Yves Durand, Histoire de la Deuxième Guerre Mondiale (Paris: Editions Complexe, 1997), p.508.
‘It’s a real battle of the Vs. The Germans, in response to English propaganda, have decreed that the V will be the sign of German Victory. Everywhere they have raised big white flags bearing a monumental V, put up red posters with a black V above the swastika. V stands for Victoria, and Victoria is apparently an old German word. But people just ask themselves what is this new brand of Cherry, or think of the Queen oF England, and they continue to cut Vs, Hs (for ‘Honour’) or ‘croix de Lorraine’ into their métro tickets. The pavements are covered with them.’
Jean Guéhenno, ‘25.7.1941’, Journal des années noires, 1940-1944 (Paris: Gallimard, 1947), p.193.