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France, General de Lattre de Tassigny, 1948, a bronze medal by P. Turin, bust left in cap, rev. French 1st army crossing the Rhine in boats, shells exploding above, 31 mars 1945 in exergue, 68mm (CGMP p.1836 for obv.; cf. BDW 13, 410). Slight traces of verdigris in reverse legend and on edge, otherwise extremely fine and patinated, rare (£40-50)

Jean de Lattre de Tassigny (1889-1952) was the youngest General in the French army on the outbreak of War in 1939. He commanded the 14th Infantry prior to the armistice, after which he commanded Vichy forces in Tunisia and then the 16th Division at Montpellier in 1942. The only Vichy commander to resist German occupation of the southern zone, he was arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison, but escaped to Algiers where he took command of the 1st Army in October 1943. In August 1944 he liberated Toulon and Marseille and his army engaged the Germans in the Battle of Alsace, January 1945 before crossing the Rhine. He represented France at the formal German surrender in Berlin on 9 May 1945. Sold with further biographical details