The 1st Free French Division (french: 1^re Division Française Libre, 1^re DFL) was one of the principal units of the Free French Forces (FFL) during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, renowned for having fought the Battle of Bir Hakeim. Consisting of troops from mainland France and from the then

French colonial empire The French colonial empire () comprised the overseas colonies, protectorates and mandate territories that came under French rule from the 16th century onward. A distinction is generally made between the "First French Colonial Empire", that exist ...

, the division was formed by the first units to rally to de Gaulle after the

fall of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France during the Second World ...

. Together with the

3rd Algerian Infantry Division The 3rd Algerian Infantry Division (french: 3e Division d'Infanterie Algérienne, 3e DIA) was an infantry division of the Army of Africa (french: Armée d'Afrique) which participated in World War II. Following the liberation of French North Afr ...

, it was the most decorated French division of the Second World War.

Creation and different nominations

* 1940: Free French Expeditionary Corps. * 1941: Free French Orient Brigade. * May 1941: 1st Light Free French Division. * 20 August 1941: dissolution following the campaign of Syria. * 24 September 1941: regrouping of the Free French units of the Middle East into the 1st and 2nd Light Free French Divisions (divisions with two brigades each). * December 1941: the 1st Light Free French Division, reworked into the 1st Free French Brigade Group to adapt itself to the British military organization, deploys to the Western Desert. * 1942: regrouping of the two independent Free French brigades of the ''Moyent-Orient'' (Middle East) into the French Forces of the Western Desert, following the departure of the 2nd Independent Free French Brigade from the

Levant The Levant () is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is ...

on April. * February 1943: recreated under the designation of 1st Free French Division - 1^e DFL (division with three brigades 1^re, 2^e and 4^e BFL). * August 1943: renamed 1st Motorized Infantry Division (1^re DMI), but continued to be called 1^re DFL. * 15 August 1945: dissolution.

World War II

1940

The 1^re 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 that fought in Norway, 900 men of the 13th Demi-Brigade of Foreign Legion, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Raoul Magrin-Vernerey, and 60 Chasseurs Alpins made the choice to resume combat. Elements of a tank company, sappers, artillerymen and sailors chose the same: they would later constitute the 1^er Régiment de Fusiliers Marins, 1^er RFM. In the Middle East, 350 men of a battalion stationed in

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ...

, led by Captain Jean Lorotte de Banes passed to

British Egypt The history of Egypt under the British lasted from 1882, when it was occupied by British forces during the Anglo-Egyptian War, until 1956 after the Suez Crisis, when the last British forces withdrew in accordance with the Anglo-Egyptian agreem ...

. With 120 men of Captain Raphaël Folliot, who left

French Lebanon The State of Greater Lebanon ( ar, دولة لبنان الكبير, Dawlat Lubnān al-Kabīr; french: État du Grand Liban), informally known as French Lebanon, was a state declared on 1 September 1920, which became the Lebanese Republic ( ar, ...

on 27 June, they formed the 1st Marine Infantry Battalion, 1^er BIM. They were joined by legionnaires of the 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment (6^e REI), sailors of the French Naval Squadron Force X, and a squadron of Moroccan Spahis of the

1st Spahi Regiment The 1st Spahi Regiment (french: 1er Régiment de Spahis) is an armored regiment of the modern French Army, previously called the 1st Moroccan Spahi Regiment (french: 1er Régiment de Spahis Marocains). It was established in 1914 as a mounted cava ...

, commanded by Captain Paul Jourdier. In

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

, part of the 31st battery of the 6th Marine Artillery Regiment (french: 6^e Régiment d'artillerie de marine, 6^e RAMa), stationed at

Bobo-Dioulasso Bobo-Dioulasso is a city in Burkina Faso with a population of 904,920 (); it is the second-largest city in the country, after Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso's capital. The name means "home of the Bobo-Dioula". The local Bobo-speaking population (re ...

