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| 1re Division Française Libre | |
|---|---|
 Badge of the 1st Free French Division. The divisional badge features theCross of Lorraine | |
| Active | 1 August 1940 – 15 August 1945 |
| Country |  France |
| Allegiance | French Army Free French Forces |
| Type | Infantry Division |
| Equipment | French, British, American |
| Engagements | Dakar Gabon Eritrea Syria Lebanon Bir Hakeim El Alamein Tunisia Italy Provence Vosges Alsace Authion |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Raoul Magrin-Vernerey Paul Legentilhomme Marie Pierre Kœnig Edgard de Larminat Diego Brosset Pierre Garbay |
The1st Free French Division (French:1re Division Française Libre, 1re DFL) was one of the principal units of theFree French Forces (FFL) duringWorld War II, renowned for having fought theBattle of Bir Hakeim.
Consisting of troops from mainland France and from the thenFrench colonial empire, the division was formed by the first units to rally tode Gaulle after thefall of France. Together with the3rd Algerian Infantry Division, it was the most decorated French division of the Second World War.
The 1re DFL officially formed on 1 February 1943 and was dissolved on 15 August 1945. However, for the veterans of this unit, the history of the division began in the summer of 1940.
In London, on 30 June 1940, amongst the troops thatfought in Norway, 900 men of the13th Demi-Brigade of Foreign Legion, commanded by Lieutenant-ColonelRaoul Magrin-Vernerey, and 60Chasseurs Alpins made the choice to resume combat. Elements of a tank company, sappers, artillerymen and sailors chose the same: they would later constitute the1er Régiment de Fusiliers Marins, 1er RFM.
In the Middle East, 350 men of a battalion stationed inCyprus, led by CaptainJean Lorotte de Banes passed toBritish Egypt. With 120 men of CaptainRaphaël Folliot, who leftFrench Lebanon on 27 June, they formed the1st Marine Infantry Battalion, 1er BIM. They were joined by legionnaires of the6th Foreign Infantry Regiment (6e REI), sailors of the French Naval SquadronForce X, and a squadron of Moroccan Spahis of the1st Spahi Regiment, commanded by CaptainPaul Jourdier.
InAfrica, part of the 31st battery of the 6th Marine Artillery Regiment (French:6e Régiment d'artillerie de marine, 6e RAMa), stationed atBobo-Dioulasso, commanded by CaptainJean-Claude Laurent-Champrosay, passed from theFrench Upper Volta to theBritish Cameroons, forming the1st Colonial Artillery Regiment (1er Régiment d'artillerie coloniale, 1er RAC).
Under the designation ofFree French Expeditionary Corps (French:Corps expéditionnaire français libre), the troops formed in London disembarked atFreetown inSierra Leone and participated in the unsuccessfulBattle of Dakar, before being directed, in October 1940, toDouala in theFrench Cameroons. In November 1940, the unit participated in theBattle of Gabon, before going toDurban inSouth Africa.
Designated as theFree French Orient Brigade (French:Brigade Française Libre d'Orient) and commanded by ColonelMagrin-Vernerey, the brigade left Durban and disembarked atSuakin to take part in theEast African Campaign. The brigade was reinforced by the Pacific Battalion (French:Bataillon du Pacifique) and by troops of theFrench Equatorial Africa, the latter going fromBrazzaville toBangui,N'Djamena, before finally arriving atKhartoum and Suakin. The brigade participated in theBattle of Keren.
Under the designation of1st Light Free French Division (French:Première Division Légère Française Libre) and under the command of GeneralPaul Legentilhomme, the division joined theSyria–Lebanon Campaign in June 1941, where they fought against fellow Frenchmen, aligned withVichy. The division entered intoDamascus on 21 June 1941, then continued toHoms,Aleppo,Beirut and arrived atCairo, where the division was dissolved.
The division is reconstituted under the form of two Free French brigades:
The 1e BFL distinguished itself at theBattle of Bir Hakeim from 26 May – 11 June 1942, then in theSecond Battle of El Alamein from October–November 1942.
The two brigades and theFree French Flying Column formed the French Forces of the Western Desert (French:Forces françaises du Western Desert), part of the BritishEighth Army.
These two brigades (plus a third coming fromDjibouti), are united on 1 February 1943 in the1st Free French Division, 1re DFL, commanded by GeneralEdgard de Larminat and participate in theTunisian Campaign.
In June 1943, various troops of theArmy of Africa (French:l'Armée d'Afrique) joined the ranks of the division. Accordingly, the division was sent to the desert ofLibya during two and a half months, at the request ofHenri Giraud. The2e DFL of GeneralLeclerc would follow the same procedure.
After the reunification of the two French forces, on 1 August 1943, the division was officially designated as1st Motorized Infantry Division (French:1re Division Motorisée d'Infanterie, 1re DMI) due to its integration in theFrench Expeditionary Corps in Italy. In 1944, the 1st Motorized Infantry Division became the 1st Marching Infantry Division (French:1re Division de Marche d'Infanterie, 1re DMI). Nevertheless, the unit remained known as the 1re DFL.
Commanded by GeneralDiego Brosset and now part of the French Expeditionary Corps, the division participated in theItalian Campaign since April 1944.
WithFirst Army, the divisiondisembarked in Provence on 15 August 1944 and participated in theBattle of Toulon, then went up theRhône after having sent a couple of reconnaissance squadrons toMontpellier.Lyon was reached on 3 September.
In autumn 1944, theFrench Forces of the Interior joined the First Army, replacing the 6000 Africans of the division in what was referred during that period asblanchiment (whitening).
General Brosset accidentally died on 20 November 1944 and was succeeded by GeneralPierre Garbay.
The division made its way to theVosges where it facedOperation Nordwind, the last major German offensive on the Western Front. Afterwards it joined the battles for theColmar Pocket. In March 1945, the division participated in theBattle of Authion. It then tookTende andLa Brigue. When it was about to march onTurin the German Army in Italy surrendered on 2 May 1945.
The division was cited 4 times at the orders of the armed forces (26 June 1942, following the battle of Bir Hakeim; 27 January 1945, for Italy, the Vosges; 16 March 1945, for combats in Alsace; 7 July 1945, for the campaign of Authion) and the principal forming regiments were awarded the FrenchFourragere for 2 citations at the orders of the armed forces.
Forty-eight cemeteries, are the resting places of the more than 3600 members of the division. Eight of the division's units were madeCompagnons de la Libération. Four members of the division represent the combatants in uniform resting at theMémorial de la France combattante at auMont Valérien,Nous sommes ici pour témoigner devant l'Histoire que de 1939 à 1945 ses fils ont lutté pour que la France vive libre:
The division endured the loss of 3619 killed in action (out of which 1126 Colonial Indigenous (French:Indigènes Coloniaux)) with 67% killed in the period of April 1944 to May 1945.[2]
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| Free France | ||
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| Free French Africa | ||
| Liberation of France | ||
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