| Philippe Erulin | |
|---|---|
| Born | 5 July 1932 Dole, France |
| Died | 26 September 1979 Paris, France |
| Allegiance | France |
| Service/branch | French Army |
| Years of service | 1952-1979 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Commands held | 2 REP |
| Battles/wars | Suez Crisis Algerian War Shaba II |
| Awards | Commander of the Légion d'honneur |
Philippe Louis Edmé Marie François Erulin (5 July 1932, Dole, Jura – 26 September 1979) was a French Army officer. He gained notoriety in Algeria for taking part in the torture of Henri Alleg, and in Africa for leading the Battle of Kolwezi.
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Erulin graduated from the ESMIA on 29 September 1952. On 1 February 1953, he was promoted to corporal, and to sergeant on 1 April.
On 1 October 1954, Erulin was promoted to sous-lieutenant, and attented course at the École d'application de l'infanterie, in Saint Maixent.
On 20 January 1955, he was transferred to the 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment, and rose to full lieutenant on 1 October 1956. On 10 June 1957, he took part in the arrest of Maurice Audin, and later in the torture of Henri Alleg, who later described his ordeal in La Question.[1]
| “ | Near the window, a lieutenant. I learnt later that his name was Erulin. A large bear-like body, far too large for this small, slant-eyed head of hald-wakened baby and for the high-pitched voice that came from it, the slightly unctuous and lisping voice of a vicious choirboy[2] | ” |
On 1 April 1961, Erulin was promoted to Captain. On 1 June 1962, he was put at the head of the 6th company of the 153rd motorised infantry regiment. On July 1968, he rose to major, and to lieutenant-colonel on 1 October 1973.
On 1 July 1976, Erulin was promoted to full colonel, and received command of the 2 REP, in Calvi. In this capacity, he led the regiment during the Battle of Kolwezi. During this period, he had Ante Gotovina as his personal driver.
The battle raised Erulin's mediatic profile and brought back the torture of Alleg to the foreground of public debate, with an article in Le Monde on 18 March 1978, and a television broadcast on Les Dossiers de l'Ecran, where René Andrieu mentioned Alleg's ordeal.[3]
| “ | Everybody must talk, here! We've waged war in Indochina, that's enough for us to know your lot. Here, it's the Gestapo! You know the Gestapo? (...) What we're doing here, we'll do it in France. Your Duclos and your Mitterrand, we'll do to them what we're doing to you, and your fucking Republic, we'll screw it too ! Philippe Erulin, quoted in La Question [1] |
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