The Colonel's medals..... Indochina-Algeria-Corsica

[Chris Boonzaier]

I was very happy to get this grouping, not all of it, but the central parts... His Medals, badges for most of the units he was in, what I think was the flag for his Regt Commanders car, and some commemorative table medals, one when the regiment was reconstituted in 1972 and one as a going away present when he left the regiment in 1976.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi Berets... the dark one Algeria period, the lighter one probably in the 70s.... the badge on the lighter one was introduced in the early 90s... you can see the beret had the earlier badge but he probably put the new badge on later for veterans reunions as it is the badge of the regiment he commanded

[Chris Boonzaier]

Better pics......

[Chris Boonzaier]

I have managed to add quite a bit to this group... including this.... a Table medal presented to Colonel Gilbert by General commanding the Legion during reunion of ex Regimental commanders in June 1996. I am not sure how many of these were handed out.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Some souveniers of his time in the 2CSPL and commanding the 1CSPL .... the CSPL or motorised Saharan Companies were old school, hundreds of miles through the Sahara kinda guys... The two Brass plates are factory made but with local artisans adding the badges by beating them out ny hand... both made in Ghadaia, which if you goole and click on Photos shows a very typical Sahara town. I do not have the exact info but it seems he was a Lt in the 2nd CSPL then took command of the 1 CSPL as Captain.... here is him on the right handing over the Company colors when the unit was renamed... and his souvenirs... possibly gifts when he left the respective units...

[dond]

Very nice.  Now you will have to part with some German stuff so you have room to display this properly.

[dante]

Great collection 

[Chris Boonzaier]

Ecstatic to find a small biography of the colonel, just bits and pieces of info, but added to the bits and pieces I already had I am able to get a good overview of all his postings..... 

 

Born on the 16th of March 1927 at Saint Laurent sur Sevre.
He finished his schooling at the Ecole Prytanee National Militaire.
Admitted to St Cyr from October 1947 until October 1949 he left as a sous-lieutenant and continued his training at the ecole d’aplication d’infanterie.
In May 1950 he was posted to the 1 RE in Sidi Bel Abbes where, in December 1950, he joined section training recruits for their postings to Indochina. On the 26 June 1951 he debarked in Indochina and was posted to the I/5e REI. In October 1951 he was promoted to Lieutenant.
On the 12 June 1953 he was wounded by shrapnel from a booby trap in North Vietnam in the Coi-Tri region. In July he was repatriated due to his wounds. After his recovery he was posted to Tunisia joining the 2e CSPL at Laghouat on the 22 June 1954.
In November 1956 he was posted to the CIC of the 1 RE GILE. He was promoted to Captain in April 1958 and took command of the company in June 1958 until September 1959.
On the 1 October 1958 he was posted to the 1 CSPL at Fort Flatters in South Algeria, taking command on the 15th of October. In January 1961 the Compagnie was renamed 1 ESPL, he remained in command until the 6th of March 1961 when he was posted to the General Staff of the Laghouat sector.
On the 1 October 1961 he returned to France joining the Section Technique de l’armee before being posted to the EMSST (Enseignement Militaire Supérieur Scientifique et Technique) in Paris. On the 1st of July 1965 he was promoted to Chef de Bataillon followed by a posting to the section technique de l’armée at Bourges.
In September 1967 he joined the 81st Promotion of the école supérieure de guerre (Staff college) followed by a posting to the 8° groupe de chasseurs mécanisés in Germany in August 1969. In August 1971 he joined the EMAT (Etat Major de l'Armee de Terre – Army General Staff) in Paris. He was promoted to Lt Col on the 1st October 1971.
He arrived in Corte on the 1st od August 1974 and took command of the 2 RE on the 12th of the month. On the 1st October 1975 he was promoted to Colonel. He handed over command of the regiment to colonel Mougin on the 12th August 1976.
Posted to Lille he joined the General Staff of the 2e Region Militaire at until September 1977 when he was posted to the direction technique des armements terrestres à Saint-Cloud (Technical directorate of ground force weapons). From 1977 until 1981 he served as the “Conseiller Militaire aupres du Directeur du GIAT” (Groupement Industriel des Armaments Terrestres). In November 1981 he was posted to the 3e Corps d’armee in an administrative role.
At his request he retired on the 1st of April 1984, promoted to général de brigade the day of his retirement.
Awards:
Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur – 6 November 1953
Officier de la Legion d’honneur – 13 August 1971
Commandeur de la Legion d’honneur – 14 October 1981
Croix de Guerre TOE – 4 Citations
Croix de la Valeur Militaire – 3 Citations
Medaille Coloniale – “Extreme Orient”
Medaille Commemorative de la guerre d’Indochine
Medaille Commemorative Afrique du Nord – “Tunisie” + “Algerie”
Gallantry Cross of Vietnam
Wound Medal – (He only wore the red star on the Indochina Ribbon)