, commanded by Captain Jean-Claude Laurent-Champrosay, passed from the French Upper Volta to the British Cameroons, forming the 1st Colonial Artillery Regiment (''1^er Régiment d'artillerie coloniale, 1^er RAC''). Under the designation of Free French Expeditionary Corps (french: Corps expéditionnaire français libre), the troops formed in London disembarked at

Freetown Freetown is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educ ...

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierr ...

and participated in the unsuccessful Battle of Dakar, before being directed, in October 1940, to Douala in the French Cameroons. In November 1940, the unit participated in the Battle of Gabon, before going to

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...

1941

Designated as the Free French Orient Brigade (french: Brigade Française Libre d'Orient) and commanded by Colonel Magrin-Vernerey, the brigade left Durban and disembarked at Suakin to take part in the East African Campaign. The brigade was reinforced by the Pacific Battalion (french: Bataillon du Pacifique) and by troops of the French Equatorial Africa, the latter going from

Brazzaville Brazzaville (, kg, Kintamo, Nkuna, Kintambo, Ntamo, Mavula, Tandala, Mfwa, Mfua; Teke: ''M'fa'', ''Mfaa'', ''Mfa'', ''Mfoa''Roman Adrian Cybriwsky, ''Capital Cities around the World: An Encyclopedia of Geography, History, and Culture'', ABC-CL ...

Bangui Bangui () (or Bangî in Sango, formerly written Bangi in English) is the capital and largest city of the Central African Republic. It was established as a French outpost in 1889 and named after its location on the northern bank of the Uban ...

, N'Djamena, before finally arriving at

Khartoum Khartoum or Khartum ( ; ar, الخرطوم, Al-Khurṭūm, din, Kaartuɔ̈m) is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 5,274,321, its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile, flowing n ...

and Suakin. The brigade participated in the

Battle of Keren The Battle of Keren ( it, Battaglia di Cheren) took place from 3 February to 27 March 1941. Keren was attacked by the British during the East African Campaign of the Second World War. A force of Italian regular and colonial troops defended t ...

. Under the designation of 1st Light Free French Division (french: Première Division Légère Française Libre) and under the command of General

Paul Legentilhomme Paul Louis Legentilhomme (March 26, 1884 – May 23, 1975) was an officer in the French Army during World War I and World War II. After the fall of France in 1940, he joined the forces of the Free French. Legentilhomme was a recipient of the ...

, the division joined the Syria–Lebanon Campaign in June 1941, where they fought against fellow Frenchmen, aligned with

Vichy Vichy (, ; ; oc, Vichèi, link=no, ) is a city in the Allier department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of central France, in the historic province of Bourbonnais. It is a spa and resort town and in World War II was the capital of ...

. The division entered into

Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

on 21 June 1941, then continued to

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Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

and arrived at

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metr ...

, where the division was dissolved. The division is reconstituted under the form of two Free French brigades: * The 1st Independent Free French Brigade, 1^e BFL, commanded by General Koenig * The 2nd Independent Free French Brigade, 2^e BFL, commanded by General Cazaud * A 3rd Independent Free French Brigade remained in

and Syria until the end of the war to ensure the protection of these two countries.

1942

The 1^e BFL distinguished itself at the Battle of Bir Hakeim from 26 May – 11 June 1942, then in the Second Battle of El Alamein from October–November 1942. The two brigades and the Free French Flying Column formed the French Forces of the Western Desert (french: Forces françaises du Western Desert), part of the British Eighth Army.

1943

These two brigades (plus a third coming from

Djibouti Djibouti, ar, جيبوتي ', french: link=no, Djibouti, so, Jabuuti officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red ...

), are united on 1 February 1943 in the 1st Free French Division, 1^re DFL, commanded by General Edgard de Larminat and participate in the Tunisian Campaign. In June 1943, various troops of the Army of Africa (french: l'Armée d'Afrique) joined the ranks of the division. Accordingly, the division was sent to the desert of

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...

during two and a half months, at the request of Henri Giraud. The 2^e DFL of General Leclerc would follow the same procedure. After the reunification of the two French forces, on 1 August 1943, the division was officially designated as 1st Motorized Infantry Division (french: 1^re Division Motorisée d'Infanterie, 1^re DMI) due to its integration in the French Expeditionary Corps in Italy. In 1944, the 1st Motorized Infantry Division became the 1st Marching Infantry Division (french: 1^re Division de Marche d'Infanterie, 1^re DMI). Nevertheless, the unit remained known as the 1^re DFL.

