René Morel (Légion étrangère)

René Morel
Born	December 6 1908 France
Died	May 08 1974
Allegiance	France
Service/branch	French Army French Foreign Legion
Years of service	1929 - 1968
Rank	Général de division
Commands held	13th Demi-Brigade of Foreign Legion 13e DBLE Technical Inspection of the Foreign Legion
Battles/wars	World War II

René Morel was a Général de division of the French Army and Commandant of the French Foreign Legion.^[1]

Military career

René was called for service at the 158th Infantry Regiment (French: 158^e Régiment d'Infanterie), on October 15 1929. Admitted to follow the course of reserve officer candidates of the special military school (French: école speciale militaire), he was nominated as reserve sous-lieutenant on October 1930. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in 1932. He subscribed an engagement of one year at the 152nd Infantry Regiment (French: 152^e Régiment d'Infanterie) with the rank of sergent.

Authorized to serve in situation activity, he resigns from his rank and integrated the Saint-Maixent infantry and combat tank military school (French: école militaire de l'infanterie et des chars de combat de Saint-Maixent). He was nominated as an active sous-lieutenant, on October 1933. He was assigned to the 6th company, then the CAI, and at last to the 2nd company of the 35th Infantry Regiment (French: 35^e Régiment d'Infanterie) at Belfort.

In February 1939, he joined the mounted company of the 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment 1^e REI at Sidi bel-Abbes. Designated to be part of the 13th Light Mountain Demi-Brigade of the French Foreign Legion of the expeditionary corps of Norway, he combat engaged at Bjervick and at Narvik in quality as section chief (French: section chief) of the machine gun company. He was cited.

In England, he decided to purse combat and rallied to general de Gaulle, he joined the Free French Forces with his unit. He followed the tracks of the 14th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion 14^e DBLE then the 13th Demi-Brigade of Foreign Legion 13^e DBLE at Dakar, Cameroun, then participated to the campaign of Eretria at the head of the 2nd company which he assumed the commandment. He distinguished himself during the course of opening violent combats. Wounded by a bullet during combats for the apprehension of Cheren, he refused to be evacuated as long as his unit was not relieved. He was evacuated on the French hospital of Cairo.

From January 1942 to May 1943, he combat engaged in Libya, Cyrenaica, Tripoli and at Bir Hakeim. On May 27 1942, the strong hold point which he was commanding received the principal shock attack of 70 tanks. A part of these tanks penetrated his position and fired all in reaching his command post. The attack was halted by the cannon firings of his company, with 32 tanks destroyed and very heavy losses inflicted on the enemy. On June 10, he was wounded by mortar fire, and wounded again on June 11 by bullets and mortar bombs. He refused to be attained to and healed. During the offensive of October 1942 which allowed Allied Forces to retake the initiative on the theatre of the Middle East (French: Moyen-Orient), he was wounded again by bullets during combats of Himeimat (French: combats de l'Himeimat).

Promoted to chef de bataillon on June 1943, he participated to the campaign of Tunisia and the campaign of Italy. He was wounded by shell blasts at Monte Leucio, on May 23 1944. In August of 1944, he disembarked at Cavalaire and went back on the valley of Rhone until Lyon and combat engaged at the Vosges.

Lieutenant-colonel in June 1946, he was assigned to the military cabinet of the War Minister (French: Ministère de la Guerre), then to the State secretariat of the Armed Forces (French: secretariat d'Etat au forces armées).

In August 1949, he was the regimental commander of the 13th Demi-Brigade of Foreign Legion 13^e DBLE, and commanded the sector of Hoc Mon in Cochinchine.

Colonel on January 1 1951, he was repatriated by end of colonial tour.

In September, he was nominated to the command of the general staff headquarters of Supreme Allied Armed Forces (French: L'état-major du commandement supreme des forces armées alliées) in Europe, the SHAPE. After having followed the 5th session of the defense NATO college, her served again in SHAPE.

In October 1953, he was designated as assistant (French: adjoint) to the general commandant the subdivision of Orléansville, then to the general commandant zone-west algéroise and the 9th Infantry Division (French: 9^e Division d'Infanterie).

Designated as Inspector of the Foreign Legion in January 1960, he was admitted to the 1st section of officers generals in the month of May of the same year. In that post, he avoided an attempt by the OAS. In December 1964, he received the commandment of the subdivision of the Alpes-Maritimes at Nice, then that of the 64th Military Division.

Général de division attained by the age limit of his rank, he left active service on December 6 1968 and integrated the 2nd section of officers generals.

Général René Morel passed away on May 8 1974.

Recognitions and Honors

• Grand croix of the Légion d'honneur
• Croix de la Liberation
• Grand croix de l'ordre national du Mérite
• Military Cross
• Distinguished Service Order
• Norway Croix de Guerre (with sword)
• Belgium Croix de Guerre (1 palm)
• Médaille de la Résistance
• Numerous other commemorative medals.

• He totalized 12 citations, 10 out of which at the orders of the armed forces.

See also

• Paul Gardy
• Pierre Jeanpierre
• Jacques Lefort
• Pierre Darmuzai
• Saharan Méharistes Companies (méharistes sahariennes)

References

Sources

• Répertoire des chefs de corps
• Centre de documentation de la Légion étrangère
• Répertoire des citations (BCAAM)

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)