Appeal of 18 June Appeal of 18 June The Appeal of 18 June () was a famous speech by Charles de Gaulle, the leader of the Free French Forces, in 1940. The appeal is often considered to be the origin of the French Resistance to the German occupation during World War II. De Gaulle spoke to the French people from London after the fall of France. He declared that the war for France was not yet over, and rallied the country in support of the Resistance. It is regarded as one of the most important speeches in French history. In spite of its reputation
Non-British personnel in the RAF during the Battle of Britain aircraft and was himself shot down on two occasions. He enjoyed a successful career in the RAF after 1940, retiring as an Air Commodore in 1973. He died in 2014. Following the German invasion of Poland, many Polish pilots escaped and made their way to France and Britain. During the German invasion of France in May 1940, of the 1,600 Polish pilots available to the "Armée de l'Air" it is estimated that only about 150 took an active part in combat. This was mostly due to the fact that the French By June 1940, the Poles had over 85,000 men