excercise kepi blanc

Exercise Kepi Blanc was one of the big major excercises for troops in BAOR,
the first was in 1966 but the one i went on was in 68 the lst in 71

the french goverment had given permission for the camp du larzac to be used for training.

camp du larzac was in the south of france in a small village called la cavalerie not far from millau, it was on the edge of the national park and was ideal for its mixed terrain.the camp had at one time been home to the legion but at this time was home to 122 eme regiment d,infanterie and a attachment of french paras.

many regiments from BAOR travelled down each year 2 div RCT and staff officers from 2 div, 1st bn royal welsh fusiliers, 1st bn black watch, 19 tank transporter regt and many other regiments within the battalion.

as a transport regiment 33sqn RCT were one of the first down there and the last to leave as are job was the supply of food, equipment,fuel ammunition and the transportation of men to and from the excercise areas and for recreation which was a nightmare as the black watch lads were always kicking of after a few beers and it was no fun trying to get them out of the bars and brothel in millau.

In 1971, the French government announced their intention to extend the military camp on the Larzac plateau, an arid area in southern France where they claimed that "almost nobody lived". Local farmers strongly disagreed with this assessment . The Causse du Larzac is a limestone karst plateau in the south of the Massif Central, France.


In 1972 the farmers' struggle attracted world-wide media coverage when they brought 60 sheep to graze on the lawn under the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The issue became a famous cause among many groups, from ecologists to conscientious objectors, and in 1973 100,000 people attended a demonstration in Paris in support of the farmers of Larzac.


The fight lasted until 1981, when the newly-elected socialist French President François Mitterrand abandoned the project. that was the end of excercise kepi blanc and no more would we have to travel almost a 1000ml before starting an excercise


Now instead of a military camp they have the Millau Viaduct and the A75 autoroute.



camp du larzac.




stopped by french police we were going the wrong way almost went in to switzerland.

and no mention of the naturalist beach next door he must have missed the only worthwhile sight in the whole of larzac

the naturist beach was 66miles away at cap agde we would go at weekends camp on the beach.





sorry no photos of the naturisis use your imagination