MESSAGE TO THE FRENCH

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 40, 16 August 1944, Page 5

MESSAGE TO THE FRENCH

QuicK End to Struggle

Rec. 9 a.m. LONDON, August 15! General Maitland Wilson, Com-mander-m-Chief in the Mediterranean, issued the" following proclamation* this morning to the French population: "Armies of the United Nations have landed in southern France. Their objective is to drive out the Germans and join up with the Allied armies advancing from Normandy. French forces are participating in these operations,- at the side of their Allied brothers-in-arms, by sea, land; and air. The army of France is again fighting on its own soil for the liberation of its country. Remember ■ 1918! "All Frenchmen, civilians as well as military, have a part to play in % the campaign in the south. Your duty will be made clear to you. Listen to the Allied radio, read notices and leaflets, and pass oh all instructions from one man and woman to another. "Let us end the struggle as quickly as possible, so that all France may again resume her free life. Victory is certain. Long live the spirit of France and all that it stands for."

that there seems to be some confusion over the number of airborne troops landed in southern France. The total earlier in the day was estimated at 14,000, but the figure possibly refers to the total who were airborne during the operation, including air combat crews. FULL AIR FORCE WEIGHT. Reuters correspondent at Allied headquarters in Italy says that the full weight of the great Mediterranean Allied Air Force was thrown into the assault to help to blast a way inland for the invasion troops. An hour before the airborne troops landed ton after ton of bombs cascaded against the beach defences to knock out or render ineffective, any invasion obstacles which had survived the past fortnight's plastering. Heavy bombers and tactical planes in semi-darkness dropped a huge load against gun positions, strong-points, coast defences, troop concentrations, supply dumps, and obstacles, while further inland airfields and lines of communication were repeatedly attacked.

Mr. Churchill visited the British troops just before they left for the invasion. It is revealed that the purpose of his visit to Italy was to confer with the military commanders and see the troops.