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José Aboulker (b. March 5, 1920) was a member of the anti-Nazi resistance. He was born in the Algerian capital Algiers into a Jewish family. His father, Henri Aboulker, was a surgeon and professor in the Faculty of Medicine in Algiers. His mother, Berthe Aboulker, was a woman of letters.

A medical student at the outbreak of World War II, Aboulker was mobilised in April 1940 as an officer cadet. He was demobilised in February 1941.

Aboulker and the Algerian Resistance

In September 1940, Aboulker founded a resistance network in Algiers, in partnership with his cousin Roger Carcassonne who had done the same at Oran, and Aboulker subsequently became one of the main leaders of the Algerian resistance movement. The two cousins met Henri d'Astier de la Vigerie, with whom they prepared support for the expected Allied landings in North Africa, in collaboration with Colonel Germain Jousse and the U.S. Consul Robert Murphy, President Roosevelt's representative in Algiers.

The headquarters for the preparation were at his father's house at 26 Rue Michelet.

On the night of the Allied landings in North Africa, November 8, 1942, Aboulker led the occupation of Algiers by 400 members of the Resistance, seizing the central police station, with his deputy Bernard Karsenty and the help of Guy Calvet and Superintendent Achiary.

Led by their group leaders, all of the Resistance fighters, with the exception of the reserve officers, neutralised the command centres, occupied strategic positions, and stopped the military officials and civilian supporters of the Vichy government, starting with General Juin, the Commander-in-chief, and Admiral François Darlan.

In the morning, when the XIXth Army Corps of the Vichy Government tried to mobilise to oppose the Allied landings, it had to concentrate its efforts on the Resistance fighters rather than Allied forces. With the landings around Algiers having been completed, Aboulker--anxious not to spill French blood--asked the group leaders to evacuate their positions. Using Resistance fighters from the evacuated positions, he organised with the group leader Captain Pillafort barricades to hinder the mobilisation of the Vichy military. As a result, the forces of the Vichy government did not attack by that evening the central police station, the last place with insurgents. The confusion created by this “putsch” of 8 November 1942 helped the Allies land almost without opposition and then encircle Algiers. Admiral Darlan surrendered the city three days later.

On December 24, 1942, Darlan, who was still in power and who had maintained the Vichy government regime in the Allied camp with the support of General Giraud, was killed by Fernand Bonnier de la Chapelle in an muddled effort to restore the French monarchy. Giraud succeeded Darlan and ordered the arrest of Aboulker, just as most of the Resistance leaders were deported to southern Algeria in December 1942.

José Aboulker and the Metropolitan Resistance

Freed following the Casablanca Conference in 1943 (also called the “Anfa Conference”), Aboulker returned to London in May 1943 and joined the Free French.

In October of that year, he was sent secretly into occupied France, as someone “responsible for the organisation of the health service of the Resistance movement”, preparing for the Liberation. There, he led operations parachuting surgical equipment into France.

Back in London in June 1944, he returned to Algiers, where he had his viva in medicine.

In August 1944, he left for a new mission in the South of France, to place prefects at Toulouse, Limoges, and Clermont-Ferrand.

José Aboulker in Times of Peace

Aboulker was the representative of the Algerian Resistance at the Provisional Consultative Assembly at Paris from 1944 to 1945, and he presented a proposition to change the electoral law in Algeria to allow the election of native Muslim deputies, who had never previously been admitted. This proposition was adopted.

After the war, Aboulker joined the Communist Party, and in 1946 he resumed his medicinal studies. He passed the internal examinations at the Hospital of Paris and finally became a professor of neurosurgery.

He committed himself to Algerian independence and opposed in 1958 the return of General de Gaulle in the launch of the plots of May 13. But then, taking into account the General’s actions regarding decolonisation, he voted in his favour in 1965. He belonged to the emergency medical service set up for the president of the Republic following the assassination attempt made on Petit-Clamart.

Aboulker is a Commander of the Legion of Honour and holder of the War Cross (1939-45), with 3 citations. He has been a member of the Liberation Council since June 1999.

Bibliography

Professeur José Aboulker et Christine Levisse-Touzé, 8 novembre 1942 : Les armées américaine et anglaise prennent Alger en quinze heures, Paris, Espoir, n° 133, 2002.

