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Concept
Armée secrète
Summary
The armée secrète was a French military organization active during World War II. The collective grouped the paramilitary formations of the three most important Gaullist resistance movements in the southern zone.
In mid-1942, in the R1 Region, the three major Gaullist movements (Combat, Libération-sud and the Franc-Tireurs) wanted to coordinate the military units at their disposal to make them more effective. Henri Frenay, leader of Combat, claimed command of the new structure, but faced opposition from Emmanuel d'Astier de La Vigerie, leader of Liberation-Sud and Jean-Pierre Levy, head of the Franc-Tireurs. Jean Moulin insisted that the post should go to someone who with no affiliation to one of these groups, so Frenay proposed Charles Delestraint, a general recalled from his retirement during the Battle of France, who admired General Charles de Gaulle and detested Vichy. He was the only general officer who had been promoted despite that defeat; the proposal was unanimously accepted.
Jean Moulin and General Delestraint first met on 28 August 1942 in Lyon. At the end of the interview, Jean Moulin ordered the three regional chiefs of the paramilitary formations of the great movements made available to Delestraint, for him to choose the best suited to the regional direction of the Secret Army. To this position, eminently clandestine and dangerous, the general named Captain Claudius Billon. As early as September, Billon appointed each of the AS departmental heads for R1, with the exception of the AS chief for Ain, named by Delestraint himself.
In October, Delestraint was appointed (officially) by General de Gaulle. General de Lattre had also been approached for this post, but had refused. Delestraint took command on 11 November 1942. His secretary was François-Yves Guillin; the head of the 2nd AS office was Joseph Gastaldo. André Lassagne was the deputy of Gastaldo, before becoming Delestraint, and the information was entrusted to Albert Lacaze (4th office). Its chief of staff was François Morin-Forestier, from Combat, staff in which is also integrated Raymond Aubrac.
Official source
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