Liberation Sud: The March to Lyon September 1944.

Immersive WWII campaign featuring trench life, tactical missions, occupation duty, and the liberation of a French village in 1944.

Step 1: Join Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/2574677902978723 (Follow for the most up to date event information.)

Liberation Sud: The March to Lyon is a weekend-long immersive WWII roleplaying experience set in occupied France during the turbulent final weeks of German control.

This is not a spectator event. You are part of the story. (Though specators will be moving through the site during museum operating hours and will be treated as if they are French civilians. They will not be staying on site or have full immersion or participation in the in-game economy.)

For the weekend, the site becomes a French community caught between occupation, resistance, collaboration, espionage, and the approaching Allied armies. Every participant takes on a role and decides how they will survive—and where their loyalties really lie.

You might be a shopkeeper quietly passing information to the Resistance, a farmer hiding supplies, a government official trying to keep the town functioning, a German security soldier hunting underground networks, an Allied operative working behind enemy lines, or someone simply trying to stay alive while everyone around you chooses sides.

Your choices matter.

Carry identity papers. Deal with checkpoints and curfews. Move messages and contraband. Trade on the black market. Gather intelligence. Recruit allies. Interrogate suspects. Hide fugitives. Follow orders—or quietly undermine them. Missions and events will develop throughout the weekend, but there is no single script telling you how to play your character.

Friday begins under German occupation. From there, the situation changes rapidly as Resistance activity increases, Allied forces approach, and control of the area begins to collapse. Alliances can shift, secrets can be exposed, and decisions made early in the weekend may come back to haunt you later.

The experience continues after dark, allowing the story to unfold across the entire weekend rather than ending at a set hour. Nighttime patrols, clandestine meetings, intelligence operations, raids, and unexpected encounters can happen at any time.

You do not need previous WWII experience to participate.

If you enjoy LARP, immersive theater, escape rooms, tabletop RPGs, airsoft, milsim, historical games, espionage stories, or open-world adventures where you create your own path, this event was built with you in mind.

Come with a character. Choose your loyalties. Make your own decisions.

Occupied France is waiting. What will you do when the war arrives at your door?In-Game Economy

(Additional gameplay information to be released soon. Keep checking the Facebook group for updates, https://www.facebook.com/groups/2574677902978723. Individual participants will have a fairly high level of autonomy, and their decisions will have a direct impact on the experience they have.)

Any military participants must have prior approval before registering!* Contact event staff through Facebook!

Required Uniform & Equipment Allied Forces

The primary Allied impressions for this event are Operation Jedburgh personnel, and the 36th Infantry Division operating with the French Resistance in southern France during Operation Dragoon and the advance toward Lyon, August–September 1944. American OSS, British SOE, regular US infantry, and French personnel may be portrayed, with the emphasis on small Allied liaison teams working directly alongside the FFI to coordinate communications, intelligence, supply, sabotage, and support for advancing Allied forces.

36th Infantry Division Loadout: Coming soon!

American Jedburgh Loadout:

• M41 Field Jacket
• Wool service trousers
• M42 Jump Trousers
• M43 Jump Trousers
• Wool Service Shirt
• SF Jedburgh Insignia
• WWII American Jump Boots
• M1 helmet (Jump variation preferred)
• M1936 gear
• P-37 Jedburgh Loadout
• GI Canteen and or British Canteen
• P-37 Small Pack
• Shelter half, blanket, and period field equipment for overnight encampment
• GI Raincoat (encouraged)
• (Variation, British Jump Smock and British Jump Helmet with American M42 Jump Pants, American Jump Boots and British Webgear)

Appropriate Weapons

• M1 Garand
• M1 Carbine (M1A1 Carbine preferred)
• Thompson M1928A1 or M1A1
• M3 "Grease Gun"
• Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR)
• M1919A4
• M1911A1 pistol (where appropriate)
• Sten Mk II
• Sten Mk 5

Participants should portray a seasoned combat soldier. Uniforms should reflect a unit that has already fought through Sicily and Italy, with appropriate field wear, repairs, and campaign appearance. Trench life, patrols, tactical operations, and extended time in the field should be expected throughout the weekend.

British Loadout:

British Jump Pants

British Issued or Private Purchase Shirt

P40 or P37 Jacket

P37 Webgear, light loadout (P37 1911 holster and semi auto magazine pouch)

British Jump Helmet

Appropriate British Headgear

British Ammo Boots

Any military participants must have prior approval before registering!* Contact event staff through Facebook!

German participants will portray occupation and rear guard forces operating in southern France during the Allied advance in September 1944. If you have any questions, please contact us.

