French General Jean de Lattre served in the Vichy France Army. When the Americans landed in French Morocco Vichy forces resisted only briefly and the Germans decided to disarm the Vichy Army. The General was captured and held prisoner. To get from that to commanding American army units and managing the occupation of Stuttgart was a strange journey. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.
Here we have a French style stamp, denominated in Marks, but with the old style coat of arms of the Dutchy of Wurttemberg. After the War, Wurttemberg was to be in the American section of occupied Germany. In March 1945 however Hitler had ordered an end to resistance in the west in the hope that less of Germany would fall to the Russians, and the next thing you know, the French Army is in Stuttgart. After their quick defeat early in the war, it must have been satisfying for the French.
Todays stamp is issue OS6, a 20 Pfennig stamp issued by the French Occupation of Germany in 1945. It was a five stamp issue showing the coats of arms of areas of Germany under French occupation. They are in the style of French issues showing the coats of arms of French regions. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents.
Jean de Lattre was a junior General in the French Army when war broke out with Germany. He was given command of a division that held together during the short campaign. This was relative outperformance and de Lattre was offered a position in the now German ally Vichy French Army. His work mainly involved setting up troop training centers. When the Vichy resistance to American landings in Morocco was only token, the Germans decided to disband the Vichy army. De Lattre was arrested but after being released managed to escape to London. From there he went to Algiers and convinced Free French General De Gaulle to trust him with a command. The Free French Forces were mainly North African colonials and required much training.
A Free French force under de Lattre landed in southern France after D Day and met little resistance as it marched north along the Rhone River Valley. When it got to Strasberg resistance stiffened up. The Germans counterattacked with some strength from Colmar. With the French units mostly colonial and the nearby American units mainly then separate black manned units the Germans were again closing in on Strassberg. To keep hold of it, several American units were shifted into the French region and very unusually put under the command of French General de Lattre. By February 1945 the Germans had been beaten back. With the end of German resistance soon after, the French could then march into Wurttemberg occupying Stuttgart in April 1945. The Allies had agreed to how Germany was to be divided and by July 1945 Americans replaced French in Wurttemberg.
General de Lattre was later sent to Vietnam to lead the fight to maintain French presence there. He scored a few victories but lost his son in one of the battles and soon like at Strassberg, he was requesting American help to hold on. This time American help was supplies but no troops. De Lattre was soon recalled to France as he was dying of cancer. At his funeral, the French President named him a Marshal of France.
Well my drink is empty and I will pour another to toast short occupations. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting