There were actually very few in the French Resistance. In the mid-1960's there would be reunions of the French Resistance that attracted over 50,000 attendees --- all of whom claimed to be in the French Resistance. Friends of mine in RAF Bomber Command intelligence always referred to them ad the FUBC or French Underground Balloon Corps.

Most activities claimed by the French Resistance were actually the work of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) a super-secret guerilla force that operated in every country occupied by the Nazis. It is often referred to as the Baker Street Irregulars. The SOE activities in France were largely done by French Canadians. The SOE learned very early on that the French Resistance was so heavily infiltrated by the GESTAPO that they were worthless.

At first SOE operations in France were duds because the Nazis had infiltrated the Fremnch Resistance so badly that dozens of airdrops of supplies and agents and equipment fell into Nazi hands. Top stop this, virtually all cooperation with all but a handfull of cells in the French Resistance was stopped. Allied fliers in Britain were warned NOT to make contact with the French Resistance unless it was absolutely necessary because an estimated 80% of them were German sympathizers or turncoats.

People forget that all only about 5,000 men of the French Army came over to the allies. The remainder collaborated with the Nazis and their Vichy puppet government. It was French troops that opposed American and British landings in North Africa. It was the British who sunk the French fleet. The French police and military were so active in rounding up Jews and deporting them that at the end of the war there were more Jews alive in Berlin than in all of France.

I would like to read into this in more detail. Care to point me to some literature? I am not being facetious honestly. I read everything I can get my hands on concerning WW2 but must admit I don't know all that much about the inner workings of the FR.

Navyvet98 well said. Farewell to a true hero. RIP good Sir. You earned it!

Chris, good post. As always, you manage to provide useful and interesting material. Thanks.

Troy, try reading a book called "In search of the Maqui" by H.R. Kedward. I found it to be useful as it gave good insight into the Maqui and the people who joined the French resistance.

Okay, the book that I am recommending to the person who wants to learn more about WWII, which I also can't get enough of, is not about the French Resistance but it is about one couple's fight in Warsaw, Poland. It is a true story called, The Zoo Keeper's Wife. Sorry, I cannot recall the writer's name but you can google the title. You may also be interested in a series that is on the military channel. It is called World War II in Color. That series is great.

Troy 1101, I recommend "The Death of Jean Moulin, Biography of a Ghost," by Patrick Marnham. There's quite a bit in there abour Aubrac and it goes into great detail regarding the complexities and issues of the French Resistance. Unfortunately, a lot of it is not very pretty-- there was a lot of bloodshed and intra Resistance competition and fighting. It's sad that Jean Moulin didn't live to 97.

Anyone with a real interest should also read about the Free French in Africa

Note the Free French fought without a country, in the desert, with next to no supplies, and despised the Vichy French who surrendered to Germany. In fact, they refused to organize with them even after the Vichy started fighting for the allies. Patton admired the Free French so much he wanted them under his command for his push towards Berlin.

My respects also go to the German Officer that showed the humanity to allow the couple to get married, only to be betrayed. I suspect that he was executed by the Gestapo for his morals. One of the hundreds of thousands of Germans killed by the NAZIs.

Not all that were persecuted were Jews and my respects go out to all people of conscience that fought against the NAZIs.

Chris-749391. you are so full of it and you don't know what you talk about. I'll give you that you have a very fruitful imagination. with lots of acronyms.

I speak French fluently and was raised there part of my childhood. I speak Spanish too, though that is unrelated. I have relatives in France.

