Background
Georges Barre was born on November 26, 1886 in France.
Georges Barre was born on November 26, 1886 in France.
Georges Barre was educated locally.
He began a distinguished combat career in 1912 as an officer of colonial troops in Morocco. Barrd was promoted to brigadier general in Dec 1939 and commanded the 7th North African Inf Div on the French frontier when the German invasion started on 10 May 1940. Sustaining losses of over 30 percent, dropping back to north of Paris after being continuously in action, the colonial division was singled out for a glowing citation a I'ordre de I'Armie. After the armistice of June 1940 Barre headed the French delegation to the Italian demilitarization commission on the Libyan frontier (Marcth line). On 2 Jan 1942 the 55-year- old veteran became the senior military commander in Tunisia (like Morocco a French protectorate), and on 20 Jan 1942 he was promoted to general de division. Barrd adopted a neutral position when the Allies landed in North Africa on 8 Nov 1942.
The Americans had promised to land 5,000 troops in Tunisia but changed their plans without notifying the French. After Nehring reached Tunisia to command reinforcements being sent from Sicily to hold an Axis beachhead, the “neutral” French general withdrew westward into the hills while parleying with the Germans. He intended to stall while waiting to see whether Allied troops would arrive in time to support him. At 4 AM on 19 Nov 1942 Nehring gave Barre an ultimatum to evacuate his strongpoint at Medjez-el-Bab within three hours (i.e., around dawn). But Barrd stood fast, holding the critical communications center all day under heavy air attack and assaults by the 5th Parachute Regt as Allied troops raced forward. The French withdrew after dark under cover of the 1st British Parachute Bn and a US artillery battalion. After remaining on the ground to support an unsuccessful British advance on Tunis, Barre’s division moved south to join L. M. Koeltz’s French 19th Corps for the rest of the Tunisian campaign. He published Tunisie 1942-43.