Required Uniform & Equipment

• M40, M42, or M43 field tunic
• Field gray wool trousers
• M43 field cap (or impression relevant rear-line cap/hat) and Stahlhelm
• Low boots with gaiters or jackboots (both acceptable)
• Standard leather equipment appropriate for late 1944
• Bread bag, canteen, mess kit, gas mask canister (or approved substitute), and entrenching tool as appropriate
• Zeltbahn, blanket, and period field equipment for overnight encampment

Appropriate Weapons

• Karabiner 98k
• MP40
• MG34
• MG42 (rare)
• Walther P38
• Luger P08 (where appropriate)
• 2nd Line German and Foreign Weapons encouraged

Participants should portray experienced frontline soldiers conducting occupation duties, patrols, checkpoints, anti-partisan operations, and delaying actions while covering the withdrawal of German forces to the north. Late-war equipment variations and field repairs are appropriate and encouraged.

French Forces of the Interior:

FFI impressions should represent Resistance fighters operating in southern France during September 1944.

Recommended Clothing & Equipment

• Historically appropriate civilian clothing
• Captured German equipment
• American web gear
• French military equipment where appropriate (a lot of French gear and uniform pieces are seen in this timeframe)
• FFI armband
• Civilian footwear or period military footwear
• Period packs, satchels, or bread bags
• French Military Helmets
• M1 GI Helmet (limited numbers but documented)
• German Helmets (limited numbers but documented)
• Black berets of French origin highly encouraged

Appropriate Weapons

• Captured Karabiner 98k
• MAS-36
• MAS-38
• Lee Enfield No 4. Mk 1
• Sten Mk II or Mk III
• M1903 Springfield
• M1 Carbine
• M1 Garand (limited)
• M1919 Machine Gun
• Thompson submachine gun (limited)
• Captured MP40
• Captured MG34 or MG42 (limited)
• Bren MK I or MK II
• Hunting shotguns and civilian sporting rifles (subject to event approval)
• Pre-War French military rifles

FFI fighters should not appear as a uniform military unit. A mixture of civilian and military clothing is encouraged, reflecting locally organized Resistance groups fighting with whatever equipment was available.

French Civilians

French civilian clothing is distinctive from other European clothing of the era. Your clothing should reflect the condition of wartime France and reality of rationing and your chosen personas vocation. Contact event leadership for questions and sources for clothing.

French civilian impressions should portray ordinary men, women, and children living under German occupation during the liberation of southern France.

Recommended Clothing

• Period dresses, skirts, jackets, trousers, sweaters, shirts, and work clothing
• Period hats, scarves, aprons, and footwear
• Baskets, bicycles, period luggage, shopping bags, and other civilian accessories

Weapons
Civilian impressions should generally be unarmed. Any civilian carrying a firearm must have prior approval from event staff and a scenario-specific role.Please avoid visible modern clothing, logos, sunglasses, smart watches, athletic shoes, coolers, tents, and other modern items whenever possible.Questions regarding French civilian or FFI impressions, authenticity standards, or recommended vendors should be directed to the Liberation Sud Facebook pages. Our members have spent years researching French civilian and Resistance impressions and maintain vendor recommendations for both original and reproduction clothing and equipment.By registering for this event, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to abide by these guidelines. Failure to do so may result in removal from the event without refund. By registering for this event, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to abide by these rules. Failure to do so may result in removal from the event without refund.

Clothing Guidelines (Head to Facebook!)

Rank Structure

Unless otherwise directed by event staff, all participants will attend as Jedburghs, Civilians, FFI, or as a 2nd Line German Heer unit. Participants bringing an established unit or a significant number of personnel may be assigned an appropriate leadership position based on the size and organization of their group. Rank assignments are made by event staff to support the event scenario and chain of command.

An official event roster and chain of command will be established prior to the event, see Facebook Group. If you have any questions regarding rank assignments or unit organization, please contact event staff.

Event Rules:

By registering for this event, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to abide by these rules. Failure to do so may result in removal from the event without refund.

The March to Lyon is an immersive, continuous-roleplay event. The goal is to create a believable occupied community where decisions, interactions, missions, combat, intelligence gathering, arrests, escapes, and changing loyalties develop throughout the weekend.

These rules exist to keep the experience safe, fair, and immersive for everyone.

Once the scenario begins, participants should remain in character and treat the event environment as real whenever practical. Modern conversation, phones, modern gear, and unnecessary out-of-character behavior should be kept away from active play areas.

Obviously, real-world safety, medical issues, emergencies, and staff instructions always override the scenario.

There is no single path through the event.

You may cooperate, lie, negotiate, hide information, change allegiances, conduct intelligence work, assist the Resistance, cooperate with the occupation, remain neutral, or simply attempt to survive.

Play your character, react to what happens, and allow the story to develop naturally.

Information you reveal, people you trust, items you carry, documents you lose, and decisions you make may affect what happens later.

If you are searched, arrested, exposed, betrayed, captured, wounded, or otherwise caught in the consequences of your decisions, play it out.

Do not simply ignore an outcome because it is inconvenient.

