Many times forgotten by history, French Sailor Riflemen were present on D-Day, 6th June 1944. They were 177 to represent France’s army on the Normandy beaches. Their story illustrates a tiny piece of what D-Day was: a mix of nationalities and years of preparation for the most ambitious amphibious warfare.
Landing on Sword Beach on 6th June 1944, the 1st Bataillon de Fusiliers Marins Commandos (BFMC) were the first to touch the sand, a symbol for these French men in exile. This act was significant for the sailor riflemen, who had been preparing to fight since 1942.
The only French commandos to participate in D-Day landed off the Landing Craft Infantry No. 523, as “Troop 1” at the extreme east of Sword Beach. For ten hours straight, the sailor riflemen tried to secure Colleville-sur-Orne and Bénouville alongside British forces. Passing by the Riva Bella, the ex-casino, the French commandos lost 25% of their ranks by the end of the day. Until 27th August, the 1st BFMC held their positions in Amfreville, making their mission a huge succes.
Maurice Chauvet, a french veteran remembers
He was a precious witness to this event. Maurice Chauvet was only 26 years old and was a Quartermaster of the 1st BFMC. Green beret on his head, he was one of the French in position during Operation Neptune.
Like every soldier deployed on the Normandy beaches, Maurice Chauvet had no idea where they were heading. Only a few Frenchmen may have recognized the beaches and the harbor from the map they have been given, as they originated from the region. Maurice remembers walking toward his target beach, water up to his waist under enemy fire. Surrounded by British soldiers, some of them made it to the rally point and witnessed the French population coming to them, relieved at what started to look like liberation.
Like many who had joined the 1st BFMC, Maurice Chauvet was fighting in the early hours of 1940 and decided, after the defeat, to continue fighting from London later on being a prisoner in Spain. He was also part of a family of seafarers and soldiers, which led him to his D-Day journey. Engaged in 1943 into the Free French Naval Forces, Maurice Chauvet had the chance to witness the creation of the BFMC.
©Memorial of Caen
French commandos trained by the British
This story is not just French; it is also an Allied story and, moreover, an illustration of the friendship between the United Kingdom and France. It all began in 1940 after the French defeat, when a great number of Frenchmen mainly reached the United Kingdom to continue the fight. By the end of 1943, approximately 60,000 Frenchmen constituted the Free French Forces (FFL in French). Organized by the well known General de Gaulle, the fight for France’s liberation had many faces, including maritime exercises. That’s how, in 1942, the 1st BFMC was created under the command of Officer Kieffer. He was the first to understand the capacities of commandos following the massive success of Operation Claymore in 1941, held by Norwegian commandos. Kieffer first trained with Spanish-speaking men in the Royal Marines before submitting the idea of a french commandos to the British headquarters. Eventually, Winston Churchill and General de Gaulle validated the creation of the French commandos and integrated them into the inter-Allied army for combined operations.
Benjamin Massieu described the commandos in his book Philippe Kieffer: Chef des commandos de la France libre (Paris) as trained to be “disciplined, versatile, supportive and with exceptional physical and mental capabilities.” In Scotland and Wales, the commandos were trained in many places to be ready for action. In August 1942, fifteen of them participated in the Dieppe Raid, a landing operation to prepare for what would happen on 6th June 1944.
Nowadays, Kieffer’s name is used for a marine commando unit created in 2008 and a military marine preparation center. The 1st BFMC and Officer Kieffer left their mark on the Marine Nationale by writing history. Even though their story was forgotten for many years, their memory has gained more attention by being represented during the 6th June D-Day commemoration.
