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| La Nueve | |
|---|---|
| Unit name | La Nueve |
| Native name | Segunda Compañía del Régiment de Marche du Tchad |
| Dates | 1943–1945 |
| Country | Free French Forces / France |
| Allegiance | Free France |
| Branch | French Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Notable commanders | Amado Granell, Emilio Esteban-Infantes |
| Engagements | Western Front (1944–45), Battle for Paris, Liberation of Paris |
La Nueve was the informal name of the 9th Company of the 2nd Battalion, Régiment de Marche du Tchad, a predominantly Spanish republican unit within the Free French Forces during World War II. Composed largely of veterans of the Spanish Civil War who had fled to France and later joined the fight against the Axis powers, the company became notable for being among the first Allied troops to enter Paris during the Battle for Paris in August 1944. Their contribution has been commemorated in military histories, memoirs, and public memory across France and Spain.
The company traces origins to the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War when combatants from the Spanish Republican Army, followers of the Spanish Second Republic, and members of International Brigades crossed into France after the Fall of Catalonia. Interned in French internment camps such as Gurs and Saint-Cyprien, many later escaped or enlisted with the French Foreign Legion, Free French Forces, and units formed under Generalfeldmarschall-era reorganizations. Reconstituted within the Régiment de Marche du Tchad, the 9th Company integrated with elements of the Forces Françaises Libres and received training in North Africa alongside units that had fought at El Alamein and participated in operations linked to Operation Torch.
The company's ranks were dominated by former members of the Spanish Republican Army, including anarchists, socialists, and members of the Partido Comunista de España. Notable officers included Amado Granell, a veteran of the Battle of Brunete and later a company commander, and other leaders with experience from actions at Teruel and Ebro River. Equipment and vehicles included jeeps and armoured cars originally supplied by United Kingdom and United States lend-lease arrangements, used in coordination with formations such as the 1st Armored Division (France) and the 2nd Armored Division (France). Personnel profiles featured survivors of Retirada, republicans who had been deported to camps like Villarroya and Le Vernet, and bilingual men familiar with Paris and Normandy logistics, enabling liaison with civil resistors including networks tied to General de Gaulle's representation in liberated territories.
During the Battle for Paris in August 1944, the 9th Company formed part of columns advancing under commanders associated with the Free French Forces and elements of the Allied Expeditionary Force. Vehicles from the company were among the first to reach central districts, entering via approaches linked to Boulevard Saint-Michel and the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, engaging German units from the Wehrmacht and confronting Milice française collaborators. Coordination with French Resistance groups such as the Conseil National de la Résistance and the FTP aided operations. Reports and eyewitness accounts connected their arrival with ceremonial encounters involving representatives from Raymond Poincaré's era, Charles de Gaulle's staff, and municipal authorities in Paris. Contemporary dispatches referenced interactions with personnel from the United States Army and British Army advancing from the Normandy campaign and the Southern France campaign (1944).
After Victory in Europe Day, survivors faced complex reintegration into France and diaspora communities in Mexico, Argentina, and Venezuela, where some exiles had sought asylum after the Spanish Civil War. Several veterans received recognition through decorations associated with the Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur and unit citations from the French Army. Nonetheless, many veterans encountered political marginalization during the Cold War era due to associations with leftist republicanism and affiliations with the Spanish Republican exile movement. Monuments and plaques installed near sites like Place du 18 Juin 1940 and municipal museums recount the company's role, while archival materials reside in repositories connected to the Service historique de la Défense and regional archives in Madrid and Paris.
The company has appeared in films, literature, and scholarship addressing the intersections of the Spanish Civil War, World War II, and postwar memory politics. Documentaries produced by broadcasters such as France Télévisions and Spanish channels invoked testimonies from veterans alongside footage from events related to the Liberation of Paris. Novels and biographies have been published by authors engaged with republican exile narratives, while exhibitions at institutions like the Musée de l'Armée, Bibliothèque nationale de France, and municipal museums in Valencia and Barcelona showcased personal effects, photographs, and correspondence. Commemorative ceremonies involve delegations from municipal governments, descendants of veterans, and associations linked to the Spanish Republican exile community, ensuring the company's place in transnational memory of Resistance and liberation struggles.
Category:Military units and formations of World War II Category:Spanish Republican exile