1944

Commanded by General Diego Brosset and now part of the French Expeditionary Corps, the division participated in the Italian Campaign since April 1944. With First Army, the division disembarked in Provence on 15 August 1944 and participated in the Battle of Toulon, then went up the

Rhône The Rhône ( , ; wae, Rotten ; frp, Rôno ; oc, Ròse ) is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea. At Ar ...

after having sent a couple of reconnaissance squadrons to

Montpellier Montpellier (, , ; oc, Montpelhièr ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the department of Hérault. In 2018, 290,053 people l ...

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of ...

was reached on 3 September. In autumn 1944, the French Forces of the Interior joined the First Army, replacing the 6000 Africans of the division in what was referred during that period as ''blanchiment'' (whitening). General Brosset accidentally died on 20 November 1944 and was succeeded by General

Pierre Garbay Pierre Garbay (4 October 1903 – 17 July 1980) was a French Army General. Biography Of modest origins, after completing high school, Garbay was admitted to Saint-Cyr military academy in 1921 and graduated as a sub-lieutenant in 1924. He then f ...

1945

The division made its way to the

Vosges The Vosges ( , ; german: Vogesen ; Franconian and gsw, Vogese) are a range of low mountains in Eastern France, near its border with Germany. Together with the Palatine Forest to the north on the German side of the border, they form a singl ...

where it faced Operation Nordwind, the last major German offensive on the Western Front. Afterwards it joined the battles for the Colmar Pocket. In March 1945, the division participated in the Battle of Authion. It then took Tende and La Brigue. When it was about to march on

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...

the German Army in Italy surrendered on 2 May 1945.

Composition

Infantry

1^re Brigade

*1st battalion of the 13th Demi-Brigade of Foreign Legion, 13^e DBLE *2nd battalion of the 13th Demi-Brigade of Foreign Legion * 22nd North-African Marching Battalion (french: 22^e Bataillon Nord-Africain, 22^e BMNA)

2^e Brigade

* Marching Battalion nº 4, BM 4 * Marching Battalion nº 5, BM 5 * Marching Battalion nº 11, BM 11 (constituted in Syria in 1941)

4^e Brigade

* Marching Battalion nº 21, BM 21 (constituted in Djibouti in 1943) * Marching Battalion nº 24, BM 24 (same origin of BM 21) * Marine Infantry and Pacific Battalion (grouping of the 1st Marine Infantry Battalion and the Pacific Battalion nº 1 following the Battle of Bir Hakeim).

Units disbanded before 1944

* Marching Battalion nº 1, BM 1. With the 1^e DFL, the battalion participated to the campaigns of Gabon, East Africa and Syria. The battalion then participated in the Tunisian Campaign with the 2nd Armored Division before being disbanded 1943. * Marching Battalion nº 2, BM 2. Attached to the 3rd Independent Free French Brigade, in Syria, in July 1942, it was then sent to

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Afric ...

and to the French Equatorial Africa. * Marching Battalion nº 3, BM 3. Disbanded in 1942.

Other units

* 1^er Régiment de Fusiliers Marins, 1^er RFM * 1^er Régiment de Marche de Spahis Marocains * 1st Tank company (then 501^e Régiment de chars de combat in the 2^e DB). * 11^e Régiment de cuirassiers (french: 11^e Régiment de cuirassiers) * 1st Artillery Regiment of Free French Forces, RAFFL * 21st anti-aircraft group of the

Antilles The Antilles (; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Antiy; es, Antillas; french: Antilles; nl, Antillen; ht, Antiy; pap, Antias; Jamaican Patois: ''Antiliiz'') is an archipelago bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the south and west, the Gulf of Mex ...

