Everything about Jules Gaucher totally explained
Jules Gaucher (
13 September 1905 -
13 March 1954) was a French military officer noted for his command of
Foreign Legion troops in
Indochina. He was killed at the
Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954.
Early life
Gaucher graduated from the French
military academy at
St Cyr in
1929 and was commissioned as a
Sous-lieutenant (2nd Lieutenant). He was posted to
French Algeria and served as an officer with the
Régiment de Tirailleurs Algériens from 1929 to 1931. He transferred to the Foreign Legion in 1931 and served in North Africa with the
1st Foreign Legion Regiment (1° REI) and the
3rd Foreign Legion Regiment (3° REI). In 1938 he was promoted to
Capitaine (Captain) and transferred to 5th Foreign Infantry Regiment (5° REI) in
Tonkin. He was promoted to
Chef de bataillon (Major) in
1945 and returned to the Foreign Legion
depot at
Sidi Bel Abbes where he joined
13e Démi-Brigade de la Légion Étrangère (13e DBLE).
Indochina 1950-54
Gaucher was appointed to command of 3rd battalion of 13th demi-brigade (III/13 DBLE) in
1949 and returned to Indochina at the head of his battalion in
1950 as part of the
French Far East Expeditionary Corps to participate in the
First Indochina War. Under his command, III/13 DBLE served throughout Indochina - notably in the Delta (1951) and at the
Battle of Hoa Binh (1951-52). In 1951 he was promoted to
Lieutenant-colonel and asked to remain in Indochina with 13 DBLE instead of accepting command elsewhere. He served as
second-in-command (executive officer) of 13 DBLE from 1951 to 1953, until in 1953 he was appointed as commander of 13 DBLE.
Dien Bien Phu 1953-54
Gaucher was appointed to command of Groupe Mobile 9 during the
Battle of Dien Bien Phu. The group (equivalent to a
regimental combat team) comprised 3 infantry battalions (the 1/13 DBLE, 3/13 DBLE, and III/3 RTA), and 1 artillery battalion (the III/10 RAC). Gaucher was killed at Dien Bien Phu on
13 March 1954 when his
command post suffered a direct hit from Viet Minh artillery. Suffering from serious wounds – the loss of both arms, severe injuries to both legs, and an open chest wound – he died at the hospital. (Fall, 1966)
Trivia
Described as a "burly, hard-drinking veteran of years of jungle fighting, with a nose like an axe-blade and a mouth like its cut", Gaucher was known as 'the Old Man' to his troops. (Windrow, 2004)
Further Information
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