Anniversary of the death of Capitaine X.de Cacqueray-Valmenier

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Dear readers:

Once again the anniversary of the death of a former officer of the French Army under whose orders I served in Vietnam in 1952-1953 and again in 1954 comes around.

Capitaine Xavier de Cacqueray-Valmenier died for his country on the battle field the 28 September 1958 in Algeria. He was 30 years old and a member of an old French family, the military history of which, by the remark of a family member goes back to the early 1700's.

The upper picture was taken in January 1953 in Nam Dinh, Tonkin and shows from left to right:

Capitaine Andre Viard, company commander 5.Cie.Portee/ 1.REC, Lt. X.de Cacqueray-Valmenier, executive officer, Brigadier B.Holst, company radio operator, trooper Vu, and Leg. Zenov.

The second picture shows the Lt.de Cacqueray on the radio with radio operator, Brigadier Holst and the carrier of the radio, a PIM ( Prisonier Internee Militaire) taken on operation in 1953 in the Red River Delta of (North) Vietnam.

The class of 2012 of the French Army Officers Academy of St.Cyr

has elected to be named after this distinguished officer. Photos of the graduation festivities can be seen at:

www.st-cyr.terre.defense.gouv.fr

go to "Actualites then scroll down to "Triomphe 2012";

for pictures of the class parading on the past July 14 in Paris go to :

"Les Ecoles sur les Champs Elysees"

Thank you for reading this.

Bernhard H. Holst

formerly of the 1.REC and the 1.RE

Edited September 27, 2012 by Bernhard H.Holst

[Chris Boonzaier]

Actually a pretty neat idea... getting POWs to carry the radio ;-)

Dont know if that would work nowdays...

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Actually a pretty neat idea... getting POWs to carry the radio ;-)

Dont know if that would work nowdays...

Hello Chris:

the only time I had a PIM as radio carrier in about 1 1/2 years or so of being the company radio operator. The PIM category I believe contained "mild " cases, probably more suspected civilians rather than truly POW's, taken with weapon in hand (rarely) or in action ( weapons hidden). Purely infantry units ( on foot, not mounted like my unit and other armored formations' mounted infantry) had spare ammunition, rations etc carried by PIM carrier contingents, but they still required guards especially at night).

Here is a picture of myself and the longtime radio carrier, Trooper Lang.

Left background shows First-aid man patching some injury or other, Captain Robert Casati, (squadron commander) with fieldglasses). Assistant radio operator "guarding" detainees , we did not tie them up. Radio is WW II generation US Signal Corps Radio SCR 300.

Bernhard H. Holst