Jean Gilles (General)
Jean Gilles (born October 14, 1904 in Perpignan , † August 10, 1961 in Mont-Louis ) was a French Général de corps d'armée . He served in the rank of general during the Indochina War and the Algerian War .
Life
Gille's father was killed as a captain in 1914 during the First World War . He completed his education at the military school and attended the Saint-Cyr military school . After graduating from the academy, he served as an officer in a camel cavalry association in the Rif War in Morocco. During the Second World War , Gilles was demobilized by the armed forces of the Vichy regime in 1942. While trying over Spain the Free French to join, he was interned but eventually released there for health reasons. It was eventually used on Elba as well as in southern France and southern Germany.
In 1949, Gilles was assigned to the paratroopers. During the Indochina War, Jean Gilles commanded the successful defense of Na San . As a result, he was promoted to general. He also commanded the first paratroopers to jump over Dien Bien Phu . However, he handed this command over to Christian Marie de Castries . Gilles took part in the occupation of the Suez Canal during the Suez Crisis . Gilles commanded the French units around Constantine in the Algerian war . One of Gilles' sons was killed in that war in 1961. Gilles died of a heart attack that same year.
Awards
- Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor
- Croix de guerre 1939-1945,
- Croix de guerre des Théâtres d'opérations extérieurs,
- Croix de la Valeur militaire,
- Médaille des évadés,
- Médaille de l'aéronautique,
- Croix du combattant,
- Médaille coloniale
- Knight of the Order of the Dragon of Annam
- Commander of the Order of the Black Star
- Croix de la Vaillance Vietnamienne,
- Distinguished Service Cross (USA),
- Grand Officer of the National Orders (Vietnam),
- Grand Officer of the Ouissam Alaouite
- Grand Officer of Nishan el Iftikhar
- Ordre du Mérite civil Taï
- Commander of the Royal Order of Cambodia
- Médaille de la paix au Maroc,
- Died for France
Individual evidence
- ^ Jacques Dalloz: Dictionnaire de la Guerre d'Indochine 1945-1954. Paris 2006, p. 105
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Gilles, Jean |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Gilles, Jean Marcellin Joseph Calixte (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | French general |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 14, 1904 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Perpignan |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 10, 1961 |
| Place of death | Mont-Louis |