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 __NOTOC__ The French Liberation Army (french: Armée française de la Libération or AFL) was the reunified French Army that arose from the merging of the Armée d'Afrique with the prior Free French Forces (french: Forces françaises libres, l ...

(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 vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, renowned for having fought the

Battle of Bir Hakeim The Battle of Bir Hakeim () took place at Bir Hakeim, an oasis in the Libyan desert south and west of Tobruk, during the Battle of Gazala (26 May – 21 June 1942). The 1st Free French Brigade under Marie-Pierre Kœnig defended the position from ...

. Consisting of troops from mainland France and from the then French colonial empire, the division was formed by the first units to rally to

de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Governm ...

after the fall of France. 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 Afri ...

, 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 ) and veteran foreign regiments (french: Anciens régiment étranger, link=no) of the Legion, in case of the CEPs, BEPs & REPs, the context reference is referring to the paratrooper veterans (french: Anciens legionnaires parachutistes, link=no) a ...

, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel

Raoul Magrin-Vernerey Raoul Charles Magrin-Vernerey, also known as Ralph Monclar (born 7 February 1892, died 3 June 1964) was a French officer and 2nd Inspector of the Foreign Legion who fought in World War I, World War II within the ranks of the Free French Force ...

, and 60

Chasseurs Alpins The ''chasseurs alpins'' ( en, Alpine Rangers) are the elite mountain infantry force of the French Army. They are trained to operate in mountainous terrain and in urban warfare. History France created its own mountain corps in the late 19th ...

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 ge ...

, led by Captain

Jean Lorotte de Banes Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * J ...

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 agree ...

. 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 The 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment (french: 6e Régiment Étranger d'Infanterie, 6e REI) was an infantry regiment of the Foreign Legion in the French Army from 1939 to 1941 and again from 1949 to 1955. History, creations and different nomin ...

(6^e REI), sailors of the French Naval Squadron

Force X The Force X was a squadron of the French Navy, assembled on 29 April 1940, after the outbreak of the Second World War, to deter Italy from striking in the Levantine Sea. It was constituted of the old battleship ''Lorraine'', of the three modern hea ...

, and a squadron of Moroccan Spahis of the 1st Spahi Regiment, commanded by Captain

Paul Jourdier Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...

. 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 (r ...

, commanded by Captain

Jean-Claude Laurent-Champrosay Jean-Claude is a French masculine given name. Notable people with the name include: * Jean-Claude Ades, an Italian electronic music producer * Jean-Claude Alibert (died 2020), a French racing driver * Jean-Claude Amiot (born 1939), a French compose ...

, passed from the

French Upper Volta Upper Volta (french: Haute-Volta) was a colony of French West Africa established in 1919 in the territory occupied by present-day Burkina Faso. It was formed from territories that had been part of the colonies of Upper Senegal and Niger and th ...

to the

British Cameroons British Cameroon or the British Cameroons was a British mandate territory in British West Africa, formed of the Northern Cameroons and Southern Cameroons. Today, the Northern Cameroons forms parts of the Borno, Adamawa and Taraba states of ...

, 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 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, educational and po ...

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 The Battle of Dakar, also known as Operation Menace, was an unsuccessful attempt in September 1940 by the Allies to capture the strategic port of Dakar in French West Africa (modern-day Senegal). It was hoped that the success of the operation cou ...

, before being directed, in October 1940, to

Douala Douala is the largest city in Cameroon and its economic capital. It is also the capital of Cameroon's Littoral Region. Home to Central Africa's largest port and its major international airport, Douala International Airport (DLA), it is the com ...

in the

French Cameroons French Cameroon or French Cameroons (french: link=no, Cameroun) was a French colonial empire, French League of Nations Mandate, mandate territory in Central Africa. It now forms part of the independent country of Cameroon. History Beginnings ...

. In November 1940, the unit participated in the

Battle of Gabon The Battle of Gabon (French: ''Bataille du Gabon''), also called the Gabon Campaign (''Campagne du Gabon''), occurred in November 1940 during World War II. The battle resulted in forces under the orders of General de Gaulle taking the colony ...

, 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 Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

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 Suakin or Sawakin ( ar, سواكن, Sawákin, Beja: ''Oosook'') is a port city in northeastern Sudan, on the west coast of the Red Sea. It was formerly the region's chief port, but is now secondary to Port Sudan, about north. Suakin used to b ...

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 French Equatorial Africa (french: link=no, Afrique-Équatoriale française), or the AEF, was the federation of French colonial possessions in Equatorial Africa, extending northwards from the Congo River into the Sahel, and comprising what are ...