* 1st Engineering Battalion * 4th Anti-Tank company * Headquarters Company * 101st Auto Company * 1st Signals Battalion * 9th Maintenance Company * 1st Traffic Detachment * Military Police * Division Logistics *

Hadfield-Spears Ambulance Unit The Hadfield-Spears Ambulance Unit was an Anglo-French volunteer medical unit which served initially with the 4th French army in Lorraine, eastern France, during the Second World War from February 1940 until it was forced to retreat on 9 June ahead ...

* Light Surgical Ambulance * Naval Female Medical Evacuation Section

Decorations

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 French Fourragere for 2 citations at the orders of the armed forces. * Fourragere with olive colors of the Médaille militaire and Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (4–5 citations at the orders of the armed forces) ** 13th Demi-Brigade of Foreign Legion 13^e DBLE ** Marine Infantry and Pacific Battalion ** 1^er Régiment de Fusiliers Marins 1^e RFM * Fourragere with olive colors of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (2–3 citations at the orders of the armed forces) ** Marching Battalion 2 ** Marching Battalion 5

Division Commanders

* 1941: Colonel Raoul Magrin-Vernerey * 15 April 1941 – 21 August 1941: General

* January 1943 – 16 May 1943: General Edgard de Larminat * 1943: General Marie-Pierre Kœnig * 1 August 1943: General Diego Brosset * 20 November 1944: General

Homages

Forty-eight cemeteries, are the resting places of the more than 3600 members of the division. Eight of the division's units were made Compagnons de la Libération. Four members of the division represent the combatants in uniform resting at the Mémorial de la France combattante at au

Mont Valérien Mont may refer to: Places * Mont., an abbreviation for Montana, a U.S. state * Mont, Belgium (disambiguation), several places in Belgium * Mont, Hautes-Pyrénées, a commune in France * Mont, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, a commune in France * Mont, Sa ...

, ''Nous sommes ici pour témoigner devant l'Histoire que de 1939 à 1945 ses fils ont lutté pour que la France vive libre'': * Maboulkede (1921–1944) – Soldier of the 24th Marching Battalion, BM 24 * Georges Brière (1922–1944) – Sailor of the 1^er Régiment de Fusiliers Marins, 1^er RFM * Marius Duport (1919–1944) – Sous-lieutenant of the 22nd North African Marching Battalion 22^e BMNA * Antonin Mourgues (1919–1942) – Caporal-chef au Marine Infantry and Pacific Battalion, BIMP

Casualties

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.Jean-François Muracciole, ''Les Français libres : L'autre Résistance'', Tallandier, 2009

Sources & bibliography

Jean de Lattre de Tassigny Jean Joseph Marie Gabriel de Lattre de Tassigny (2 February 1889 – 11 January 1952) was a French général d'armée during World War II and the First Indochina War. He was posthumously elevated to the dignity of Marshal of France in 1952. As ...

, ''Histoire de la première armée française'', éd. Plon, 1949 *''Foreign Volunteers of the Allied Forces 1939–45''. Nigel Thomas. London: Osprey Publishing, 1991. *''GUF'' – Guerre 1939 – 1945. Les Grandes Unités Françaises (Volume V-2). Armée de Terre, Service Historique. Paris: Imprimerie Nationale, 1975. *''La 1^re D.F.L.''. Boussard, Leon. Bobigny: L'Imprimerie de Bobigny (Seine), 1946. *''The French Army 1939–45 (2)''. Ian Sumner. London: Osprey Publishing, 1998.
FAQ (with some pictures) on the 1re D.F.L., a unit frequently eclipsed by the 2nd (Armoured) Free French Division.Forum posting of TO&E of the predecessor elements of the 1re D.F.L, with reference to other FFL units in North Africa
* ''Annuaire de la 1^re DFL'', Collectif, 1972

References and footnotes

{{French Army Divisions French World War II divisions Free French Forces French Foreign Legion Military units and formations established in 1940 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945