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World War II Armed Forces — Orders of Battle and Organizations | Last Updated 31.12.98 |
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Free French Services
Services de la France Libre Government and High Command London: 18th June 1940 - 21st September 1941 Provided by Alain Godec (Paris, France) |
| Chief of Free French
General Charles de GAULLE |
| 1) CIVIL AFFAIRS |
| Administration and Finances |
| Aristide ANTOINE (alias Fontaine or Colonel Roland) |
| Pierre DENIS (alias Rauzan) |
| Commandants Etienne HIRSCH and MENGUY |
| Armament |
| Commandant Etienne HIRSCH |
| André Labarthe (see note below) |
| Economy and Colonies |
| Pierre-Olivier LAPIE |
| René PLEVEN |
| Information and Press |
| Etienne DENNERY |
| Robert MARJOLIN |
| Colonel Jean MASSIP |
| Jacques SOUSTELLE |
| Sea transport (marine marchande = merchant navy) |
| Jacques INGEN |
| Pierre de MALGLAIVE |
| Politics |
| Gaston PALEWSKI |
| Maurice DEJEAN |
| Joseph HACKIN |
| 2) STAFF |
| Chief of Staff |
| General Ernest PETIT |
| General Raymond TISSIER |
| Chief of 2nd Bureau |
| Commandant Andre DEWAVRIN (alias PASSY) |
| High Commissary of Free French for Middle-East |
| Army General Georges CATROUX (was in fact senior and superior to de Gaulle) |
| High Commissary of Free French in Africa |
| General Edgar de LARMINAT |
| Commandant Navy and Air Force |
| Vice-Admiral Emile MUSELIER |
| 3) COUNCIL FOR THE DEFENSE OF THE EMPIRE |
| Rene CASSIN |
| Army General Georges CATROUX |
| Governor Felix EBOUE (Governor of Chad) |
| General Edgar de LARMINAT |
| Colonel Philippe LECLERC |
| Vice-Admiral Emile MUSELIER |
| Chief Doctor Adolphe SICE |
| Governor Henri SAUTOT |
| Rear-Admiral Georges Thierry d'ARGENLIEU |
| 4) CIVIL AFFAIRS (COMMISSIONS) |
| Foreign Affairs |
| Maurice DEJEAN |
| Air |
| General Martial VALIN |
| Economy, Finances, Colonies |
| Rene PLEVEN |
| War |
| General Paul LEGENTILHOMME |
| Interior, Labor, Information |
| Andre DIETHELM |
| Andre PHILIP |
| Justice and Public Instruction |
| Rene CASSIN |
| Navy and Merchant Navy |
| Vice-Admiral Emile MUSELIER |
| Admiral Philippe AUBOYNEAU |
| No assignment: |
| Army General Georges CATROUX |
| Rear-Admiral Georges Thierry d'ARGENLIEU |
| Note:
Andre LABARTHE was fired from the Free French in September 1940 after it was discovered that he had phony diplomas and was not the scientist he claimed he was. The recent declassified American NSA files in the Venona project prove that he was a communist spy, who – together with his secretary – provided valuable military information (weapons, blue-prints, and troop movements) to the Russian Embassy in London for money. |
| The term Free French is only used by individuals or groups of individuals that joined General de GAULLE before 31 July 1943 inclusive. This to distinguish between those who joined de GAULLE in the early stages of the war and those who became "resistants" when the winds changed, i.e., after the landing of US troops in North Africa and after the end of the North African campaign in May 1943. |
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