, the latter going from Brazzaville to

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 Ubangi ...

N'Djamena N'Djamena ( ) is the capital and largest city of Chad. It is also a special statute region, divided into 10 districts or ''arrondissements''. The city serves as the centre of economic activity in Chad. Meat, fish and cotton processing are the c ...

, 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 th ...

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

Syria–Lebanon Campaign The Syria–Lebanon campaign, also known as Operation Exporter, was the Allied invasion of Syria and Lebanon (then controlled by Vichy France) in June and July 1941, during the Second World War. The French had ceded autonomy to Syria in Septemb ...

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 on 21 June 1941, then continued to Homs, Aleppo,

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 city, capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, List of ...

, 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

from 26 May – 11 June 1942, then in the

Second Battle of El Alamein The Second Battle of El Alamein (23 October – 11 November 1942) was a battle of the Second World War that took place near the Egyptian railway halt of El Alamein. The First Battle of El Alamein and the Battle of Alam el Halfa had prevented th ...

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 Edgard de Larminat (29 November 1895 – 1 July 1962) was a French general, who fought in two World Wars. He was one of the most important military figures who rejoined the renegade Free French forces under the British in 1940. He was awarded ...

and participate in the

Tunisian Campaign The Tunisian campaign (also known as the Battle of Tunisia) was a series of battles that took place in Tunisia during the North African campaign of the Second World War, between Axis and Allied forces from 17 November 1942 to 13 May 1943. Th ...

. 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 Henri Honoré Giraud (18 January 1879 – 11 March 1949) was a French general and a leader of the Free French Forces during the Second World War until he was forced to retire in 1944. Born to an Alsatian family in Paris, Giraud graduated from ...

. 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 There have been several French Expeditionary Corps (French ''Corps expéditionnaire'' 'français'': * Expeditionary Corps of the Orient 'Corps expéditionnaire d'Orient'', CEO(1915), during World War I * Expeditionary Corps of the Dardanelles 'Co ...

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 Diego is a Spanish masculine given name. The Portuguese equivalent is Diogo. The name also has several patronymic derivations, listed below. The etymology of Diego is disputed, with two major origin hypotheses: ''Tiago'' and ''Didacus''. E ...

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.

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, third-largest city and Urban area (France), second-largest metropolitan area of F ...

was reached on 3 September. In autumn 1944, the

French Forces of the Interior The French Forces of the Interior (french: Forces françaises de l'Intérieur) were French resistance fighters in the later stages of World War II. Charles de Gaulle used it as a formal name for the resistance fighters. The change in designation ...

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 fo ...

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 single ...

where it faced

Operation Nordwind Operation Northwind (german: Unternehmen Nordwind) was the last major Nazi Germany, German offensive of World War II on the Western Front (World War II), Western Front. Northwind was launched to support the German Ardennes offensive campaign in ...

, 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 Tende (; Italian, Occitan and Royasc: ''Tenda'') is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. Geography Tende is located within Mercantour National Park in the French Alps. The mountainous commune is bordered b ...

and

La Brigue La Brigue (; lij, Briga; oc, La Briga; it, Briga Marittima) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. La Brigue became part of France after World War II, when Italy was forced to hand it over in September 1947 ...

. When it was about to march on

Turin Turin ( , 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 from 1861 to 1865. The ...

the German Army in Italy surrendered on 2 May 1945.

Composition

Infantry

1^re Brigade

*1st battalion of the

, 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 Africa ...

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 * 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 The ''Médaille militaire'' ( en, Military Medal) is a military decoration of the French Republic for other ranks for meritorious service and acts of bravery in action against an enemy force. It is the third highest award of the French Republic, ...

and Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (4–5 citations at the orders of the armed forces) **

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

* 15 April 1941 – 21 August 1941: General Paul Legentilhomme * January 1943 – 16 May 1943: General

* 1943: General

Marie-Pierre Kœnig Marie Joseph Pierre François Kœnig or Koenig (10 October 1898 – 2 September 1970) was a French general during World War II during which he commanded a Free French Brigade at the Battle of Bir Hakeim in North Africa in 1942. He started a pol ...

* 1 August 1943: General

* 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 The Mémorial de la France combattante (Memorial to Fighting France) is the most important memorial to French fighters of World War II (1939–1945). It is situated below Fort Mont-Valérien in Suresnes, in the western suburbs of Paris. It commem ...

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, ...

, ''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, ''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 Grandes Unités Françaises (full title: ''Guerre 1939-1945 Les Grandes Unités Françaises'') is a monumental six-volume (the fifth volume is actually composed of four separate works) World War II order of battle and military unit history referenc ...

(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