COVER N. 521 - FRANCE

Postmark: Bureau Philatélique of Lyon Bellecour - 07.10.2024 

Posted on the 7th October; Received on the 10th October 2024

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Operation Dragon, such was the codename for the landing on the shores of the Cote d'Azur, which was conceived to be executed at the same time as operation Neptune, the landings in Normandy, so as to apply pressure on the German occupiers with a set of huge military tweezers squeezing from both sides. 

In practice, Operation Dragon would only come to be more than two months after Neptune, (which began on the 6th June 1940) on the 15th August, for the sheer scale of the operations imposed logistic limitations that had to be taken into consideration.

As a result of this operation, the liberation of important cities in the south of France, like Marseille, Lyon or Dijon, was achieved and by September the American and French combined forces coming from the south would join the allied contingents advancing from the west and finally progress into Germany, finally liberating France from the Nazi beast, one would have tought forever...

Un grand Merci, Eric pour ce splendide bloc!

On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Provence landings La Poste issued on 14AUG2024 the souvenir sheet Eric used, comprising a single 1,96€ stamp, illustrated with several French soldiers (some from the African Colonies) looking  across the Mediterranean towards the soon to be liberated cities of Toulon,  Marseille, Lyon and Dijon, the last three represented by their imposing cathedrals, featured on the souvenir sheet.

Postmark from the Bureau Philatélique of Lyon Bellecour.