I know that our ether-community has many and hugely varied opinions and moral stances about war, Remembrance and our country's continued involvement in supposedly 'worthless' campaigns: but one small if not insignificant piece of WWII history is very much worth the mountaineering community at least acknowledging if not remembering on the eve of 11th November:
The mountain battles around and above Chamnoix and throughout the Haute Savoie that ended with the The Battle of the Valley Balnche in 1945 have been superbly written-up by Sue Clarke and her article was printed in full in 'High' Mountain Sports in January 1995 in Issue No. 146.
Unfortunately, I don't have a scanner and my email to ukc's webteam asking for their help in sourcing and presenting the document remains, so far, unreplied, so I can't present it here.
For those with back copies of High, you will be able to remind yourself of the mountain hardships that eventually contributed to victory in Europe. If you can help me, tonight, then may I thank you in advance.
I can only conclude with these remarks that build on Sue's words: Mountains can bring people of all nations together. After the war both sides, French and German, who had taken part in the fighting on 17th February 1945 at 3,600' in the Valle Blanche met up with each other, as they do every year on that day to remember their friends who died in one of the war's most extraordinary battles fought amongst some of the most beautiful mountains in Europe.
To-day, many mountain ranges around the world are the scene of countless brutal, barbaric and probably pointless wars and horrific conflict & casualty to soldier and civilian alike. On our local hills, we remain largely free.
May we learn to share our world in peace.
aye, Andy