Military, Resistance, government, police, and other organized groups will have their own leadership structures.

Participants portraying members of those organizations are expected to work within that structure.

That does not mean characters cannot disagree, disobey, desert, betray someone, or secretly work against their leadership when appropriate to the story—but there should be an in-character reason for doing so.

Participants may be captured, searched, questioned, escorted, detained, exchanged, rescued, or escape when circumstances allow.

If you are legitimately captured, cooperate with the scenario.

Nobody should physically fight against restraints, escorts, or searches. Physical safety always comes before roleplay.

If you are clearly hit during combat, react appropriately.

Do not shrug off obvious hits because you want to stay in the fight.

Depending on the situation, you may be wounded, incapacitated, captured, transported to a casualty collection point, treated, or temporarily removed from action before returning to play.

The objective is storytelling—not keeping score.

Conflict between characters is encouraged.

Conflict between players is not.

No bullying, harassment, deliberate humiliation, unwanted physical contact, or using the scenario as an excuse to act like an asshole.

Keep the hostility inside the story.

All weapons, replicas, blank-firing firearms, ammunition, and related equipment are subject to event inspection AT ANY TIME and the Libération Sud Weapons Safety Policy.

Live ammunition is prohibited on event grounds.

Only inspected and approved blank ammunition may be used.

Never deliberately point a firearm directly at another participant.

Participants carrying weapons must demonstrate that they can safely operate them.

No discharging of blanks within 30 feet of the opposing force.

If operating in a unit, you will be in-line with your battle line, meaning when you look left or right you should see the shoulders of your squad in line with yours before firing.

Muzzle awareness is critical. Those demonstrating unsafe behavior will be removed from the event with no-refund.

There will be some areas on site where blank firing is not permitted. These will be shown to you. Please take the highest care to ensure you follow this rule.

Anyone observing an immediate safety problem may call CEASE FIRE.

If a real-world injury occurs, yell CEASE FIRE, followed by Corpsman.

When you hear it, stop immediately.

Do not finish what you were doing. Do not fire one more shot. Do not continue the scene.

Remain safe and wait for instructions.

Safety staff and event leadership have final authority regarding weapons and safety issues.

No illegal drugs.

No participant may consume alcohol or use an intoxicating substance before or while handling weapons or participating in combat activities.

Anyone impaired to the point that they cannot safely participate will be removed from active play.

Props, documents, equipment, caches, supplies, weapons, vehicles, and other items may sometimes become part of the scenario.

In-game capture does not mean actual ownership.

Do not damage, permanently alter, steal, consume, or remove another participant's property unless the owner or event staff has specifically authorized it.

If something is marked or identified as lootable, it may be taken within the game and should remain within the event. (However, some items are consumables, and others may be kept if looted from clearly abandoned fighting positions.)

Military and civilian vehicles may operate throughout the event.

Stay aware of moving vehicles and follow driver, crew, and staff instructions.

Never climb onto, enter, operate, or interfere with a vehicle without permission.

Tracked vehicles and other heavy equipment must be given plenty of room.

Be aware that most vehicle operators, especially those in armored vehicles have a large number of blindspots. Vehicle operators are responsible for having the appropriate personnel serve as ground guides to ensure safe operation during public hours. If utilizing vehicles at night, the vehicle operating speeds must remain at no more than a 5-10mph pace. All vehicle owners and operators are liable for the safety of those riding in their vehicles and those around them.

Friday check-in windows are:

7:00–10:00 AM
2:00–4:30 PM
6:00–8:00 PM

If you expect to arrive outside those periods or are planning to arrive Saturday, contact event staff beforehand.

The active scenario begins Friday afternoon.

Once checked in, participants should avoid unnecessarily leaving the event area. If you need to leave during the scenario, notify your group leadership or event staff.

Reentry into an active scenario may be restricted depending on what is happening at the time.

The Event Director, safety personnel, and designated event staff may stop a scene, alter an activity, restrict equipment, remove a weapon from use, modify the scenario for safety, or remove a participant from the event.

Unsafe conduct, deliberate disruption of the experience, refusal to follow safety instructions, or serious violations of these rules may result in immediate removal.

Use common sense. Play along. Give other people something to react to. Take your losses as seriously as your victories. The better everyone commits to the world, the better the weekend becomes. The focus for the event is not "hit taking" like a conventional Milsim, but on recreating the events of 1944. Make your casualties look realistic. Your hit taking could absolutely make someones event. If you are a combatant, you will likely die at some point during the event. Lean into it! There isn't a winner of the tactical component! All sides should make their best effort to evacuate their casualties for a re-spawn and to increase the immersive experience for the opposing side. Additional guidelines and rules will be on facebook.

All registrations are final. No refunds will be issued due to the expenses occured setting up this event.

Event venue

Florida Agricultural Legacy Learning Center, Inc., 7900 Old Kings Road North, Palm Coast, United States

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