Jean Olié

Jean Olié
Jean Olié (1961)
Born	March 24, 1904 France
Died	2003 (99 years of age)
Allegiance	France
Service/branch	French Army French Foreign Legion
Years of service	1924-1961
Rank	Général d'armée
Commands held	1st Foreign Infantry Regiment Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment 1st Inspector of the Autonomous Group of the Foreign Legion (1950)
Battles/wars	World War II
Other work	Chief of the Military Staff of the President of the Republic Secretariat-General for National Defence and Security

Jean Olié (March 24, 1904 - 2003) was a French Général^[1] of the French Army and the 1st Inspector of the Autonomous Group of the Foreign Legion^[1] serving primarily in the French Foreign Legion from 1924 to 1961.

Military career

Jean entered the École spéciale militaire in 1924, and was a commissioned a sous-lieutenant in 1926 (Rif promotion).

Jean was assigned to the 28th Chasseur Battalion à Pied (French: 28^e Battaillon de Chasseur à Pied) on October 2 1926.

Promoted to the rank of lieutenant on October 1 1928, Jean served in the 4th Foreign Regiment 4^e R.E. on July 10 1931 and with the Goums (French: Les Goums; light infantry units of the Army of Africa) where he acquired a great deal of cultural knowledge and was an expert connaisseur around Muslim affairs.

Placed hors cadre, on October 20 1933, at the title of special services of North Africa. He was placed at the disposition resident commissioner general in Morocco.

He was promoted to captain on December 25 1935.

Portrait of French général Jean Olié.

Assigned on December 7 1936, to the directorate of political affairs at Rabat. He joined the 46th Infantry Regiment (French: 46^e Régiment d'Infanterie) on September 1 1939.

On November 1 1940, he was assigned to the mobilization of the general staff headquarters of the 41st Division (French: 41^e Division).

On December 25 1941, he was promoted to the rank of Chef de battaillon.

In armistice leave on April 9 1942, he was recruited at the corps of the indigenous affairs controllers of Morocco. Reintegrated in the armistice army on August 16 1942, he was placed hors cadres at the general staff headquarters of the 15th Military Division.

Detached on December 1 1942 to the 1^e RCA, he then was designated as the general secretariat of the region of Rabat, on March 24 1943.

On September 25 1943, he was nominated as a lieutenant-colonel.

Detached again, on January 23 1944, to the 1^e RCA.

He was assigned to the general staff headquarters of the 3rd Army Corps (French: 3^e Corps d'Armee) of February 7 1944, then at the general staff headquarters of Army B, on September 14 1944, as chief of the 3rd bureau of the 1st French Army.

In 1944, he took command of the Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion RMLE (French: Régiment de marche de la Légion étrangère, R.M.L.E) towards the end of the war.

He was chief of the cabinet of general commandant of the 1st French Army (French: 1^re Armée Française), from November 24 1944, then chief of the general staff headquarters of the 3rd Armored Division (French: 3^e Division Blindée), on January 18 1945.

He was promoted to the rank of colonel on January 25 1945.

He entered to general cabinet, inspector general of the Army, on May 10 1946. Commandment of the territories of Agadir-Confins, on May 31 1947, then, general secretariat of the region of Rabat, on December 31 1947 and director of indigenous affairs course, on August 30 1950.

He assumed command of the Autonomous Group of the Foreign Legion in 1950, and was succeeded by his second in command, général Paul Gardy.^[1]

Admitted to the 1st section of general officers on January 1 1953.

Military cabinet of the general, commissioner general resident of France in Morocco, on August 31 1954. He then commanded the École spéciale militaire and École militaire interarmes of Saint-Cyr from 1954 to 1956.

He was then nominated as the civilian and military governor of grand Kabylie on August 28 1956.

He was promoted to Général de division on March 1 1957.

On August 9 1958, Jean was put at the disposition of general director of the institute of high studies of national defense (French: institut des hautes études de la défense nationale) and center of high military studies (French: centres des hautes études militaires).

Elevated to the rank and designation of Général de corps d'armée on January 1 1959.

He assumed command of the army corps of Constantine on March 30 1960.

Elevated to the rank and designation of Général d'armée on September 8 1960.

In 1961, he served simultaneously as Chief of the Military Staff of the President of the Republic of France (French: État-major particulier du président de la République Française), as well as the Secretariat-General for National Defence and Security (French: Secrétariat général de la défense et de la sécurité nationale).

Jean Olié ended his service as of November 1, 1961. He was admitted by anticipation in the 2nd section of general officers.

On April 30 1975, he was the ceremonial chief of the Legion's commemoration of Camarón.

Recognitions and Honors

• Grand Croix de la Légion d'honneur
• Croix de guerre 1939-1945 (4 palms)
• Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures (3 palms)
• Croix de la Valeur militaire (3 palms)
• Médaille du sauvetage
• Chevalier de l'ordre du Mérite agricole
• Médaille des évadés
• Distinguished Service Order (U.K)
• Bronze Star Medal (U.S.)
• Honorary Battlefield Badge (French: Honneur du champ de bataille) (U.S.)
• Mérite Militaire Chérifien

He totalized 14 citations and is a Honorary Caporal-Chef of the French Foreign Legion.

See also

• Moroccan Division
• Saharan Méharistes Companies (méharistes sahariennes)
• Jacques Lefort
• Pierre Darmuzai
• René Lennuyeux

References

Sources

• Képi blanc History and Patrimony Division of the French Foreign Legion (French: Division histoire et patrimoine de la Légion étrangère)

Foreign Legion Command French Foreign Legion
Honneur et Fidélité History of the French Foreign Legion Foreign Legion Pioneers (Pionniers) List of French paratrooper units Képi Blanc (publication)
Current Foreign Legion Units	Administrative Communal Depot of the Foreign Regiments 1st Foreign Regiment Foreign Legion Command Foreign Legion Recruiting Group Infantry & Parachute Infantry 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment 13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade Foreign Legion Detachment in Mayotte Cavalry 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment Engineer & Parachute Engineer 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment Training 4th Foreign Regiment Jungle Training Center Combat Training Center at Arta Beach
Defunct Foreign Legion Units	Administrative and Training Communal Depot of the Foreign Regiments Parachute Parachute Company of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion 3rd Foreign Parachute Battalion Foreign Air Supply Company 3rd Foreign Parachute Regiment 1st Foreign Parachute Heavy Mortar Company Infantry 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment 1st Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment 2nd Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment 3rd Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment 4th Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment/Garibaldi Legion 1st Marching Regiment of the 2nd Foreign Regiment 2nd Marching Regiment of the 2nd Foreign Regiment Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion 5th Foreign Infantry Regiment 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment 11th Foreign Infantry Regiment 12th Foreign Infantry Regiment 21st Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers 22nd Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers 23rd Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers 1st Mounted Saharan Company of the Legion 2nd Mounted Saharan Company of the Legion 3rd Mounted Saharan Company of the Legion 4th Mounted Saharan Company of the Legion 1st Mounted Saharan Squadron of the Foreign Legion Cavalry 2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment 97th Reconnaissance Group of the Infantry Division Transport Armored Train of the Foreign Legion Disciplinary Disciplinary Company of the Foreign Regiments in the Far East Foreign Legion Brigades 31st Brigade (France)