Can anyone identify any of these officers?

Discussion in 'NW Europe' started by Robert-w, May 29, 2020.

  1. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    Two photos taken outside the Automobile Club of France/Thomas Cooks. I think it shows a senior French officer and some German ones.Judging by the security I suspect that they were important. Can anyone id anyone?
    upload_2020-5-29_17-2-37.png
    upload_2020-5-29_17-3-31.png
     
  2. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Looking at the badge on the French officer's cap I'd say he was in the Navy.
     
  3. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    The uniform says either navy or air force and the tones say navy. So a high level Vichy/German meeting so where and between whom?
     
  4. ltdan

    ltdan Nietenzähler

    Location is Place de la Concorde, the ACF is located directly near the Hotel Crillon who served the German General Staff as HQ – and it´s opposite to the French Naval Ministry
     
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  5. JDKR

    JDKR Member

    I believe the German officer on the right in the second photo and wearing the extravagantly-lapelled coat is from the Foreign Ministry. Apologies if that is a blinding flash of the obvious.
     
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  6. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    The men in helmets look like Millice Franc-Garde - if so this dates it to probably 1943
     
  7. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    Which suggests that the Mercedes was for the German FO guy. The German Embassy at Hôtel Beauharnais was over in the left bank but everyone else could safely walk.
     
  8. JDKR

    JDKR Member

    I was wondering if the foreign ministry man was Otto Abetz, the German ambassador to Vichy France, but I don’t think the man’s face is sufficiently 9A84CD3E-75C9-4BBF-B9A3-04DCB879F4A7.jpeg similar.
     
  9. The Adrian helmet in various colours was worn by pretty much every law enforcement unit at those times (lots of stocks...). The Milice usually wore black berets. These are more likely Groupes Mobiles de Réserve (GMR), created in 1941 in the Vichy zone and extended to the whole of France from late 1942.
     
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  10. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    I had wondered if it might be Martin Luther, Ribbentrop's protege in France but can't find a photo of him to check. However he tried to double cross Ribbentrop mid 1943 and got sent to a concentration camp.
     
  11. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    The Millice Franc-Garde non permanent wore helmets
     

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