Battledress, Sgt. Jean Greuzard, a.k.a. 'Burca', FFF, Proust Plan (Sussex Plan), France, August 1944, Overlord
€7,495.00
Tax included
Extremely rare genuine WWII British battledress blouse, 1940 Pattern, which belonged to some paratrooper of the Free French Forces.
Manufactured by J. Compton, Sons & Webb, Ltd. in London, England. Size No. 9.
The present jacket retains the following insignia: Free French Forces 'jump wings' above the right breast pocket, 'Polish' paratroops insignia on the left sleeve, and France nationality title on both shoulders; each original shoulder strap button has been replaced with a brass Armée de l'Air button.
Inscription Sgt Greuzard is clearly visible on the label located inside.
Complete and in very good overall condition despite some minor moth damage. Initial O inked above the War Department reception stamp corresponds to the year 1942.
Jean, Eugène Greuzard, known as 'Burca' and a.k.a. 'Jean Maillet', was born on May 9, 1916 in Paris, France and volunteered in the Free French Forces on October 3, 1940 in Palestine. He went on to serve with the Bataillon d'Infanterie de Marine (Naval Infantry Battalion) prior to transferring to the Free French Air Forces on June 23, 1943 (ASN 35821). He married Elizabeth Katherine Stephens on May 6, 1944 in London, Britain.
He was awarded his 'jump wings' and posted to 1er Bataillon d'Infanterie de l'Air (1st Air Infantry Battalion), yet soon joined the Proust Plan -- an auxiliary program to the wider Sussex Plan, in which the British services did not participate -- and parachuted into France on August 15, 1944 in the vicinity of Montluçon, Allier (codename 'Mathilde') along with radio operator Michel Walon, a.k.a. 'Michel Watteau' (codename 'Villeparisis'), on the occasion of Mission 'Jument & Maréchal'. He later participated in the liberation of Clermont-Ferrand.
Initiated by the OSS, the Proust Plan aimed at expanding the number of special intelligence teams deployed in German-occupied France ahead of the Allied landings -- see Dominique Soulier's book, Le Plan Sussex : guerre secrète en France occupée, 1943-1945, published by Histoire & Collections in 2013 (pp. 130-1941).
A recipient of the Bronze Star, discharged as a Sergeant, Jean Burca became a hotel manager and a citizen of the United Kingdom, living, among other places, in England and Nyasaland (current Malawi) prior to moving to Madeira, Portugal, where he passed away on December 25, 1998.
https://www.francaislibres.net/liste/fiche.php?index=7213
http://www.plan-sussex-1944.net/anglais/proust_plan.htm
http://www.plan-sussex-1944.net/anglais/infiltrations_into_france.pdf
http://www.plan-sussex-1944.net/francais/pdf/liquidation_plan_Proust.pdf
Illustration documents available in digital format only.
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Extremely rare genuine WWII British battledress blouse, 1940 Pattern, which belonged to some paratrooper of the Free French Forces.
Manufactured by J. Compton, Sons & Webb, Ltd. in London, England. Size No. 9.
The present jacket retains the following insignia: Free French Forces 'jump wings' above the right breast pocket, 'Polish' paratroops insignia on the left sleeve, and France nationality title on both shoulders; each original shoulder strap button has been replaced with a brass Armée de l'Air button.
Inscription Sgt Greuzard is clearly visible on the label located inside.
Complete and in very good overall condition despite some minor moth damage. Initial O inked above the War Department reception stamp corresponds to the year 1942.
Jean, Eugène Greuzard, known as 'Burca' and a.k.a. 'Jean Maillet', was born on May 9, 1916 in Paris, France and volunteered in the Free French Forces on October 3, 1940 in Palestine. He went on to serve with the Bataillon d'Infanterie de Marine (Naval Infantry Battalion) prior to transferring to the Free French Air Forces on June 23, 1943 (ASN 35821). He married Elizabeth Katherine Stephens on May 6, 1944 in London, Britain.
He was awarded his 'jump wings' and posted to 1er Bataillon d'Infanterie de l'Air (1st Air Infantry Battalion), yet soon joined the Proust Plan -- an auxiliary program to the wider Sussex Plan, in which the British services did not participate -- and parachuted into France on August 15, 1944 in the vicinity of Montluçon, Allier (codename 'Mathilde') along with radio operator Michel Walon, a.k.a. 'Michel Watteau' (codename 'Villeparisis'), on the occasion of Mission 'Jument & Maréchal'. He later participated in the liberation of Clermont-Ferrand.
Initiated by the OSS, the Proust Plan aimed at expanding the number of special intelligence teams deployed in German-occupied France ahead of the Allied landings -- see Dominique Soulier's book, Le Plan Sussex : guerre secrète en France occupée, 1943-1945, published by Histoire & Collections in 2013 (pp. 130-1941).
A recipient of the Bronze Star, discharged as a Sergeant, Jean Burca became a hotel manager and a citizen of the United Kingdom, living, among other places, in England and Nyasaland (current Malawi) prior to moving to Madeira, Portugal, where he passed away on December 25, 1998.
https://www.francaislibres.net/liste/fiche.php?index=7213
http://www.plan-sussex-1944.net/anglais/proust_plan.htm
http://www.plan-sussex-1944.net/anglais/infiltrations_into_france.pdf
http://www.plan-sussex-1944.net/francais/pdf/liquidation_plan_Proust.pdf
Illustration documents available in digital format only.