Colonne Fabien
| Colonne Fabien | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1944–45 |
| Country | France |
| Allegiance | Free French |
| Type | Irregular |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Pierre Georges |
The Colonne Fabien (Fabien Column) was an irregular force of mostly Communist volunteers that was formed in Alsace, France in September 1944 after the Liberation of Paris. It was led by Pierre Georges (1919–44), who took the alias Colonel Fabien. The column was absorbed by the French army in November 1944. Fabien and his volunteers are celebrated by the Communists, but for many years there was little official recognition of the force's actions.
Five days after the surrender of Dietrich von Choltitz, the German governor of Paris, Albert Ouzoulias ("Colonel André") of the national committee of Francs-Tireurs et Partisans (FTP) called a meeting at which Pierre Georges ("Colonel Fabien") was assigned the task of forming a battalion of resistance fighters. Colonel Fabien organized a Free French (FFI: Forces Françaises de l'Intérieur) column that left Paris soon after the uprising in that city early in September 1944. The column was to form the nucleus of a Free French force in Lorraine, which would be joined by volunteers from Paris and the eastern regions of France as soon as possible. The French state would have to accept the fait accompli of the Free French army fighting on the front, which would become a "great people's army".
The project was supported by the French Communist Party but not by the French military command, although the army did not use force to prevent it. Some FFI units from the Reuilly barracks and Fort de Bicêtre in Paris managed to join the column, despite lack of vehicles and obstacles created by the army. The force was called the Groupe Tactique Lorraine (GTL) and mostly consisted of FTP veterans led by Communist officers. The volunteers were aged 24.1 years on average, mostly from the working-class districts of the capital. 80% of the men and 53% of the officers were working class. A company led by Captain Neuville, commanded by Saint-Cyr cadets, was an exception.
Soldier committees were established, and publications of the Communist party distributed widely. The French authorities refused to provide any supplies, so the GTL was forced to resort to requisitions. Eventually Colonel Fabien managed to join up with General Edwin Walker's corps, and the GTL soldiers received canned food from the US army. The unit was assigned to clean-up operations and support in the rear of the 1st US Army and then the 3rd US Army. The first real battle test was on the Moselle front at Garche on 23 September and Gravelotte on 26–27 September. The troops had endured mortar fire without helmets, and suffered casualties that included Captain Neuville. They managed to recover American rifles from the dead, and gradually became fully armed. The losses forced a rigorous review of ranks, intensified military training and greater discipline.
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