Ecole Des Cadets De La France Libre.pdf

In June 1940, General de Gaulle gathered around 1,000 young boys aged 14-16 who had crossed the channel to join the Free French forces. Initially, they were too young to enlist and were placed in a scout camp in Wales. Later, some were sent to Rake Manor in Surrey to complete their studies and receive military instruction. However, they were dissatisfied with the material conditions and program.

In February 1941, General de Gaulle created the "Ecole des cadets de la France Libre" (Free French Cadets School) in Malvern, Worcestershire, with the goal of providing high-level military instruction in the tradition of the Military School of Saint-Cyr. The school had three sections: a preparatory section, a section for those who had reached year 12 in secondary school, and a section for those with a baccalaureate diploma.

The first promotion, "LIBERATION," was promoted in June 1942, and four subsequent promotions followed. A total of 211 officers graduated from the school, with 48 dying in war. The school closed on June 16, 1944, with General de Gaulle stating that its name would remain in French military history as a symbol of the young elite who learned to win for the liberation and revitalization of France.