BBC researchers have unearthed documents that reveal British and American commanders took steps to ensure that the liberation of Paris on August 25th 1944 was a "whites only" affair. A disturbing irony when you consider that the fight against Nazism included a fight against the vicious racism it promoted.
BBC:
...the BBC's Document programme has seen evidence that black colonial soldiers - who made up around two-thirds of Free French forces - were deliberately removed from the unit that led the Allied advance into the French capital.
Leader of the Free French Forces, Charles de Gaulle, was adamant that his Frenchmen lead the liberation of Paris. High Allied Command agreed, but on the understanding that De Gaulle's division contain no black soldiers.
By the time France fell in 1940, some 17,000 of its West African troops - mainly Tirailleurs Senegalais - had given their lives in defense of the Republic. In 1944 with the Allied move on Paris they had a chance to take their revenge, but the opportunity was never given to them due to the priorities of the Allied Command.
Documents that contain correspondence from British General Frederick Morgan to the Allied Supreme Command includes the following:
"It is unfortunate that the only French formation that is 100% white is an armoured division in Morocco.
"Every other French division is only about 40% white. I have told Colonel de Chevene that his chances of getting what he wants will be vastly improved if he can produce a white infantry division."
It proved to be difficult to come up with an all-white division. West African conscripts made up a large part of the French army.
Allied Command insisted that blacks be removed and replaced with white soldiers from other units. Even then there weren't enough whites to fill the gaps, so less obviously black soldiers who hailed from the Middle east and N. Africa were selected to stand-in.
BBC:
In the end, nearly everyone was happy. De Gaulle got his wish to have a French division lead the liberation of Paris, even though the shortage of white troops meant that many of his men were actually Spanish.
The British and Americans got their "Whites Only" Liberation even though many of the troops involved were North African or Syrian.
The French treatment of their West African Tirailleurs Senegalais was extremely poor. These brave African fighters made up 65% of Free French forces, yet they received little recognition for their sacrifice. Many were simply stripped of their uniforms and sent home. As BBC notes matters were made worse when in 1959 their pensions were cut.
The BBC report gives the last word to a French colonial soldier, Issa Cisse, from Senegal:
"We were colonised by the French. We were forced to go to war. Forced to follow the orders that said, do this, do that, and we did. France has not been grateful. Not at all."
Some scenes from the liberation of Paris victory celebrations:
Photos by Frank and Joe Scherschel: Life Magazine source
