French SAS Grouping – Captain Georges FOURNIER

An exceptional and museum worthy original WWII French SAS grouping belonging to Captain Georges FOURNIER (1909–1996), commander of Operation “Dickens” during the liberation of the region south of the Loire in 1944. This remarkable grouping was discovered many years ago in Southern France, preserved together in the veteran’s personal trunk, which remained untouched for decades. The trunk contained numerous wartime effects and souvenirs accumulated throughout his extraordinary military career. The grouping consists of his original French SAS Battle Dress jacket, Battle Dress trousers, service shirt, maroon beret with SAS insignia, field equipment, several German wartime souvenirs, a small wartime notebook, and additional personal items.

The Battle Dress jacket is in good worn condition and retains all of its original wartime-applied insignia. These consist of embroidered FRANCE shoulder titles, embroidered Pegasus formation patches, parachute wings, rank insignia on both shoulder straps, and the Free French Parachutist’s wing above the right breast pocket. The jacket is manufactured by S. Miller, dated 1942, and is a desirable Size 7. The matching battledress trousers retain their original maker’s label, are dated 1945, and are a Size 12. Included is his original maroon airborne beret, manufactured by Kangol Wear Limited, dated 1944, and stamped with the War Department letter “M” denoting 1944 production. The beret is complete with its original SAS cap insignia. Also included are WW2-dated web small packs, WW2-dated web gaiters, and a pair of 1940-dated basic ammunition pouches.

Born on 5 June 1909 in Rueil-Malmaison, Georges FOURNIER was mobilized at the outbreak of the Second World War as a lieutenant in the 6th Colonial Infantry Regiment (6e RIC). During the winter of 1939–1940 in the Wardt Forest he earned his first citation for bravery. Captured near the Czech border on 20 June 1940, he cleverly feigned deafness and secured medical repatriation to France in 1941. Determined to continue the fight, he volunteered for service in the French Far East, hoping to escape to Britain during transit, but was instead posted to Tonkin. In 1943 he successfully escaped into Nationalist China, where he enlisted in the Free French Forces at Chongqing. After a long journey through India and the Middle East, he joined the French airborne forces and on 15 July 1943 took command of the Rayack parachute detachment. He later served in England with the French SAS, becoming deputy to Captain Pierre Château-Jobert before taking command of the 3rd Squadron of the Special Air Service at Camp Auchinleck.

In July 1944 Fournier was parachuted into occupied France at the head of a detachment of the 3rd Parachute Chasseur Regiment (3e RCP) to carry out Operation “Dickens”, organizing and leading resistance forces in support of the Allied advance. His actions contributed significantly to the liberation of the Cholet area, Deux-Sèvres, Vendée, and the territory south of the Loire. He continued combat operations in the Paimboeuf–Saint-Nazaire sector until he was severely wounded at Paimboeuf in October 1944. After the war, having attained the rank of colonel, he served in Germany from May 1945 until July 1948 in the search for war criminals. He subsequently returned to civilian life as an agricultural engineer while maintaining close ties with veterans of the 3e RCP and the communities that had assisted his men during the liberation of France. Georges FOURNIER passed away on 7 December 1996 in Beaulieu-sur-Mer and, in accordance with his wishes, was buried in Somloire.