▁Spanish ▁Civil ▁War , ▁and ▁many ▁refuge es ▁from ▁Naz i ▁and ▁F asc ist ▁countries . ▁De ▁Haut ec loc que ▁then ▁offered ▁his ▁own ▁services ▁to ▁the ▁unit , ▁but ▁its ▁commander , ▁Colonel ▁Ra oul ▁Mag rin - V ern ere y , ▁rejected ▁his ▁offer ▁on ▁the ▁grounds ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁high - born , ▁over - qual ified ▁and ▁a ▁caval ry man . ▁ ▁Instead , ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁de ▁Ga ulle ▁ordered ▁de ▁Haut ec loc que ▁to ▁French ▁Equ atorial ▁Africa , ▁where ▁the ▁local ▁leaders ▁had ▁declared ▁themselves ▁for ▁Free ▁France , ▁as ▁the ▁governor ▁of ▁French ▁Cam ero on . ▁At ▁this ▁time ▁he ▁adopted ▁L ec ler c ▁as ▁his ▁nom ▁de ▁guerre , ▁so ▁that ▁Th ér èse ▁and ▁their ▁children ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁put ▁at ▁risk ▁if ▁his ▁name ▁appeared ▁in ▁the ▁papers . ▁ ▁He ▁quickly ▁secured ▁the ▁Free ▁French ▁g rip ▁on ▁Cam ero on . ▁He ▁then ▁led ▁a ▁force ▁consisting ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 3 e ▁DB LE ▁and ▁Sen eg al ese ▁T ira illeurs ▁against ▁Gab on , ▁whose ▁local ▁leader ▁supported ▁V ich y ▁France . ▁The ▁Battle ▁of ▁Gab on ▁last ed ▁from ▁ 1 2 ▁October ▁to ▁ 1 2 ▁November ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁and ▁ended ▁with ▁ 2 0 ▁dead ▁and ▁Gab on ▁in ▁Free ▁French ▁hands . ▁V ich y ▁prisoners ▁were ▁held ▁as ▁host ages ▁in ▁case ▁V ich y