Jean-Marie Bulle et la vallée des Glaciers

Often considered a natural rampart, the Alps are however not impassable. Through the presence of the Petit-Saint-Bernard, Bonhomme and Iseran passes, the Haute-Tarentaise valley has brought together important places of passage since prehistoric times. Since Antiquity, the Petit-Saint-Bernard pass has been a link between local Alpine populations. During the Roman conquest, Emperor Augustus completed the construction of the Roman road. Troops, sovereigns, pilgrims, merchants, bankers and peddlers cross paths on the roads. At the end of the Middle Ages, the County of Savoie controlled five crucial passes, including the Petit and Grand Saint-Bernard.

“I was born in 1913 in Pontarlier. In 1934, I joined the Saint-Cyr military school where my classmates nicknamed me “John Bull”. In 1938, I discovered the mountain during my assignment to the 70th Alpine Fortress Battalion (BAF) in Bourg Saint Maurice. At the beginning of 1939, I took command of the Skier Scout Section of the 80th BAF stationed in Beaufort. In 1943 the French army was dissolved and I joined the Resistance in the Albertville region. Under the different pseudonyms of “Mr Jean, Dubois, Devèze or Baffert”, my mission is to travel the region to bring together and unite the resistance.”
Jean Bulle (1913-1944)
During the liberation of Savoy, Jean-Marie Bulle was assassinated by the Nazis on August 21, 1944 while negotiating the surrender of the German garrison of Albertville. Shortly after, his name was given to the battalion which brought together the Beaufortain and Tarentaise companies.

A crossroads between the valleys of Beaufortain and Tarentaise, the Vallée des Glaciers allows passage to Italy via the Col de la Seigne. In 1888, the creation of alpine troops led to the strengthening of military installations in anticipation of a potential Italian invasion. The barracks at Seloge and Les Chapieux were built in an initial phase (1890-1894).

THE BATTLES OF JUNE 1940

Italy declares war on France on June 10, 1940. The first battles (June 14 to 17) take place at the Col de la Seigne between the Alpini and the French soldiers of the 80th Fortress Alpine Battalion (BAF) and some elements of the 7th BCA. The position quickly becomes untenable for the French troops, who are ordered to retreat to the ridge lines and outposts to block the enemy in the upper Vallée des Glaciers. On June 22, the Alpini face troops commanded by Lieutenant Bulle (at Col d’Enclave) and Second Lieutenants De Castex (on the Bellegarde Ridge) and Guidot (on the Ouillon Ridge). The Italians outnumber the French, but the French troops have far better knowledge of the terrain. These battles occur under terrible weather conditions, marked by snowstorms, strong winds, and temperatures as low as -15°C. The armistice of June 24 ends the fighting. French losses (6 killed) are significantly lower than Italian losses.

THE BATTLES OF AUGUST 1944

Faced with the German advance and their entry into Bourg Saint Maurice, the Tarentaise Resistance set up their command post in the hamlet of Les Chapieux, from where actions against German troops were coordinated. To secure the southern part of the valley, Lieutenant Émile Paganon’s unit set up a blockade on the road connecting Les Chapieux to Bourg Saint Maurice. On the night of August 21 to 22, 1944, the Germans attacked along the ridges, advancing through the Combe de la Neuva. Part of Paganon’s unit rushed to assist the command post, but the resistance fighters were quickly overwhelmed. With reinforcements from the Lac company, arriving from Beaufortain, the French managed to overpower the German troops, who retreated while burning buildings in Les Chapieux. The exhausted resistance fighters halted their pursuit: 10 men fell in combat. The battle of Les Chapieux remains a striking example of resistance activity in Tarentaise.

DID YOU KNOW: THE ADRIAN SHELTER

This shelter is named after its designer, Louis Adrian (1859-1933). Built with several metal sheet elements transported by mule, its two ends are made of masonry. It can accommodate about ten men. The interior is equipped with bunks and a stove.