Only 51 surviving Companions of the Liberation. On 27 April 2009 died Serge Ravanel, Companion of the Lib?ration. Serge Ravanel, whose real name was Serge Asher, born in 1920, was a student when the war began. Je joined the French Resistance in 1941, and then the group of journalists of the Temps Nouveaux review. He created his own Resistance group at the end of 1941. He will then join the group Lib?ration-Sud, and is arrested in November 1942, and again in March 1943 after an evasion. Free in May 1943, he becomes National Head of the Groupes-Francs, and adopts his war-name "Ravanel". He will again be arrested in October 1943 and will again evade himself. In June 1944, he will be appointed by General Koening Head of the FFI Forces of the Toulouse region, and will participate in the liberation of Toulouse, Autun, Royan. Wounded in September 1944, he will rsign from his command position. After the war, he will be have several industrial management and direction responsibilities in French ministries. Here is his bio (in French) : http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr/fr_compagnon/35.html After his death, there are now only 51 surviving Companions of the Liberation. Ch. Pic : Chancellerie de l'Ordre de la Lib?ration.