Pierre Jeanpierre

Pierre Paul Jeanpierre (14 March 1912 – 29 May 1958) was a soldier in the French Army, a French Resistance fighter and senior officer of the French Foreign Legion. He served in the French Army and fought during World War II, the First Indochina War, the Suez Crisis and the Algerian War, where he was killed in action. Apart from a short time spent in the French resistance and as a deportee during World War II, he served with the Foreign Legion from 1936 onwards. Jeanpierre commanded the 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion, expanded into the 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment (1er REP) until his death during the Algerian War. Jeanpierre was born in 1912 at Belfort. His father was an active duty career officer and captain in the 42nd Infantry Regiment (42e Régiment d'Infanterie), killed during World War I in 1916 at Marne without ever seeing his family since the outbreak of the war in August 1914. Pierre was raised by the paternal sight of his mother and enlisted in the infantry at barely 18 years of age. Pierre enlisted in the 131st Infantry Regiment as a soldier in 1930 and worked being seconded from the enlisted corps by passing by all the non-commissioned ranks, graduating second from the Infantry and Tank School of Saint-Maixent as a Second-Lieutenant on 1 October 1936. Pierre's accomplished graduation ranking allowed him to choose the Foreign Legion's 1st Foreign Regiment, making a Legion Lieutenant on 1 October 1938. Pierre endured the Phoney War "Drôle de Guerre" and was put at disposition. He was also deeply marked by the defeat of 1940. During World War II, Pierre also served with distinction in the Syria–Lebanon Campaign 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment, deployed in 1939 to the French Levant and took part in Mediterranean operations in 1940 at the corps formation of the 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment, part of the Foreign Legion Group. Following combats in the Syria–Lebanon Campaign which he did not partake in confronting other French contingents, Pierre refused to join the Free French Forces from the principle of sticking with his idea of a Tricolour Flag.