De Gaulle —the Fighter

Hutt News, Volume 16, Issue 38, 17 March 1943, Page 4

De Gaulle —the Fighter

-s£ s Tito following summary of Genenil Do Gaulle's life, taken from "Illustrated" and written by Dennis ■Hcanlan, lias been forwarded to us by a correspondent who hopes it may prove of much interest to many of our readers. Charles Andre Joseph Marie De j Gaulle was born on November 22, 1 S9l> at Lille. He had three brothers and one sister. The De Gaulle children bad a huge collection of tin soldiers and Charles always insisted ■on commanding the "tin army," consequently winning all battles, lirill'ant at school he passed his examination for St. Cyr a year early and had to wait for his entry. Madame Do Gaulle is quite unassuming and give:> an impression of deep sincerity in all her thoughts and action. She s:eems so quiet that it is difficult to believe that she got hersell and her children on the last .British transport leaving Brest just because she felt in her heart (hat her hus'band, then in London, would nevei agree to the Armistice. She brought her three children-- Philippe aged J 5). Elizabeth 17, and Anne 1U — with her after driving them in a baby car ;to the docks ,at Brest. When General De Gaulle is in London the family occupy a modest appartment and during her husband's absence she goes to a farm house in ilie country accompanied by her 'youngest daughter. Philippe if training at the Fighting French Naval College to become an officer and Elizabeth is at the boarding school. De Gaulle started in the last war as a lieutenant and was wounded while leading his men in a counter attack on the citadel of Dinant, was awarded the Legion of Honour and promoted captain at 24. After being mentioned in dispatches five times, he was wounded for the third time at Douaumont Fort where lie was picked up on the field by the Germans and made prisoner. Five times he tried to escape, once by climbing down the 100 ft vertical wall of a medieval fortress. Another time he was carried out of a prison camp by the German guards in a huge basket of dirty linen. He never escaped however, but never gave up trying. Returned to France after the war. he fought in Poland where he gained two Polish decorations. He then became a professor at St. Cyr Military Academy, then passed to the French General Staff. At the outbreak of the present war he commanded a tank regiment, having made a name for himself as a tank expert by his famous book forecasting mechanised warfare, publish ed in 1934. General de Gaulle was very little known to the French public before the Armistice for, though his reputation was high in Army circles, he had deliberately refrained from any participation in political life and intrigues. It will be noticed that General de Gaulle does not wear any decorations. It is believed that he ceased to wear .any medal ribbons after Vichy had awarded thousands of decorations to men who had surrendered, and that the General has said that he will not re-wear them until France is freed. He shines as an extempore speaker. He speaks clearly, fluently, marshalling his facts as though he were reading from a script, yet never refers to a note. His men and staff respect him as no French leader has been respected for years, not only for his ability but also for his absolute honesty. The one thing he will never forgive is the slightest deviation by any member of his staff from the strict code he lays down for himself. This attitude of mind is probably strengthened by the bitter memories he must have of the rottenness of prewar French politics, and he has determined that nothing of the sort shall grow up in his own organization. Some of his troops are African natives and he is looked on by them as a sort of savage deity. A tribal legend has grown up to account for his existence. It runs: "De Gaulle was a corporal; he was dead. He had been dead for five years. In his grave he heard that a German corporal had taken Paris. Pie leapt from his grave, shouting: "I am a general uoav, and I'll show you some thing." lie has. and may he have every success iu showing us more.