Upor se je začel na Vodiški planini

20. julija 1941 je bil na konferenci partijskih komitejev na kopišču pod Malim Gregorjevcem sprejet sklep o začetku oborožene vstaje proti nemškemu okupatorju na Gorenjskem, ki je hotel deželo ponemčiti. Vodil jo je Stane Žagar, med udeleženci so bili Lojze Kebe, Tomo Brejc, Jože Gregorčič, Ivan Bertoncelj, Polde Stražišar, Matija Verdnik in drugi.

On July 20, 1941, during the Slovene Communist Party conference at the charcoal site under the hill Mali Gregorjevec, a decision was made to begin an armed uprising against the German occupying army in Gorenjska, which intended to Germanize the country. The meeting was led by Stane Žagar; among the participants were Lojze Kebe, Tomo Brejc, Jože Gregorčič, Ivan Bertoncelj, Polde Stražišar, Matija Verdnik and others.

Teden dni pozneje, 29. julija 1941, je bila v bližini, na Gradišču pri Vodiški planini, ustanovljena Jelovška četa. Sestavljale so jo skupine ilegalcev z Oblakove planine (pod vodstvom Jakoba Bernarda s Koritnega), iz gozdov nad Brezovico pri Kropi (pod vodstvom Alojza Pečnika iz Ljubnega), z Vodiške planine (vodja Ivan Bertoncelj z Zgornje Dobrave), iz gozdov Grofije pri Črnivcu (vodja Anton Dacar s Črnivca) in iz gozdov Dobrče (vodja Alojz Hrovat iz Begunj). Četa je štela 28 borcev in je bila oborožena s puškami ter puškomitraljezom iz skrivališča pri Prtovču, ki ga je po kapitulaciji pustila za seboj jugoslovanska vojska. Komandir čete je bil Jakob Bernard, komisar pa Jože Kranjc. Slavnostno jo je zaprisegel Stane Žagar.

A week later, on July 29, 1941, the Jelovška četa was established nearby, at Gradišče near Vodiška planina. It consisted of groups of illegals from Oblakova planina (led by Jakob Bernard from Koritno), from the forests above Brezovica near Kropa (led by Alojz Pečnik from Ljubno), from Vodiška planina (led by Ivan Bertoncelj from Zgornja Dobrava), from the forests of Grofija near Črnivec (led by Anton Dacar from Črnivec) and from the forests of Dobrča (led by Alojz Hrovat from Begunje). The unit consisted of 28 fighters and was armed with rifles and a machine gun from a hiding place near Prtovč, which had been left behind by the Yugoslav army after its capitulation. The company's commander was Jakob Bernard, and the political leader was Jože Kranjc. The company was solemnly sworn in by Stane Žagar.

Še teden dni pozneje, 5. avgusta 1941, so na Pogrošarjevi planini nad Vodiško planino ustanovili Cankarjev bataljon, ki sta ga sestavljali Jelovška in Jeseniška četa, skupaj okrog 120 borcev. Spet je bil zraven Stane Žagar, član glavnega poveljstva slovenskih partizanskih čet. Za komandanta bataljona je bil postavljen Jože Gregorčič – Gorenjc, za komisarja pa Ivan Bertoncelj – Johan. Dan ustanovitve Cankarjevega bataljona je praznik Občine Radovljica.

A week later, on August 5, 1941, the Cankar Battalion was established on Pogrošarjeva planina above Vodiška planina, consisting of the Jelovška and the Jeseniška companies, 120 fighters together. Stane Žagar, a member of the main command of the Slovenian partisan units, was with them again. Jože Gregorčič – Gorenjc was appointed the battalion commander, and Ivan Bertoncelj – Johan was appointed the political leader. The day of the Cankar Battalion's formation is a holiday of the Municipality of Radovljica.