7. Free French Forces
Rather than a defunct country, the dead flag above was that used by members of a nation whose state was occupied by a foreign power. Free French has been used to refer to any French individual or group that fought against the Nazis and their allies after the armistice of June 1940. However, if one was to be pedantic it properly only refers to those who were part of the Free French Forces (FFF) organised by Charles de Gaulle between 1940 and the creation of the French Committee of National Liberation in 1943. De Gaulle found himself in the UK when the surrender of France to Germany was negotiated and took to the radio to submit a plea to French soldiers, sailors and airmen to join him in fighting the Nazis. This act led to de Gaulle being tried in absentia and sentenced to death for treason. The FFF were mostly drawn from France’s colonies with two thirds being conscripts from West Africa. The FFF chose the Cross of Lorraine as their counterpoint to the Nazi swastika.
