promoted by the general to the rank of lieutenant colonel, hettier de boislambert was given the delicate but critical mandate to create, organize and command the mission militaire française de liaison administrative (mmla, "literally, "french military mission for administrative liaison""). the purpose was to establish and harmonise relations between allied forces and liberated civilian populations. it was in reality the core element in support of a larger objective on the part of de gaulle, to block anglo-american plans for the establishment of allied military government for occupied territories - in other words, the administration of postwar france by british and american military personnel. the head of the mmla, supported by representatives from not yet created government ministries, had to ensure the security of civilian populations, reorganise health provision in each territorial sector as it was liberated, deal with reanimating hospitals and to prepare to address the housing needs of displaced persons. it had to attend to provision of essential supplies directly following liberation, the installation of civil administration and take the first steps to restore a civilian police force and internal security more generally. ensuring the viability of basic communications channels was another urgent responsibility.