Ancient history

John Simon

Jean Simon (born April 30, 1912 in Brest and died September 28, 2003 in Cherbourg) was a general officer in the French Army (general of division with the rank and designation of army general) and in particular of the Foreign Legion from 1940 to 1961.

Career

After studying at the National Military Prytanee, he entered the Special Military School in 1933, from which he graduated as a second lieutenant in 1936 and was appointed to the 42nd Battalion of Malagasy Riflemen.

Mobilized in 1939, he was a lieutenant in the 12th regiment of Senegalese skirmishers. On June 17, 1940, while stationed in the Allier with Second Lieutenant Pierre Messmer, they heard Marshal Pétain's request for an armistice1 on the radio. Assigned in the afternoon to Pau, they obtain permission to reach their new assignment by their own means by borrowing an old motorcycle. The two men immediately refusing defeat cross the Massif Central, to avoid the German columns. Their vehicle breaking down, they hitchhike to Tarascon before taking the train in Beaucaire for Marseille where they arrive on June 18, 1940 in the evening. On June 20, Jean Simon met Captain Humbert Vuillemin2, captain of the Capo Olmo, who was looking for reliable men to help him divert the ship to England. Having learned by reading Le Petit Provençal the appeal of June 18 launched by General de Gaulle, the two officers embark with a few other illegal immigrants. On the evening of June 23, within a convoy, the boat simulated engine failure and turned westward. The next morning, the crew is informed of the captain's decision.

Capo Olmo arrives in Gibraltar on June 27, then joins Liverpool on July 16. The cargo of the ship, which consists of 481 tons of various war material, in particular 12 Glenn Martin in crates, trucks and aviation tractors, will be sold to the English allowing free France to subsist for the first three months. /P>

Simon and Messmer join the 13th DBLE. Jean Simon, who now commands the 3rd company, fights with his comrade in the fighting in Eritrea, in Syria where he is injured in the right eye which he loses. On June 25, 1941, he was promoted to captain and then fought in the Battle of Bir Hakeim and in the Tunisia campaign in 1943. In July 1943, Simon took part in the Italian Campaign where he was promoted to battalion commander.

He then served in the headquarters of the 1st Free French Division and then in the military cabinet of General de Gaulle. On March 24, 1947, he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and took command of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment in Indochina. In 1949, he was assigned to the 9th Passage Company of the Foreign Legion in Saigon.

On his return to France, he served in the Technical Section of the Army and then studied at the War College. On July 1, 1952, he was promoted to colonel and assigned to the General Staff. In 1956, he served on the special staff of the Ministry of Defence.

In 1957, he was military attaché at the French Embassy in London. On July 1, 1960, he was appointed brigadier general, deputy to the general commanding the territorial region and the army corps of Algiers.

In 1961, he took command of the 27th Mountain Infantry Division and the eastern Algiers zone. In 1962, he took command of the 29th Infantry Division and the central Oran area as well as the Special Military School and the Combined Arms Military School.

On April 1, 1964, he was promoted to general of the army corps and military governor of Lyon and commander of the Fifth Military Region, from 1967 to 1969, commander of the First Army Corps4.

In 1968, he was a member of the Superior Council of the Army, then Inspector General of the Army in 1969. On April 1, he was promoted to the rank of Army General.

In 1972, he was administrator of the French Red Cross.

On April 30, 1973, he claimed his retirement rights. He was Secretary General of Defense and National Security from 1973 to 1977.

Member of the Council of the Order of the Liberation since June 1969, he was chosen by his peers as Chancellor of the Order of the Liberation in September 1978 for 4 years and re-elected in 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994 and 1998. He is also president of the Association of Free French from 1978 to 2000, then, after the sublimation of the association, president of the Free France Foundation from 2000 to 2003. He is also president of the Charles-de-Gaulle Institute from 1995 to 1997. Alain de Boissieu succeeded him as Chancellor of the Order of the Liberation, Pierre Messmer as President of the Free France Foundation.

The 190th promotion of the Special Military School of Saint-Cyr, the General Simon promotion (2003-2006), bears his name.

Decorations

Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor
Companion of the Liberation - decree of June 23, 1941 - and member of the Council of the Order of the Liberation
Medal military - decree of October 16, 2002
War Cross 1939-1945 (9 citations)
War Cross for External Theaters of Operations (2 citations)
Military Valor Cross (2 citations)
Resistance Medal
Combatant's Cross
Volunteer Resistance Fighter's Cross
Commemorative medal for voluntary services in Free France
Colonial medal with "Eritrea", "Libya", "Bir-Hakeim" clasps ", "Free French Africa", "Far East"
Commemorative medal for security and law enforcement operations in North Africa
Commemorative Medal of the Middle East
Commemorative Medal of the Italian Campaign 1943-1944
Insignia for Military Wounded
Commander of Order of Academic Palms
Distinguished Service Order (UK)
Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (UK)
Military Cross (United Kingdom)
Bronze Star (United States)
Military Medal of Brazil
"Battlefield Honor" badge in the Order of the United States
Commander of the Nichan Iftikhar (Tunisia)
Commander of the Order of the Star black (Benin)

It totals 13 quotes.


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