Bernard de Lattre de Tassigny
Bernard de Lattre de Tassigny | |
|---|---|
| Allegiance | France |
| Service | French Army |
| Years of service | 1944-1951 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Battles / wars | World War II First Indochina War |
| Awards | Médaille militaire Croix de guerre 1939-1945 Croix de guerre des TOE |
| Relations | Jean de Lattre de Tassigny |
Bernard de Lattre de Tassigny (11 February 1928 – 30 May 1951) was a French Army officer, who fought during World War II and the First Indochina War, in which he was killed in action aged 23. At the time of his death, his father, General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, was the overall commander of French forces in Indochina. Bernard de Lattre received several medals during his short military career, including the posthumous award of the Médaille militaire.
Early life
Bernard de Lattre de Tassigny was born on 11 February 1928 in Paris, France. He was the only child of the French soldier and future-war hero and general Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, and his wife Simonne de Lamazière, both French aristocrats.[1]
Death
Two days after the battle, his body was flown home to France, accompanied by his father. The funeral took place in Britanny, France.
Bernard de Lattre's death received widespread press coverage at the time, including articles in The New York Times[2] and TIME magazine.[3] His funeral was featured in LIFE magazine as 'Picture of the Week'.[4]
Decorations
- Médaille militaire (posthumous)
- Croix de guerre 1939-1945
- Croix de guerre des Théatres d'Opérations Exterieures
Legacy
Bernard de Lattre's death greatly impacted his father and mother. His father in particular was said to have been deeply affected, and he died of cancer less than eight months later.[5] His mother, now entitled to call herself Madame la Maréchale following the posthumous promotion of her husband, "devoted herself to the memory of her son and to the history of her husband and the armies that he had commanded".[1]
The 1984-1985 class of the Ecole Militaire Interarmes was named “Promotion Lieutenant Bernard de Lattre de Tassigny” in his honour.[6]
Notes
- ^ a b Obituary: Simonne de Lattre de Tassigny, Douglas Johnson, The Guardian, Thursday 12 June 2003
- ^ French Chief's Son Slain, Thursday, 31 May 1951, page 3
- ^ War: Soldier's Son, TIME, Monday, 11 June 1951
- ^ Kiss for a Soldier Son LIFE, 25 June 1951, page 27
- ^ Jean-Marie de Lattre de Tassigny (1889-1952), Chemins de Memoire, accessed 17/01/2010
- ^ "Promotion Lieutenant Bernard de Lattre de Tassigny". Retrieved 9 January 2010.
External link
- Promotion Lieutenant Bernard de Lattre de Tassigny (emia.delattre.free.fr)
- Biography of Bernard de Lattre de Tassigny (Soldats de France.fr)