Free France (France Libre) Diplomatic Passport
Free France and its Free French Forces (French: France Libre et les Forces françaises libres) was the government-in-exile led by Charles de Gaulle during the Second World War, and its military forces, that continued to fight against the Axis powers as an Allied nation, following the Fall of France. Set up in London in June 1940, it organized and supported the Resistance in Occupied France and established a foothold within several French colonies in Africa. Free France Diplomatic Passport
Charles de Gaulle, a French general, and government minister rejected the truce being negotiated by Marshal Philippe Pétain and fled to Britain. There he encouraged the French to resist in his BBC broadcast “Appeal of 18 June” (Appel du 18 Juin), which is regarded as one of the most important speeches in French history. Despite its significance in French collective memory, historians have shown that the appeal was heard only by a minority of French people. De Gaulle’s 22 June 1940 speech was more widely heard.
The Passport Free France Diplomatic Passport
is significant for French passport history and very rare to find. I didn’t even know that such a document exists. Well, we learn something new every day. The diplomatic passport is a folio paper in a simple black folder. The golden imprinted wording is custom made, and probably the whole cover was custom made. This treasure sold for an impressive $1325!
A fellow collector sent me this input after he read the Vichy passport article…
Hi Tom, an exciting piece of info: My late French grandfather (whom I never met) was said to have fought in WWII, but my family told me that he had never said anything about it and refused to talk about it. So the question remained, what side was he on? Vichy or De Gaulle? My family had no clue. I did all the research, which took many months and many archives, and I finally found out that he had enrolled in 1941 as a “Free French” with De Gaulle operating in the Eastern Mediterranean. Only 52,000 “Free French” are recognized, and each received medals and a signed diploma by De Gaulle after the war. My grandfather was one of them, and we had no clue! To qualify as a “Free French,” you would have had to enroll with De Gaulle’s forces before August 1943, which was like signing a death warrant because there was no hint Hitler would lose, and De Gaulle himself had had his citizenship revoked…
FAQ Passport History
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1. What are the earliest known examples of passports, and how have they evolved?
The word "passport" came up only in the mid 15th Century. Before that, such documents were safe conducts, recommendations or protection letters. On a practical aspect, the earliest passport I have seen was from the mid 16th Century. Read more...
2. Are there any notable historical figures or personalities whose passports are highly sought after by collectors?
Every collector is doing well to define his collection focus, and yes, there are collectors looking for Celebrity passports and travel documents of historical figures like Winston Churchill, Brothers Grimm, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Read more...
3. How did passport designs and security features change throughout different periods in history, and what impact did these changes have on forgery prevention?
"Passports" before the 18th Century had a pure functional character. Security features were, in the best case, a watermark and a wax seal. Forgery, back then, was not an issue like it is nowadays. Only from the 1980s on, security features became a thing. A state-of-the-art passport nowadays has dozens of security features - visible and invisible. Some are known only by the security document printer itself. Read more...
4. What are some of the rarest and most valuable historical passports that have ever been sold or auctioned?
Lou Gehrig, Victor Tsoi, Marilyn Monroe, James Joyce, and Albert Einstein when it comes to the most expensive ones. Read more...
5. How do diplomatic passports differ from regular passports, and what makes them significant to collectors?
Such documents were often held by officials in high ranks, like ambassadors, consuls or special envoys. Furthermore, these travel documents are often frequently traveled. Hence, they hold a tapestry of stamps or visas. Partly from unusual places.
6. Can you provide insights into the stories behind specific historical passports that offer unique insights into past travel and migration trends?
A passport tells the story of its bearer and these stories can be everything - surprising, sad, vivid. Isabella Bird and her travels (1831-1904) or Mary Kingsley, a fearless Lady explorer.
7. What role did passports play during significant historical events, such as wartime travel restrictions or international treaties?
During war, a passport could have been a matter of life or death. Especially, when we are looking into WWII and the Holocaust. And yes, during that time, passports and similar documents were often forged to escape and save lives. Example...
8. How has the emergence of digital passports and biometric identification impacted the world of passport collecting?
Current modern passports having now often a sparkling, flashy design. This has mainly two reasons. 1. Improved security and 2. Displaying a countries' heritage, icons, and important figures or achievements. I can fully understand that those modern documents are wanted, especially by younger collectors.
9. Are there any specialized collections of passports, such as those from a specific country, era, or distinguished individuals?
Yes, the University of Western Sidney Library has e.g. a passport collection of the former prime minister Hon Edward Gough Whitlam and his wife Margaret. They are all diplomatic passports and I had the pleasure to apprise them. I hold e.g. a collection of almost all types of the German Empire passports (only 2 types are still missing). Also, my East German passport collection is quite extensive with pretty rare passport types.
10. Where can passport collectors find reliable resources and reputable sellers to expand their collection and learn more about passport history?
A good start is eBay, Delcampe, flea markets, garage or estate sales. The more significant travel documents you probably find at the classic auction houses. Sometimes I also offer documents from my archive/collection. See offers... As you are already here, you surely found a great source on the topic 😉
Other great sources are: Scottish Passports, The Nansen passport, The secret lives of diplomatic couriers
11. Is vintage passport collecting legal? What are the regulations and considerations collectors should know when acquiring historical passports?
First, it's important to stress that each country has its own laws when it comes to passports. Collecting old vintage passports for historical or educational reasons is safe and legal, or at least tolerated. More details on the legal aspects are here...
Does this article spark your curiosity about passport collecting and the history of passports? With this valuable information, you have a good basis to start your own passport collection.
Question? Contact me...