Andre Devigny

André Devigny (1916-1999) was a soldier and resistant French.

Its youth

André Devigny was born on May 25th, 1916 with Habère-Lullin (Haute-Savoie) in a family from farmers and soldiers from strong patriotic tradition.

The War

Raise War orphan at the Teacher training school Teachers of Bonneville, the higher military preparation and the declaration of war lead the young second lieutenant of the 5th RTM (Regiment of Moroccan Riflemen) Andre Devigny in first line in Lorraine.

In December 1939, after a preparation of artillery, the position held by its section is violently attacked by a German company. In this fatal confrontation with against three, it engages a counter-attack with the bayonet after exhaustion of the ammunition and the survivors manage to push back the enemy by inflicting heavy losses to him. This action is worth to him, at 23 years, the first Légion of Honor of the war.

Seriously wounded in Ham in May 1940, it is evacuated towards the hospital of Bordeaux. Wanting to join London at the end of 1940, he contacts the British intelligence services which, taking into account its membership of the 5th RTM direct it towards Morocco, with Port-Lyautey, to take part in the preparation of the combined unloading, which will take place on November 8th, 1942 at this place.

Received with the contest of admission at the School of Holy Maixent, it joined the Metropolis, but the invasion of the southern zone by the German army, in November 1942, the met on leave of armistice.

Resistance

In order to continue the combat, André Devigny contacts the English consul in Geneva which recommends it to the Colonel Groussard. This last entrusts the mission to him of organizing a network of military information covering the southern zone of France. This network, known as " Gilbert" , is quickly made up, operational and effective. Preparation of the unloading in Provence, of the sabotage of the powder mill of Toulouse, and the execution of the dangerous chief of Italian against-espionage, are among its first tasks. It also creates a service of passage towards Switzerland which will be used by all Resistance.

Infiltrated by a frightening double agent, the network is betrayed, but will remain operational thanks to its bulk-heading. André Devigny is stopped in station of Annemasse by the Gestapo on April 17th, 1943, and one of his assistants shot down in Lyon. Internee at the height Montluc in Lyon and tortured by the disaster Barbie, lieutenant Devigny tries a first escape during a transfer, but is wounded and begun again at once.

Untameable prisoner, it prepares his escape thoroughly, when on August 20th, 1943, Barbie notifies to him its death sentence by the German martial court. August 24th, it puts its project at execution and escapes from night under spectacular conditions, reported in its book " One condemned to dead is escaped " , then carried to the screen later by Robert Bresson in a dramatic film preceded with the Cannes festival.

After its escape, continued and tracked, André Devigny succeeds in joining North Africa after a short stay in the jails Spanish. Volunteer with the battalion parachutist of shock, it takes part in the Débarquement in Provence in August 1944 and goes up towards Germany with the allied armies.

In 1944, it is named captain, in 1945 fact Compagnon of the Release, and in 1946 promoted major. It is thirty years old.

French forces in Germany

It carries out then its time of command, in particular in Germany with the 7th RTA (Regiment of Algerian Riflemen), where it attempts to make of its unit an example of excellence, particularly with the eyes of the Allies. The General Eisenhower, ordering allied forces in Europe, makes him the honor of a visit in remembering the unloading of 1942 in Morocco.

Military sports

The cabinet of the Minister for the Armies, in 1951, André Devigny ensures the direction of the military sports, the Bataillon of Joinville and the Ecole of High mountain of Chamonix. He attempts to develop synergies between the sporting and military values, then resolutely engages the military sports in many international competitions. He is elected president of the CISM (International committee of the Military Sports) unanimously of the 23 adherent nations.

Algeria

Colonel, chief of operational sector in the Algerian south of 1955 to 1962, André Devigny is again wounded with the combat in May 1959. Its operational effectiveness is noticed, but also its qualities of administrator and man of peaces, which were worth to him, lasting nearly three decades, regular visits in residence of delegations of Saharan nomads come to subject the various problems of their community to him. During the tragedy period of completion of the conflict, it gives an opinion for republican legality.

Challenges of the years soixantes

Returned in metropolis, it directs the higher military preparation of Paris and the military preparation parachutist for the worldwide. The Général de Gaulle appoints it also high-ranking magistrate with the Cour of state security, where its moderate and pragmatic positions are appreciated by all the parts. It is affected in 1965 with the cabinet of the Head of State major of the Army as a Director of the “Service Action” of SDECE (Service of External Documentation and Against-Espionage) with direction of the French annual delegation at the allied committee. It implements the reorganization of great width required by the news gives international. The hard missions of the “Service Action” in a context of major stakes and tensions exacerbated with the Middle-East, in the Pacific, in Africa, and to the East, took very high the responsibilities entrusted by the State to André Devigny. In addition, it sticks with obstinacy to make admit the importance to prepare the clandestine war as of the time of peace.

Promoted General in 1971, it is withdrawn later on in its native Haute-Savoie from where, at the time of many public interventions, it addresses to the young generations a message hammering the value of the example and the price of freedom.

An uninterrupted succession of actions and heroic engagements for the honor of France, several wounds, 12 quotations, the distinctions of Companion of the Release and Large Officer of the Legion of Honor, of many foreign decorations, punctuate an exceptional military course.

In February 1999, the small Hauteville-on-Proud cemetery of accommodates a large soldier.

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