The Defense Class of Victor Hugo College in Lavelanet explores the work and commitment of the resistant writer Raymond Escholier. Their interactive digital journal is now competing for the prestigious Southern Zone Armed Forces Prize.
This prize was formerly called the Marseille Military Governor’s Prize. After receiving several distinctions in the past (Excellence Prize, Accessits, 3rd Prize), the students are hoping to renew their good results and maybe achieve more. The theme of this year’s competition is “writers at war,” which led the students to choose to work on Raymond Escholier, a writer with ties to Mirapiciennes involved in both World Wars. The students have chosen to present their work in the form of an interactive digital journal entitled “Le Petit Escholier, the ephemeral journal with the flavor of biscuit that must be read.” The first phase of the students’ work has been to focus on his literary work, particularly “Le Sel de la terre” and “Mamadou Fofana.” Escholier is a soldier who experienced the shelling at Verdun. By exploring his novels, the students learned about Mamadou Fofana, who served in the 96th Senegalese Tirailleurs Battalion (BTS).
A Brotherhood of Arms at the heart of the investigation
Studying these works has highlighted an unexpected brotherhood of arms, dispelling the colonialist stereotypes of the time. In the mud and cold, the writer and the rifleman from West Africa become “brothers in misery.” The “salt” they share is that of sweat, tears, and black bread. Faced with the industrial madness and absurdity of this European war, the author vividly describes the erasure of ranks and origins in favor of a universality of suffering and silent dignity. The students’ appropriation of this complex destiny took the form of the “Petit Escholier” created by the students at the departmental archives. This investigative work was based on authentic writings preserved in the Foix archives. On this occasion, it was the Escholier of the Second World War who was particularly highlighted: the protector of artworks bringing them down from Paris to Mirepoix, and the coordinator of the MUR (United Resistance Movements) emphasizing the fundamental role of the Rimont PTT receiver in the Resistance. As the final key moment of the project preparation, the students interviewed Georges-Patrick Gleize on Friday, March 13, 2026, about Escholier. This was an opportunity to work on the man and his work. The video of the interview is integrated into the digital journal. By retracing Escholier’s journey from a trench witness writer to a resistant in the “Maquis de Gascogne,” the third year students have understood that pen and culture constitute ultimate barriers against oppression. The work is now available on the school’s ENT website, continuing on its path. The results of the Southern Zone Armed Forces Prize are expected by the end of the school year.