I met communist resistants live, who fed German officers to pigs to get rid of bodies and burned their clothes, so it never happened. Canadians have an accent (eh) that Germans ( or French collaborators) would undoubtedly have noticed and be suspicious of. there were also not that many Canadians living in France in those days out of 40 million folks

I talked to a man whose codename was Henry, he was a small stout guy passing out communist propaganda flier, which he could have been shot or deported to C camp for. He was a miner "force worker" status in the coal mines of the Valenciennes area( North), allowing him 2 and a half time food rationing tickets. Germans were guarding the coal and the mines carefully being that they used it for trains. He was 15 years old in 1943 when, and not alone, did his deeds against the Germans. Sabotage operations, murders ( Germans and French), info bla bla bla, anything worth messing with the Germans for with his associates, and according to his upper command. After the "Liberation", at age 17 Henry lied about his age and joined the French military and shipped out to Vietnam where he stayed until 1953 or 54 disgusted at time by the "Pacification" operation where some French soldiers where using or abusing the locals ( not paying them for human powered taxi fares etc.). Anyhow that's another subject. He had lots of "chocolate" medals ( as he called them) in two glass frames hanging on the wall (about 30 of them total).

Henry was a good man. kind-hearted and action oriented, no drinking required. I could tell you about a young 18 year old Red Cross nurse who helped British soldiers escape by giving them tools. and how the regular Wermacht soldiers where respectful of French civilians and how occupying German soldiers would get sent to the Eastern Russian front if would just intentionally step over produce fields and more......hundreds of hours of accounts which I delighted into listening.

The French Fleet sunk itself on the Mediterranean coast at Toulon to prevent falling into German hands I think the remnants of the Fleet might have been sunk at Marz el Kebir ( not certain anymore) by the British for the same reason and I do believe it involved the French resistance as well, at least for intel purpose. that city is in Algeria or Morocco or Tunisia. The British did razed down the city of Calais to prevent it being used as a launching pad to England by the Nazis.

Petain. Well, opinions diverge about him from being a collaborator to having protected teh French by making a deal with Hitler allowing the "Demarquation" Zone, roughly the southern half of France with no German troops where the resistance thrived and got organized. Foch, Joffre, and Petain were the only three "Marechals" supreme commander from the first world war who supervised the butchering of 1.5 million French soldiers, and maiming of 3.5 M French soldiers. Petain from his nature, role and experience would not have liked the Germans nor Hitler. The French and Germans have a strange love and hate relation. So well, use your imagination as far as compromising on issues. Being that he took the job of leading, he was ultimately held responsible, but he might not have been all that bad.

Anyhow, you must have red a propagandist book, or need to hate and vilify the French for whatever reason. but I sense that you don't know the French and you don't know what you are talking about. Your opinion is a disgrace to at least the good people I met, And some of my relatives.

I mean, look at all the people who collaborated with Bush and what it did to this country....focus on the present.

Yes. They will. Mortality is a bitch!

Well, now there are more, but it would seem everyone is over at the Zimmerman headlines killing each other off with their hatred and name calling and racist remarks, etc. Really shameful.

Daisy, your thank you to this wonderful and courageous man and his wife is heartwarming. I hope their children and grandchildren see our comments and it gives them a small sense of peace. They were loved.

We should also remember what France did for us during the revolutionary war.

Rich, the French only assisted us when they were absolutely sure that the colonists would win. The French suck.

Gosh, why would the French have bad feelings about Americans with such examples as doctorjim and swellsurfer to choose from?

doctor: In 1966, Charles DeGaulle asked that all american soldiers be removed from france. US Secretary of state reportedly responded with : does that include the dead americans in military cemetaries too? snopes.com

doctor jim, the French just want to be treated with respect. Americans often seem to think that everything revolves around the U.S. and I think the French just like to remind us that that isn't the case. When I went to France I just learned how to say "excusez-moi, parlez-vous anglais?" (excuse me, do you speak English) and I always made sure to say that when I started to speak to any French person. I never went up to a Frenchman and started talking to them in English. They'd give me this funny look and say "No." I'd bow respectfully and say "merci" and they could see I was respectful and had no attitude. And they'd start talking to me and be very friendly, one or two even treating me like an old friend.

the French only assisted us when they were absolutely sure that the colonists would win. The French suck.

