Marat

"The report from Sector Four, sir."

- Major Marat

Marat was a French officer, who served at the 2nd Army headquarters at Souilly under General Robert Nivelle at the Battle of Verdun during World War I. He frequently was in charge of passing orders to the motorcycle couriers and receiving reports picked up in the field and delivering them to the senior staff.

Biography
In September 1916, Major Marat had the duty of giving the written orders from the generals to the new Belgian couriers, who would then deliver them to the appropriate commanders in the field. After receiving orders from General Nivelle, he went outside to find a courier, and when asked who the fastest was, he met Henri Defense (Indiana Jones). Defense took the orders to Colonel Barc.

In the evening, while the generals were at dinner, Marat received the casualty reports from Defense and told the dirty courier to go downstairs and clear up and not miss supper. Marat then took the report upstairs to where Neville, Charles Mangin, Henri Philippe Pétain and several other senior officers were eating dinner. Putting the report on the tray, Marat reported that no progress had been made in the day's attack. Upset at the failure, Nivelle felt that not enough men had died and demanded to see Colonel [[Barc] in the morning. Pétain inquired about the casualties, but left after Nivelle coldly commented that the casualties were not obviously enough.

Two days later, Marat was brought in to deliver Pétain's orders to cancel Nivelle's new attack because of the evidence of two German Big Bertha guns. Marat waited for Pétain to sign the orders, since Nivelle refused to issue them. Marat then passed the orders onto Rocco who rode out to Barc. After General Joseph Joffre arrived and restarted the attack, Marat gave Joffre's written orders to Defense. Defense protested that with the Big Berthas, they couldn't just give orders that would result in pointless death. Marat replied grimly that indeed Joffre could do just that.

Behind the scenes
François Bourcier played the role of Marat in the episode "Verdun, September 1916" of the The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.

Appearances

 * Demons of Deception
 * Verdun, September 1916 comic