a 1960s reconstruction of the 1927 memorial with a bronze by the sculptor Pierre Bouret. It depicts a Chasseur Alpin in winter outfit including of course the famous beret.
The chasseurs alpins (English: Alpine Hunters) are the elite mountain infantry of the French Army. They are trained to operate in mountainous terrain and in urban warfare.
The chasseurs alpins are informally known as Les diables bleus (Eng: The Blue Devils). Monuments and memorials to the unit, such as Memorial to the Chasseur Alpins are marked Aux Diables Bleus (Eng: To the Blue Devils).
The chasseurs are said to have green blood, after the pun: "Le sang vert, c'est pour la France; Le sang versé pour la France" ("Green blood is for France'; Blood shed, 'poured out', for France").
Note that these traditions are also shared by the 16th battalion of chasseurs, who are not chasseurs alpins.
When marching with the band and horns, the marching pace is 140 steps a minute - faster than most other armed forces units, with the exception of the Italian Bersaglieri, whose pace is 180 steps per minute. (Description from wikipedia).
Uploaded
October 27th, 2019
Statistics
Viewed 402 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 03/23/2024 at 12:47 AM
Embed
Share
Sales Sheet