In 82-83 I did some casual work running to Turin and Milan. I seem to remember between the motorway at Macon and Frejus/ Cenis there was a statue of an adult holding what looked like a dead child in its arms somebody told me it was there because during the war RAF pilots came down in the area and the locals hide them, the Germans threatened to throw the children of the cliff face of the Alp unless they surrendered the pilots to them. Or was it just a dream after consuming to much vino one night?
jj72:
looky here viewtopic.php?f=35&t=37654&p=416145&hilit=cerdon#p416145
Thanks for the photo I remember that one, the statue I’m thinking of is more life size and is carrying the child like a newly married groom would carry is bride over the threshold I think it must have been around the same area. It was very easy to miss because it was just at the side of the road,I’m beginning to think it was a figment of my imagination but it is a very thought provoking thing to see especially when you become a parent.
The picture above is of the Monument to the dead of Resistance Val d’Enfer at the top of the cerdon on the national 84 in Eastern France. It’s on the old road used to get to Italy, between Pont-d-ain and Nantua. I don’t think you can go up this road as there is a new bypass.
Built in the wild gorge of the Val d’Enfer, the monument of Resistance of Ain and Haut-Jura surprised all who travel on this important channel of communication. This work, due to the initiative of Colonel Roman Petit, head of scrub of the Ain, was carved by Charles Machet this site chosen by the leaders of the resistance because of abuses committed Kelso, a clash seriously inflicted on the enemy troops in this sector in July 1944, in order to integrate this project in symbiosis with a virgin nature.
The story as I was told, was that the Germans rounded up the school children, put them in a bus and pushed it off the cliff, because the villagers would not give up some resistance fighters. at the top of Cerdon there was usally a woman in a leopard print dress, but that’s another story.