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France. Model 1926 helmet of the FFI (Forces françaises de l’intérieur).
French helmet used during the Second World War, original brown color. The central plate was removed in order to paint the initials FFI (Forces françaises de l’intérieur).
The French Forces of the Interior (F.F.I.), in French Forces françaises de l’intérieur, was the name adopted from 1944 during the Second World War to group together the various clandestine military organizations operating in France. These included the Armée secrète, the Organisation de résistance de l’armée, and the Francs-tireurs et partisans, all committed to supporting the Allied forces.
In March 1944, the FFI were unified under the command of General Pierre Koenig. They played a prominent role both in the preparatory operations for the Normandy landings and in the subsequent liberation of numerous cities in occupied France, with leaders such as Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy. Their numbers increased progressively as the German army withdrew from large areas of metropolitan France, allowing for the integration and formal organization of fighters who had previously operated as maquis in guerrilla actions.
French helmet from the Second World War.
