Free French Leader Major General Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque WWII – Custom Printed Brick Block Figure

English Translation & Specific Name

• English Translation / Figure Title: WWII Free French Leader Major General Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque

• Historical Era: World War II (1940–1945)

• Faction / Military Branch: Free France (France Libre) / 2nd Armored Division (2e DB)

Detailed Character Identification, Description, and Historical Background

Character Identification This custom building block figure represents Major General Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque, one of the most famous and aggressive tactical commanders of the Free French Forces. He is instantly recognizable by his unique mix of traditional French headgear and American-supplied combat clothing, specifically the olive drab tanker jacket bearing the distinct blue emblem of the French 2nd Armored Division.

Detailed Character Description (Utilizing incredibly sharp 360-degree UV printing, this figure meticulously captures the pragmatic, frontline-ready appearance of a French armored commander operating American-supplied equipment.)

• Headgear & Face: The figure is crowned with a light khaki/tan French Képi featuring a gold chin strap. The front of the cap proudly displays three silver stars, which accurately denotes his rank as a Général de division (Major General) in the French military system. His face print displays a focused, stern expression with a prominent mustache, capturing his intense leadership style.

• Torso (The Mixed-Uniform Aesthetic): Unlike the formal tunics of other commanders, Leclerc is outfitted in a practical, zip-up olive green US-style Tanker Jacket (or field jacket) over a collared shirt and black tie. This accurately reflects how his division was entirely equipped and supplied by the United States.

  • Insignia & Patches: Printed highly visibly on his left chest is a blue shield patch bearing a red Cross of Lorraine and the shape of France—the famous emblem of his beloved 2e Division Blindée (2nd Armored Division). His right chest features printed paratrooper/pilot wings and a military ribbon bar.

• Legs & Footwear: His lower half features khaki combat trousers that transition neatly into highly polished black leather officer’s boots with intricate strap details, bridging his modern tank-commander jacket with traditional cavalry footwear.

• Accessory (The Free French Flag): The figure is accompanied by a brick-built flagpole displaying the flag of Free France. It features the traditional French blue, white, and red tricolor defaced with the red Cross of Lorraine.

Historical Background Born Jacques-Philippe de Hauteclocque, he adopted the nom de guerre “Leclerc” to protect his family in occupied France after he escaped to London in 1940 to join Charles de Gaulle. Leclerc was a man of immense action and deep patriotism.

He is most historically revered for the Oath of Kufra (Serment de Koufra). In 1941, after leading a daring raid across the Sahara desert to capture an Italian fort in Libya, he and his men swore an oath not to lay down their arms until the French flag flew once again over the Cathedral of Strasbourg.

He was subsequently given command of the 2nd Armored Division (2e DB), a unit equipped with American M4 Sherman tanks but fighting fiercely under the Free French flag. Leclerc’s division famously led the Liberation of Paris in August 1944, breaking through German lines to enter the capital. Staying true to his oath, he pushed his division all the way to the Rhine, liberating Strasbourg in November 1944. Leclerc’s pragmatic use of US tank gear mixed with his traditional French Képi made him an iconic figure of the Liberation.