Marcel-Maurice Carpentier

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Général d'armée Marcel-Maurice Carpentier (1895-1977) was a French military officer who served in World War II and French Indochina.

Born July 14th 1895 in Marseille , he was the eldest son in his family. He studied at the School of St Cyr In 1937 he was Chef d'état-major (chief of staff) of the Commandant supérieur of Levantine Troops. From 1940-1941 he served under Jean de Lattre de Tassigny as chief of staff of the commander in chief of North Africa at the headquarters of Vichy French forces in Tunisia. In 1942 Carpentier joined General Charles de Gaulle's Free French forces, becoming chief of staff of the French Expeditionary Corps in 1943. He continued in this post until 1944, when he became Commander of the 2nd Moroccan Division, with which he served until 1945.

After World War II he was in charge of France's 15 military region and was appointed Commandant supérieur of Tunisian Troops in 1946. He was made Grand Officier of the French Legion of Honor in 1947.

In 1949 he was appointed commander in chief of French forces in Indochina, but in 1950 he was replaced by de Lattre. Carpentier then returned to Europe to become chief of staff assigned to N.A.T.O. in 1951, serving there until 1952. In 1956 he was appointed Inspector General of Infantry, eventually retiring as Commander in Chief of N.A.T.O. for Central Europe.

He married Laurinas Lacroix and had had 4 children