Jean Raoux (soldier)

Jean Raoux
Jean Raoux
Born	1916; Dellys, Algeria
Died	11 January 2004; Paris, France
Allegiance	France; Free French Forces
Service / branch	Army
Years of service	1939–1972
Rank	Général de brigade
Battles / wars	Second World War; Indochina; Algeria
Awards	Officier de la Légion d'honneur ; Croix de guerre 1939-1945 ; Croix de Guerre des TOE ; Croix de la Valeur militaire

Jean Raoux (1916 – 11 January 2004) was a French général de brigade, who began his career during the Second World War and later fought in Indochina and Algeria.

Life

Early life

Jean Raoux was particularly noted for his knowledge of Arabic, completed by a licence ès lettres. In his youth he frequently met with the writer Albert Camus in Algiers.

Education

Prepara Saint-Cyr at La Corniche (Alger)
Ecole Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr, promotion Marne et Verdun (1937–1939)
Breveté at the Ecole de Guerre (Doctorate in National Defence on the American defence strategy under FD Roosevelt)
Diplômé at the Ecole d'Etat-Major
Licence in Arabic (Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales)
Licence in English
Licence Es lettres

Second World War

1939 – Sous-Lieutenant – Assigned to the Caserne de Châteauroux to train reservists before the Battle of the Ardennes
1940 – Lieutenant – Fought in the Ardennes during the Battle of France
June 1940 – Captured by the Germans and escaped
1941 – In the Free Zone he rejoined the 152e régiment d'infanterie
1942 – At Clermont-Ferrand (then in the Free Zone) he married Marie-Paule Solelis (1920 – 5 October 2009) then returned to Algiers
1942 – He joined the 16e régiment de tirailleurs algériens at Tlemcen and fought in the North African campaign
1942 – Birth of his eldest daughter Marie-Françoise
January – May 1943: Fought against the Germans in the Tunisian campaign
1944 – He commanded a company of the 1st demi-brigade de Zouaves
15 August 1944 – Participated in Operation Dragoon, landing at Cavalaire
20 November 1944 – He actively participated in the liberation of Mulhouse under the command of Général de Lattre de Tassigny and joined the advance into Germany
February 1945 – Birth of his son Bernard
1945 – Under the orders of Colonel de Pouilly, he joined the 1re Division Blindée at Besançon

Indochina

1946: Captain: 10e Promotion de l'Ecole d'Etat-Major
17 December 1948: Birth of his daughter Catherine (married Joannidès in 1972) at Besançon
1948–1952: Put in command of 1re région militaire
1952–1955: Appointed to the France's High Commission to Laos; operated in Cochinchina at the head of a unit of Cambodians

Also whilst in Indochina he was councillor to his majesty Norodom Sihanouk, king of Cambodia, as well as Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny's personal English translator. He also met Graham Greene in Indochina and advised him on the publication of his The Quiet American.

Algeria

1955–1958: Ministère des Armées, liaison officer with the British Army
1958–1960: Chef de bataillon in the Aures
Councillor to his majesty Hassan II of Morocco

Later career

1964: Ecole supérieure de guerre
1966–1968 – Colonel: Commandement of the 75e régiment d'infanterie de ligne at Valence
1969–1972 – Groupe d'organisation des manoeuvres nationales to the Ecole Militaire in Paris, where his son Bernard, Sous-Lieutenant joined him in the Groupe de Recherche Opérationnelle de l'Armée de Terre
1972 – Made Général in the Conseil des Ministres

Decorations

Honours

Officer of the Légion d'Honneur
Commander of the Ordre National du Mérite
Croix de guerre 1939-1945 (three citations)
Croix de guerre des TOE with Palm
Croix de la Valeur Militaire with Palm
Chevalier dans l'ordre du Mérite Agricole
Médaillé du Corps expéditionnaire français d'Extrême-Orient (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia)
Médaillé des opérations de sécurité et de maintien de l'ordre en Algérie
Decorated in the Order of a Million Elephants (Laos)

Citations

He won six citations, of which two were in dispatches.

Tunisian campaign (citation in the divisional orders with the Croix de guerre)

A young company commander full of distinction, he distinguished himself, repeatedly engaging his unit and particularly in the valley of Oued Kebir on 17 and 25 April 1943, installing his artillery in difficult conditions under heavy fire. He then completed many missions in the plain of Pont-du-Thas, on 27, 28 and 29 April. Under heavy artillery and infantry fire he found the body of a chef de bataillon killed that morning. He continued [fighting] in the battles of 9 to 12 May (Nord de Zaghouan) to guarantee connections under violent enemy artillery fire.

French campaign (three days after entering the campaign)

An energetic and brave young officer, on 27 September 1944 he and his section were charged with covering the clearance of axis M...- la ch... Conducting an advance in force of several kilometres neutralising repeated resistance where pointing to the tanks and clearing his section in a final assault that left eight prisoners in his hands.