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The Groupes Franc Motorisé de Cavalerie or GFC was a type of autonomous unit of the French Army created during the Nazi Invasion. Taking inspiration for their name from the Corps Francs which had played an important role in the Phoney War, they were a very early attempt to create truly independent Combined Arms Combat Teams. Although little more than Company sized, they had organic Armored, Artillery, and Infantry elements all rolled into one small and highly mobile force. They were created somewhat out of desperation in response to the rapid German advance into France and operated as independent strike forces with great latitude of movement. Although they were found to be quite effective, their existence died with the Third Republic.
Each Groupe Franc, composed of armor, artillery, and infantry, acted autonomously as a mini army unto itself within the zones to which they were assigned.[1] Most often, they fought on their own at the disposition of their assigned zone's combatant commander General. They were often utilized as a mobile reserve force and sent to wherever the fighting was worst.
Initially assigned to the defense of the riverSomme, GFC's 1, 2, 4, and 5 were eventually deployed to positions around Rouen from 6 June 1940 in anticipation of the coming battle there. Suffering extremely heavy casualties, they were used to guard the bridges across the Seine. The all-volunteer units refused to retreat from these positions until after they were effectively destroyed by larger German forces.
In the words of then 1st LieutenantRobert M Gueiroard (later Gerard), the executive officer or 5th GFC,
"The specific mission of our Groupe Franc was to fight a rear guard action, protecting the retreat of an infantry division. We were, in fact, a special anti-tank unit, charged with protecting the division from attacks by [German] armor. The Groupe Franc was a sort of "suicide unit" as illustrated by the fact that, of the 250 men 5th Groupe Franc [began the battle with], more than 100 were killed, 50 wounded, 80 taken prisoner, and only 17 returned."[2]
Order of battle (6 June 1940)
The five Groupes Francs Motorisés de Cavalerie (GFC) were rapidly created at the French Army's military motorcycle and scout car school (COMAM – Centre d'organisation de motocyclistes et automitrailleuses) in Montlhery starting on May 21, 1940, in response to the events in the Battle of Belgium. They consisted entirely of volunteers and became operational between June 3–6, 1940. On paper, each of the five groups were to have:
1 heavy machine gun platoon with 6 heavy machine guns, 6 GMC Trucks and 1 command car (48 men)
Formed May 26, 1940, operational June 3, 1940
249 Men (8 Officers, 241 NCOs and troopers). Around half of the soldiers in GFC no 5 came from the French Foreign Legion. About a quarter of the men had been active duty soldiers prior to the war, the other three quarters having been mobilized in the two years prior.
At the formation of the GFCs, Captains Huet and Ricaud were fresh from two weeks of combat in Belgium and the Pas de Calais, both at the head of a squadron of the 1st GRDI (Reconnaissance group of the 5th Motorized Infantry Division (5e DIM) commanded by Colonel Pierre Préaud. The 1st GRDI was disbanded on May 31, 1940, and a portion of its men and equipment helped form the 4th and 5th GFCs.
Jehan Alain (1911–1940) was a French composer and organist before the war. He volunteered to serve in the GFC and was posthumously awarded the Croix de Guerre for his bravery in making a solitary stand against an assaulting motorized platoon of German soldiers on June 20, 1940, during the Battle of Saumur. Armed with only his carbine, Alain killed 16 German soldiers before being overrun. He was buried, by the Germans, with full military honours.[4]
Influence
The heroic rear guard actions of the Groupes Franc Motorisé de Cavalerie had a lasting impact in the psyches of many Frenchmen in the resistance. The name "Groupes Franc" was carried on in the resistance where Groupes Franc (GF) were formed as autonomous mobile strike teams of resistance fighters. These later Resistance Groups Franc conducted many of the more audacious commandoraids in Occupied France. Among their more famous exploits was the Groupe Franc led by André Bollier's liberation of Berty Albrecht from imprisonment at the Vinatier Psychiatric Hospital in Bron on December 23, 1942. The Groupes Franc were also given the task of liberating Paul Reynaud, but he was moved to Germany before the plan could be acted upon.
