FRENCH ARMY COMES HOME AGAIN

Grey River Argus, 16 August 1944, Page 5

FRENCH ARMY COMES HOME AGAIN

ARMOURED FORCE GETS MOVING .WELCOME [Aus. & N.Z. Press As-'nß (Rec. 7.50) LONDON, Aug. 15. “There have been few homecomings in history like this one,” says a British United Press correspondent, in describing the arrival of the French armoured division in Franco, “The soldiers came ashore laughing, shouting and crying without shame. Some of them were so anxious that they jumped overboard and swam to the beach. Other soldiers knelt quietly on the shore, offering a silent prayer. The new arrival of the French Army spread like wildfire, .and at each town, village, and crossroad French people watched, unbelievingly, a sight they had never expected to see—the return of their own army to fight for them. Emotions varied as they stood listening to the distant rumble of the approaching convoy. As the motorcycle escorts roared into view, many in the assemblages stood mute, like people .afraid that it all was a dream. But others screamed and yelled and showered the troops with flowers. Portraits of General de Gaulle were posted on some tanks, and brought roars of “Vive de Gaulle! Vive la France!” Mothers held babies high over their heads, and even waved their bewildered infants at the troops. Many had stood for hours waiting for the convoy to pass, and they stood for hours more with undiminished enthusiasm until the last of hundreds of armoured vehicles had gone. The British and the American troops, at first, tried to maintain some military bearing, but their emotions were too much for them. Tears trickled down their, dirty faces, and they shouted and waved with the civilians.”

French Armoured Divisions

WITH AMERICANS LONDON, Aug. 14 _ The 2nd French Armoured Division, under the command of General Leclerc, is now fighting in France This is the first announcement that troops of this kind are being used. _ The 2nd French Armoured Division, which is fighting alongside the Americans, was formed in North Africa soon after the final liberation of Tunisia in May 1943. It was made up largely of men who participated in the expedition across Fezzan and the Libyan Desert from Fort Lamy in the Chad territory to Tripoli and then fought on beside the British Sth Army to Tunis. The division, after re-equipment in North Africa, underwent training which was completed in England. ' Many now forming the division are ypung Frenchmen who completed their military training in a .Free French camp in England in 1940 soon after the French armistice and who are now war-tempered troops who have already won legendary fame as the “Leclerc Column.” Leclerc’s forces on January 23, 1943, stormed Rommel’s garrison at Misd.al and on January 25 entered Tripoli. They fought in Tunisia under Montgomery’s command. Leclerc’s motorised columns entered Gabes beside the New Zealanders, and had a great welcome in Tunis.

Latest Official Review GAP CLOSING FURTHER. MANY ADVANCES. (Rec. 12.50.) LONDON, August 15. Tuesday's S.H.A.E.F. communique says: Advances were made on Monday bn both sides of the Falaise-Argentan gap. Allied troops, attacking towards Falaise from the north, quickly gained their first objectives, and, having crossed the Laison River, are now firmly established within seven hundred yards of the town. “On the other side of the gap the thrust northwards from Le Mans and Alencon reached the vicinity of Argentan. Pockets of resistance were left behind in this advance. They are being mopped up in the rear of Alencon.

“Advances were made inside the Normandy pocket, Between the Laize and the Orne Rivers an advance of some five thousand yards brought our forward elements to the vicinity of the village of Bonnoeil. (eight miles west-north-west of Falaise). “In the Orne Valley, the enemy was cleared from Thury-Harcourt. We captured the village of Proussy (two miles north of Conde), and are approaching Saint Denise de Mere (two miles north-east of Conde). “Further west, Allied troops advanced to within a mile of Vassy, and south-east of Vire an advance of a mile brought 'us to about a mile from Tinchebray. “Other units, advancing south of Vire, are moving along the GathemoTinchebray road against moderate resistance “Our ’ troops, pushing eastward from Mortain, have reached Ger. “Along the southern boundary of the pocket, our columns, moving from the Barentot area, are approaching Comfront. Our units which reached Ranes are encountering increasing resistance. “In Brittany fighting is still progressing in Saint Malo. There tne situation remains unchanged. At Dinard wei made an advance towaras the port. There is nothing new to report at Brest and L’orient.

Germans Staying On

INSIDE

NO RUSH THROUGH GAP.

(Rec. 1.0.) LONDON, August 15. The pocket from which the German Seventh' Army is trying to escape through the ever-narrowing FalaiseArgentan gap is shrinking under constant southerly pressure along tne whole British and Canadian from. Easterly advances from what is known as the Vire-Mortain sector are squeezing the Germans into smaller bags. Canadians are still pressing on to Falaise. They are about lour miles , from the city on a two-miles front. There has been an advance from Thury-Harcourt southward towards Conde, and eastwards from Mortain towards Tinchebray, from which British forces now are only one mile, and to Domfronte, which is held by the Americans. There is considerable enemy road movement inside the pocket eastwards of the VireMortain sector towards wooded and enclosed country between Conde ana Falaise and Argentan There, the Germans possibly hope to adjust then position for a better defence. The Germans do not give the impression of a routed army pouring from a pocket. Indeed our air reconnaissance has revealed little movement actually from the pocket, and Domfronte to Falanse is thirty-five Ss Allied Air Forces are constantly seeking targets in this area, i hey again had excellent weather on Mondfy for the task of smashing Germnn tanks and transport. Allied Air Forces flew six thoqsqnd offensive sorties on Monday.