VINTAGE
WWII
1942
SUPER RARE
ALL
STAINLESS STEEL
HELSBRO
WATERPROOF
SINGLE STEEL CASE
FREE FRENCH
NURSE/DOCTOR
WRIST WATCH

28.60 X 33.53
W/O CROWN

31.89 X 33.53
W/O CROWN

WITH

VINTAGE
DOUBLE NYLON
H/D
STRAP

French flag with the Cross of Lorraine, emblem of the Free French.	French Naval ensign and French Naval Honour Jack.	Free French memorial on Lyle Hill, Greenock, overlooks Gourock, Scotland.	French Forces Adrian helmet with the Cross of Lorraine replacing the

The Cross of Lorraine, chosen by General de Gaulle as the symbol of the Free French Forces

The Free French Forces (French: Forces Françaises Libres, FFL) were French partisans in World War II who decided to continue fighting against Axis powers forces after the surrender of France and subsequent German occupation and, in the case of Vichy France, collaboration with the Germans.

An individual became Free French after he enlisted in de Gaulle's Free French organisation located in London. Fonly those who served with the Allies after the Franco-German armistice in 1940 and before 1 August 1943 may correctly be called "Free French"

In 1940, General Charles de Gaulle was a member of the French cabinet during the Battle of France. As French defence forces were increasingly overwhelmed, de Gaulle found himself part of a small group of politicians who argued against a negotiated surrender to Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. As these views were shared by the President of the Council, Paul Reynaud, de Gaulle was sent as an emissary to the United Kingdom; it was during this time that the French government collapsed.

On 16 June, the new French President of the Council, Philippe Pétain, began negotiations with Axis officials. On 18 June, de Gaulle spoke to the French people via BBC radio. He asked French soldiers, sailors and airmen to join in the fight against the Nazis. In France, de Gaulle's "Appeal of the 18th of June" (Appel du 18 juin) was not widely heard that day but, together with de Gaulle's BBC broadcasts[3] in subsequent days and his later communications, came to be widely remembered throughout France and its colonial empire as the voice of national honour and freedom. Some of the British Cabinet had attempted to block the speech, but were overruled by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. To this day, the Appeal of 18 June remains one of the most famous speeches in French history. Nevertheless, on June 22, Pétain signed the armistice followed by a similar one with Italy on June 24; both of these came into force on 25 June.[4] Pétain became leader of the newly established authoritarian regime known as Vichy France, the town of Vichy being the seat of government.

The Free French forces were drawn mostly from the French colonial empire, rather than from metropolitan France. French nationals from the tropical African colonies formed a large part of the forces at the beginning, as were nationals from French Algeria. Later, many combatants were drawn from the native populations of French colonies. Sixty-five percent were conscripts from French West Africa, primarily Senegal[citation needed]. Other contingents were natives of Morocco, Algeria, and Tahiti (the Tahitians served with particular distinction in the western Sahara). The Free French forces also included units of the Foreign Legion.

De Gaulle was tried in absentia in Vichy France and sentenced to death for treason; he, on the other hand, regarded himself as the last remaining member of the legitimate Reynaud government able to exercise power, seeing the rise to power of Pétain as an unconstitutional coup

HELBROS WWII HISTORY

In 1913, when only the relatively well-to-do could afford a timepiece, Helbros was created by the Helbein Brothers. The middle class Swiss German watchmakers goal was to manufacture quality timepieces affordable to the working public. Throughout the 20's and 30's, Helbros became a household name and by the 40's and WWII,    Helbros was supplying watches to American Forces and a major promoter of the War Bond efforts of the United States.

**********************************

This is an extract from  a book about Helbros and money channeling in WW2:

***********************************************************

Quick as a Flash was a 30-minute radio quiz program which featured drama segments with guest actors from radio detective shows.

Created by director Richard Lewis and emcee Ken Roberts, the program debuted over the Mutual Network on Sunday, July 16, 1944. Sponsored by the Helbros Watch Company, the show was produced by Lewis and Bernard J. Prockter with scripts by Gene Wang. Music was by Ray Bloch and the Helbros Orchestra.Six contestants from the studio audience competed for cash and other prizes. Clues were presented in the form of dramatic sketches covering such subjects as current events, movies, books and historical situations. With a buzzer, a contestant could interrupt at any time to submit an answer.

THIS BEAUTY HAS
OUTLINED RAISED RADIUM NUMERALS
THEN
A DOUBLE
SECONDS
AND
1/4 SECOND
NUMERAL
CHAPTER RING
WITH
RED SWEEP
SECOND HAND
AND
[NEWLY]
LUMED CENTER
BLACK STEEL
HOUR AND MINUTE HAND

THE CASE IS ALL STEEL

COMPOSED
OF
MAIN CASE
W/O CASE BACK
THEN
STEEL BEZEL/LUGS
THAT FIT OVER
THE MAIN CASE

NOTICE
A
LARGE CROWN
FITS
OVER
A WIDE CROWN TUBE

THAT
EXTENDS FROM
THE CENTER CASE

THE
MOVEMENT FITS INTO THE CASE

A STEEL HOLD DOWN RING
IS PLACED OVER THE DIAL

THEN THE CRYSTAL IS PRESSED
OVER THE CASE WALL

NOTICE THE
CROWN TUBE
AND
LARGE CROWN

THE BEZEL & LUG ASSEMBLY
FITS OVER THE COMPLETED
AND
CASED MOVEMENT

FORMING A GREAT SEAL
ABD OFFERING A FULL VIEW
OF THE CHAPTER RING
SO
A NUSRSE/DOCTOR
CAN READ SOMEONES PULSE
AS THE RED
SWEEP SECOND HAND
ROTATES AROUND THE

SECONDS CHAPTER RING

VERY NICE LOOK AND FEEL

SUPERIOR LOOK

HANDS WERE RELUMED

THE EDGING AROUND THE
BEZEL & LUG ASSEMBLY
SHOWS WEAR
BUT NOTHING THAT WOULD TAKE AWAY FROM
THE CASE OR WATCH
IT IS ONLY SURFACE WEAR
ONLY ON THE
MOVEABLE
TOP BEZEL/LUG ASSEMBLY


HELSBRO
15 JEWEL
SWEEP SECONDS

*****************************
CONDITION WATCH:
EXCELLENT  -  RUNS EXCELLENT 
*****************************