Founded in 1941, the FI/OF represented the communist resistance in Belgium. Though officially a national organization, it was strongest in Hainaut, Namur, Brussels, and the major cities in Flanders. It maintained only a limited presence in Limburg and the eastern portions of the country. Like the MNB/BNB, it involved itself in both civil and military resistance, including the sheltering of Jews, clandestine press, forgery, intelligence gathering, and sabotage. The armed wing of the FI/OF was the Armée belge des partisans or Partisans armés (armed partisans). Many other left or far left sub-organizations existed within the FI/OF, among them the Milices patriotiques (patriotic militias), a communist youth movement.
On paper, the Partisans armés (PA) maintained a strict
hierarchical organization. Sector commands controlled several corps which in
turn were divided into battalions and companies, each with a prescribed
allotment of personnel. In practice, PA organization was more flexible,
especially during the liberation. Though the Belgian government did not
recognize the FI/OF, PA, and other communist organizations, the SOE maintained
contact with the partisans and provided them with some equipment.
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