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 {{Uncategorized|December 2006}}
-'''José Aboulker''' (b. [[March 5]], [[1920]]) was a member of the anti-[[Nazi]] resistance.  He was born in the Algerian capital [[Alger]] into a Jewish family. His father, Henri Aboulker, was a surgeon and professor in the Faculty of Medicine in Alger. His mother, Berthe Aboulker, was a woman of letters.
+'''José Aboulker''' (b. [[March 5]], [[1920]]) was a member of the anti-[[Nazi]] resistance.  He was born in the Algerian capital [[Algiers]] into a Jewish family. His father, Henri Aboulker, was a surgeon and professor in the Faculty of Medicine in Algiers. His mother, Berthe Aboulker, was a woman of letters.
-In April 1940, José Aboulker, studying medicine at the time, was mobilised as an officer cadet. He was demobilised in February 1941.
+A medical student at the outbreak of World War II, Aboulker was mobilised in April 1940 as an officer cadet. He was demobilised in February 1941.
-==José Aboulker and the Algerian Resistance==
+==Aboulker and the Algerian Resistance==
-In September 1940, he had founded a resistance network in Alger, in partnership with his cousin [[Roger Carcassonne]] who had done the same at Oran, and he subsequently became one of the main leaders of the Algerian Resistance movement. The 2 cousins met [[Henri d'Astier de la Vigerie]], with whom they prepared the French assistance to the future Allied landings, in collaboration with Colonel Germain Jousse and Consul Robert Murphy, [[President Roosevelt]]'s representative in Alger.
+In September 1940, Aboulker founded a resistance network in Algiers, in partnership with his cousin [[Roger Carcassonne]] who had done the same at Oran, and Aboulker subsequently became one of the main leaders of the Algerian resistance movement. The two cousins met [[Henri d'Astier de la Vigerie]], with whom they prepared support for the expected Allied landings in North Africa, in collaboration with Colonel Germain Jousse and the U.S. Consul Robert Murphy, [[President Roosevelt]]'s representative in Algiers.
-The headquarters for the preparation were at José's father's house, at 26 Rue Michelet.
+The headquarters for the preparation were at his father's house at 26 Rue Michelet.
-On the night of the Allied landings in North Africa, the 8 November 1942, José Aboulker commanded the occupation of Alger by 400 members of the Resistance, at the central police station, with his deputy Bernard Karsenty and the help of Guy Calvet and Superintendent Achiary.
+On the night of the Allied landings in North Africa, November 8, 1942, Aboulker led the occupation of Algiers by 400 members of the Resistance, seizing the central police station, with his deputy Bernard Karsenty and the help of Guy Calvet and Superintendent Achiary.
-Led by their group leaders, all of the Resistance fighters, with the exception of the reserve officers, neutralised the command centres, occupied strategic positions and stopped the military officials and civilian supporters of the Vichy government, starting with General Juin, the Commander-in-chief, and Admiral François Darlan.
+Led by their group leaders, all of the Resistance fighters, with the exception of the reserve officers, neutralised the command centres, occupied strategic positions, and stopped the military officials and civilian supporters of the Vichy government, starting with General Juin, the Commander-in-chief, and Admiral [[François Darlan]].
-In the morning, when the 19th Army Corps of the [[Vichy Government]], finally aware of the operation, tried to mobilise themselves, it had to concentrate its efforts on the Resistance fighters rather than the forces of the Allied landing. With the landings around Alger having been completed, José Aboulker, anxious not to spill French blood, asked the group leaders, one after another, to evacuate their positions. He also organised, with the group leader Captain Pillafort, barricades using the Resistance fighters who had become available when certain positions had been evacuated, so as to paralyse the mobilisation. The result was that, by the evening, the forces of the Vichy government had not dared to confront the central police station, the last place with insurgents. It was thus, thanks to this “putsch” of 8 November 1942, that the Allies were able to land without opposition and then encircle Alger, causing the town to capitulate that evening, with its port intact and the leaders of the African Army to surrender.
+In the morning, when the XIXth Army Corps of the [[Vichy Government]] tried to mobilise to oppose the Allied landings, it had to concentrate its efforts on the Resistance fighters rather than Allied forces. With the landings around Algiers having been completed, Aboulker--anxious not to spill French blood--asked the group leaders to evacuate their positions. Using Resistance fighters from the evacuated positions, he organised with the group leader Captain Pillafort barricades to hinder the mobilisation of the Vichy military. As a result, the forces of the Vichy government did not attack by that evening the central police station, the last place with insurgents. The confusion created by this “putsch” of 8 November 1942 helped the Allies land almost without opposition and then encircle Algiers. Admiral Darlan surrendered the city three days later.
