The training of men in combat 1914:
At the head of a company of marine riflemen, Hébert was seriously wounded at Diksmuide*.
He receives 2 bullets:
One that will leave him disabled in his left arm,
Another in the chest which is stopped by his officer’s notebook.
IHe will stay more than a year in the hospital. The doctors want to amputate: he refuses.
* Battle of Diksmuide:
Sent to Diksmuide, in Belgium, the marine riflemen, under the command of Admiral Ronarc’h, had the mission of preventing the encirclement of the French army. Foch’s order was clear and harsh: “The role you have to fulfill is to save our left wing until reinforcements arrive. Sacrifice yourself. Hold for at least 4 days. »
With extraordinary bravery and courage, they held out… 3 weeks!; 6,000 against 50,000 Germans.
The observation is made that the marine troops, trained in the Natural Method, who know how to walk, run, crawl, carry, throw, progress in quadruped, lift, pass in balance… have much better results in combat than the other trained troops by the official method.
Also, Hébert, not yet cured, and disabled in one arm, was then recalled and put in charge of training the assault troops of all the armies.
It is therefore a… sailor…, invalid… who is in charge, in the middle of the war, of “re-training” the infantrymen of the French army. (The English and US armies will soon do the same…).
1916: Georges Hébert creates the “Obstacle Course”
His principles are therefore implemented and he creates, for this purpose, in 1916, an “obstacle course”, known worldwide today under the name of:
“ Obstacle course ”
…and which has since been adopted by all the armies of the world.
How many lives could have been saved if all the troops had been trained, from the beginning of the conflict, to throw themselves on the ground, crawl, jump etc, and had received a complete and utilitarian training…?
Discover the main stages of the life of G. Hébert
