French movie

[Dave]

about WW11 tells story of Arabs, in Morroco and other colonies, recruited by the French in WW11 to "save the Mother Land". The French treated them as cannon fodder and worse. Much like Blacks in US Service during this period but much worse. The rifles they carried were German, US (1917's and at least one M1),varity of French models and Brit Enfields. Not to mention a Thompson and another machine pistol I could not identify, plus a P-38 pistol. Now as usual this was "based on a true story" so I do not know if all these rifles were really issued or if it was just all the movie people could come up with. What a ammo supply problem that would be, altho they never seemed to be short. Some did take ammo from dead Germans, tho. But ammo supply was never mentioned in the movie!

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[Bill Hollinger]

I bet they used even more unconventional weapons then those you listed. Look at what some of the resistance fighters were using. Look at what is being found on resistance fighters in Iraq and in the Stan?

[TomSudz]

I bet they used even more unconventional weapons then those you listed. Look at what some of the resistance fighters were using. Look at what is being found on resistance fighters in Iraq and in the Stan?

Wait. NO YOU DIDN'T! RESISTANCE FIGHTERS? You really equate those animals to the people in occupied Europe in WWII? Really?

And what unconventional weapons are being found in Iraq? AK's are unconventional? RPG's? That's what's being found there. Afghanistan is a bit different, yes. They have some weapons that have been around a long time, but even there the majority is Warsaw Pact.

Resistance Fighters! Sheesh! Seriously?

[cmbtinfantry]

I won't go into what I would call them, resistance fighters is not one of those terms though. That was one of the things that made the stan fun was all the different weapons. Every com bloc weapon ever made, old British, and even a few odds. Best capture I ever made was a beautiful Mk4T that was kept imaculate by the user. Couldn't keep it as it was evidence. Most tragic loss was an MP44 that we captured and wound up going to the demo pile.

[JB White]

I wouldn't go too hard on Bill, although I wouldn't call them resistance fighters either because it's our guys they are "resisting".

Here in the west we tend to use that term for people on our side. I'm sure the Germans had some pretty nasty terms for 'French resistance fighters' back in the 40's.

When Palestine was being attacked from within, the Jews were "resistance fighters". Once Israel was founded on the Palestinian homeland, the Palestinians were "Terrorists". It all depends on what side of the line you stand on.

[Dave]

Very true JB. Resist means resist, it should not have a good or bad meaning impiled.

[brokenhand]

The movie was titled "Days of Glory". The French were mostly armed with MAS 36's. The French did treat them very badly. I think the French Gov. were so ashamed by this, thet reinstated their benefits
Jim

[Dave]

"the French did not treat them very badly"? When fresh tomatos (for instance) were available they could not have any, until they almost revolted. They blocked all letters between French women and the Arab men they met. They did not treat them very good, the one professional soldier of the group, a sergent, was passing as a Spanard, going by the name of Martinez, and he was buried under a Christian cross. And they got no press mention when they had a victory, only that the "French Army" won a great victory, technically true I guess. One of the men had a partially crippeled arm, should not even been accepted for service.

[John Sukey (Deceased)]

apparently the arabs have gotten their revenge with the annual burning of the cars in Paris!

I am waiting for them to replace the Tricolour on the Eiffel tower with a green flag! Given the birth ratre of muslims living in France compared to the native french, that may not be a joke.

[Mk VII]

Days of Glory (the French title was Indigénes). The 'Green Book', Rearming The French shows that they did resort to battlefield salvage of German weapons in North Africa, as well as older Berthier pattern rifles and a mix of British and American arms

The first small arms which the French obtained from Allied sources consisted, it will be recalled, of the 8,000 rifles assigned in November 1942 and delivered to them from the United Kingdom in Mid-January 1943. These were .30-caliber M1917 (Enfield) rifles. At the time, French units engaged in Tunisia were equipped with small arms of all descriptions and calibers, particularly of French manufacture, such as the 8-mm. level spring loading rifle (Lebel), and the 8-mm. model 1912-16 mousqueton or carbine. One unit, the 1st Free French Division (later renamed the 1st DMI), was using .303-inch rifles of British manufacture. Meanwhile, training centers and Sovereignty forces charged with the defense of the territory were using, in addition to arms of French manufacture, some 19,000 German rifles of the Mauser and Herstal models, both 7.92-mm., and a number of Italian rifles generally in poor condition, all of which had been collected on battlefields in Tunisia. In May 1943, with more American rifles reaching North African ports, French authorities turned the remaining stocks of French manufacture over to non program units (Moroccan tabors, Commandos, Spahis, and the like