Soldier of General Leclerc's 2nd French Armoured Division, with tank, mobbed by ecstatic Parisians, Place de l'Hotel de Ville, Paris, 25 August, 1944.

Happy Bastille Day to our French friends and to all friends of France !

Vive la France !  JR.

Victoire !

First, contrary to the caption associated with this photo, this is not a British Whippet light tank and, if it is at Verdun, this is not during the calamitous campaign of 1916.  The tank is a French Renault FT-17, and the crew is American, probably 1918.  I include it here to give a clear indication of the light armor and extraordinarily cramped crew accommodation of this vehicle, which was still in extensive service at the beginning of WW2, mainly in France but also in many other European (not to mention Asian) armies.  Survival prospects for crew in the event of the tank being hit by anything making a reasonably big "bang" were limited ... 

Hard to know, in the circumstances, which album to post this to.  I am putting it in "French Forces", unless there are objections ... Best regards, JR.

Spacious accommodation ? FT-17 tank.

Tanks of General Leclerc's 2nd French Armoured Division greeted by officers and men of the Resistence in the course of the liberation of Paris, August, 1944.  Note the FFI armbands on the "resistant" officers, the presence of at least one Paris Police Officer (dark uniform and helmet), and "map of France" emblem of the 2nd Armoured Division on the closest tank.  Best regards, JR.