+On December 24, 1942, Darlan, who was still in power and who had maintained the Vichy government regime in the Allied camp with the support of General Giraud, was killed by Fernand Bonnier de la Chapelle in an muddled effort to restore the French monarchy. Giraud succeeded Darlan and ordered the arrest of Aboulker, just as most of the Resistance leaders were deported to southern Algeria in December 1942.
-Unlike at Oran and Morocco, where the putsch had failed, the Americans, greeted with artillery fire, lasted three days to supply injured combatants and only stopped the fire after having received the order of Juin and Darlan, given since Alger, under the threat of General Clark.
-Afterwards, Darlan, who was still in power and who had maintained the Vichy government regime in the Allied camp with the support of General Giraud, was killed by the young patriot Bonnier of La Chapelle. Giraud succeeded Darlan and José Aboulker was then arrested, under Giraud’s order, just as most of the Resistance leaders were and deported to South Algeria in December 1942, without the slightest opposition from Robert Murphy, the US representative.
 ==José Aboulker and the Metropolitan Resistance==
-Freed following the Casablanca Conference in 1943 (also called the “Anfa Conference”), José Aboulker returned to London in May 1943 and joined the [[Free French]].
+Freed following the Casablanca Conference in 1943 (also called the “Anfa Conference”), Aboulker returned to London in May 1943 and joined the [[Free French]].
 In October of that year, he was sent secretly into occupied France, as someone “responsible for the organisation of the health service of the Resistance movement”, preparing for the Liberation. There, he led operations parachuting surgical equipment into France.
-Back in London in June 1944, he returned to Alger, where he had his viva in medicine.
+Back in London in June 1944, he returned to Algiers, where he had his viva in medicine.
-In August 1944, he left for a new mission in the South of France, to place prefects at Toulouse, Limoges and Clermont-Ferrand.
+In August 1944, he left for a new mission in the South of France, to place prefects at Toulouse, Limoges, and Clermont-Ferrand.
 ==José Aboulker in Times of Peace==
-José Aboulker was the representative of the Algerian Resistance at the Provisional Consultative Assembly at Paris from 1944 to 1945, and he presented a proposition to change the electoral law in Algeria, to allow the election of native Muslim deputies, who had never previously been admitted. This proposition was adopted by the Assembly, which allowed such deputies at the Constituent Assembly.
+Aboulker was the representative of the Algerian Resistance at the Provisional Consultative Assembly at Paris from 1944 to 1945, and he presented a proposition to change the electoral law in Algeria to allow the election of native Muslim deputies, who had never previously been admitted. This proposition was adopted.
-After the war, José Aboulker joined the Communist Party and in 1946, he resumed his medicinal studies. He passed the internal examinations at the Hospital of Paris and finally became Professor of neurosurgery.
+After the war, Aboulker joined the Communist Party, and in 1946 he resumed his medicinal studies. He passed the internal examinations at the Hospital of Paris and finally became a professor of neurosurgery.
-He committed himself to Algerian independence and opposed, in 1958, the return of General de Gaulle in the launch  of the plots of May 13. But then, taking into account the General’s actions regarding decolonisation, he voted in his favour in 1965. He belonged to the emergency medical service set up for the president of the Republic following the assassination attempt made on Petit-Clamart.
+He committed himself to Algerian independence and opposed in 1958 the return of General de Gaulle in the launch  of the plots of May 13. But then, taking into account the General’s actions regarding decolonisation, he voted in his favour in 1965. He belonged to the emergency medical service set up for the president of the Republic following the assassination attempt made on Petit-Clamart.
-José Aboulker is a French Resistance Fighter, a Commander of the Legion of Honour and holder of the War Cross (1939-45), with 3 citations, just like the US Medal of Freedom.
-José Aboulker has been a member of the Liberation Council since June 1999.
+Aboulker is a Commander of the Legion of Honour and holder of the War Cross (1939-45), with 3 citations. He has been a member of the Liberation Council since June 1999.