Editing Maquis (World War II) (section)

==Customs==
The Maquis were clandestine groups which did not wear uniforms, so as to blend in the population. However, over time many started wearing the Basque [[beret]] because it was common enough not to arouse suspicion, but distinctive enough to be effective. 
[[File:Maquis members.jpg|thumb|Members of the Maquis resistance group. Notice the berets they are wearing. ]]
In leadership and the more technical aspects of leading a resistance group women were often more involved in the Maquis than men, helping the front line fighters. It was very common for young educated women to be used as couriers from one Maquis group to another. Young women were chosen because they were more inconspicuous than men and could often pass through German checkpoints without being stopped or questioned.<ref name="1944-CIA"/> Allied operatives working with the Maquis described the women of the Maquis helping of the fighters as "the lifeblood of the resistance, furnishing information, passing instructions, and arranging for food and supplies."<ref name="1944-CIA"/>