Pierre Auguste Roques

Pierre Auguste Roques , born with Marseillan (Herault) the December 28th 1856 and died in Saint-Cloud in February 1920, is a French general, one of the first organizers of the Military aviation French.

Biography

Wire of a modest family, child of a sharp intelligence, it profits from a grant which enables him to prepare the entrance examination with Polytechnic school, where he becomes the friend of Joffre or he will become artillerist. Having chosen at its exit the weapon of the Genius, more Engineer that soldier, it creates at the time of its colonial structure campaigns many (railways, bridges, roads) to the Tonkin, in Algérie and especially with Madagascar. According to the historians, the island owes him most of its installation.

Military career

Pierre Auguste Roques was successively lieutenant with the 2 {{E}} Régiment of the Genius (1879), Capitaine detached with the column expeditionary of the Oranian South in 1882, Major in 1892, Lieutenant-colonel in 1898. directing Colonel of the Genius and of public works of Madagascar in 1901, it becomes in 1906 director of the Genious to the ministry for the War and general inspector of incipient military aeronautics. It is promoted Brigadier general in 1906, then Major general in 1909, he is the youngest chief of army with his successes on the Marne and in Lorraine. Near to the general Joseph Joffre, it replaced the general Galliéni as Ministre for the War from March 16th to December 12th, 1916 puit was replaced by Lyautey. It takes then the command of the IV {{E}} Armée until the end with 1917. The Roques general took his retirement in 1919.

Contribution to the rise of the French military aviation

As a director of the Genius, it is occupied as from 1906 of management of the incipient Aéronautique. It estt the creator and the true organizer of the Military aviation French. In 1911, year when the military contest of airplanes of Rheims proceeds - first world on the matter - which makes it possible French aeronautics to buy “scientifically” its first airplanes, it decides that the “establishments of aeronautics” would henceforth bear the name of “escadrilles” and that the “airplanes” from now on would be called “planes” according to the name chosen by Clément Ader for his own apparatus and in homage to this engineer visionary with whom it corresponds regularly. One also owes him the “notebook of timetable of the pilots” become thereafter the “notebook of flight” still still of use today.

Death

He dies in Saint-Cloud the February 26th 1920. Buried first of all in Marseillan, its skin is then transferred to the Hôtel from the Invalids to Paris, where it is today.

Ranks

brigadier general 3/25/1906.
major general 12/27/1909.

Stations

1/23/06 - directing 11/8/1910 of the Genius to the Ministry for the War.
2/20/08 - 10/28/1910 member of the technical Committee of the Colonial Troops.
11/8/10 - 4/9/1912 permanent inspector of military Aeronautics.
4/9/12 - ordering 8/18/1913 of the 7th division of infantry.
8/18/13 - ordering 1/5/1915 of the 12th army corps.
1/5/15 - ordering 3/16/1916 of the 1 army.
3/16/16 - 12/11/1916 Minister for the War.
12/12/16 - 12/31/1916 of availability.
12/31/16 - ordering 3/25/1917 of the 4th army.
3/26/17 - 2/24/1919 general inspector of Work and Organization of the zone of the armies.
11/23/18 - 2/24/19 chair technical Committee of the Genius.
12/28/18 placed in the section of reserve.

Decorations

; French decorations

Legion of honor: Knight (7/5/1887), Officer (12/29/1898), Commander (7/10/1907), Large Officer (7/11/1912), Large Cross (1/11/1916).
Military decoration (1/29/1920).
Interallied Medal of the Victoire.
Medal Commemorative of Tonkin.
Medal Commemorative of Madagascar.
Medal Commemorative of the Great War.

; Principal foreign decorations

Belgium: Large Cross of the Royal Order of Léopold.
Italy: Large Cross of the Royal Order of the Saints Maurice and Lazare.

Homonym

Charles Auguste Henri Castlings, major general, born on July 4th, 1858 (the Low-Pyrenees,) killed on September 6th, 1914, in Bar-le-Duc (Meuse)

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