@ SwellSurfer

Contrary to the mythologized version of history you've been spoon-fed, the rebels were poorly equipped and poorly trained. They knew it, General Washington knew it, the British knew it. We needed their help, but we had to PROVE that we could win it. The Battle of Trenton, and the charm of Mr. Benjamin Franklin secured their aid.

The French don't suck. If YOU were running the second most powerful colonial empire of the 1700's, YOU would want to make sure you weren't wasting money on some cause unless you knew that it could work.

That said, God rest Raymond Aubrac.

Thomas 81. Maybe that secretary of state is/was a smartass dumb arse. the French( except the proNazi ones) do appreciate America and her sacrifice during WW2 ( and WW1). the American cemeteries in Normandy are considered sacred ground as well as fully American soil. If any desecration of that property were the occur which I don't believe ever happened the French President would be on the horn pronto to get the best guys on the case. It truly is considered sacred. DeGaulle was a hero of the resistance and France and a nationalist who wanted to turn the page and get back to civilian society on homeland ground without remnants and reminder of war. he actually was called in by the French to preside the troubled country and gave Algeria back to Algerian( the Pro French Algeria movement actually riddled his presidential car with bullets in a failed assassination attempt). he was a nationalist, and not just for France. everybody stays home.

Thanks for your response to Chris above and for this respectful comment. I'm sad that there are so few on this board. I'm 42, so of a similar age, and I too, am very sad to see this amazing generation dying away. My grandparents, as yours, I'm sure, were amazing people who lived through both WWs and the Depression, only to see a son lost to Vietnam. I'm grateful for their struggles. If not for them, I wouldn't have the cushy life I do with the education they couldn't afford. Peace!

Troy I agree with you 100%! My wife frequently tells me I was born to the wrong generation due to my intense interest in WWII. I am in my late 50's and when I was growing up my heroes were those who sacrificed so much in WWII and Korea, including my father. I myself served 20 years in the U.S. Navy and served in Vietnam and the 1st Gulf War.

LOL It's okay, it's the thought that counts, at least that's what my mother tells me!!

Haven't thought of that movie in.......well, a long time!

I wonder where you pulled that bunny out of? some certainly, but "most"?

The truth is that the majority of French advocated handing the country to the Nazis (which they did) at the first sign of trouble. The trustworthy Germans hinted that they would not blow up Paris if they got everything they wanted. DeGaulle and the French Military and government packed up and ran. They did NO fighting at all. Yes, there were a handful of freedom fighters who stayed and did guerrilla warfare on the Nazis where they could. But, mostly the French contribution to WWII was to hide until it was over. Now they want our "trash" (graves of Americans who died fighting to free France) off their soil. History is clear, and WWII was heavily documented by all sides fighting. France is a renowned nation of cowards.

"first sign of trouble"? the French did what they did because that is all they could do. There was no choice but to have started a heavy war machine to rival the Nazi war machine in the early 1930s. you don't understand the two factors at play here: Z Germans as a people with supreme strength, intelligence, belligerence and resolve with a young nation's pride hurt by WW1 and the awesome large military they had cranked out to "rebuild" their economy and toys they had to use to amortize and get a return on. Certainly the French did the smart thing at the moment. any resistance would have been futile. also France after 1.5 million dead and 3.5 millions soldiers in WW1 had in their mind to not go that route again. Did America Ever incur this kind of casualty level in its history in 4 years? I didn't think so.

"our trash off their soil": you're way off, almost disrespectful yourself of your ancestors.

"France is a nation of cowards": why don't you go there and tell them yourself see what happens.

I got more stereotypes for you: the french stink, they don't bathe, they all are horny unfaithful faggots, they eat Freedom fries all day long, they are lazy, they are retarded, and more....

American soldiers did not just died to free France, they died to free Europe from the Nazis: had this not occurred America would be walking the goosestep as we talk.

you must be young, which is OK. but read a book please or better yet go find out abroad on your own.