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Béguin, Louis Alfonse

Date of birth:
October 6th, 1911 (Vignoux sur Barangeon (Cher))
Date of death:
May 8th, 1944 (San Ambrosio, Italy)
Nationality:
French (1870-present, Republic)

Biography

January 1932 - end 1935 : enlisted in the 6th Régiment de tirailleurs sénégalais (6e RTS) in Morocco.
1936 : appointed in French Indochina as soldier (2e classe) serving in the 9th Régiment d'infanterie coloniale (9e RIC).
August 1939 : appointed to the Levant in the 3rd COY - 24th Régiment d'infanterie coloniale (24e RIC).
28 June 1940 : entered the Free French Forces in Egypt - appointed to the newly created 1st Bataillon d'infanterie de marine (1er BIM) formed with rallied FFF elements coming from the 24e RIC led by captains Folliot and Lorotte.
6 September 1940 : embarked with the 1st COY in Ismaïlia to join the British 7th Armored Division around Marsa Matrouh and took part to the 1st campaign in Libya against the Italian.
May-June 1941 : back to Egypt, stationed in Palestina - awarded the Croix de la Libération before taking part to the campaign in Syria in June.
27 May to 11 June 1942 : fightings in Bir Hakeim - Libya after which 1st BIM and Bataillon du Pacifique (BP1) merged to form the Bataillon d'Infanterie de Marine et du Pacifique (BIMP).
16 June 1942 : appointed to the BIMP.
October 1942 : took part to the battle in El Alamein then in the operations in Tunesia after which he is promoted caporal (corporal).
April 1944 : disembarked in Italy with the BIMP - 1st French Armored Division.
8 May 1944 : KIA by a landmine during the Battle of San Ambrosio - his body was never found.

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Compagnon - 1re classe (soldier 1st class)
Unit:
1re Compagnie - 1er Bataillon d'Infanterie de Marine
Awarded on:
March 7th, 1941
awarded in Palestine in May 1941
l' Ordre de la Libération
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
2e classe (soldier)
Unit:
1st COY - 1st Bataillon d'Infanterie de Marine
Awarded on:
April 1941
received with 1 star - citation marking his calm in combat, his physical endurance and his sense of the inititiative.
Croix de Guerre (1939-1945)
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Caporal (Corporal)
Unit:
Bataillon d'Infanterie de Marine du Pacifique
Awarded on:
1944
Chevalier de l' Ordre National de la Legion d'Honneur
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
1re classe
Unit:
1re Compagnie - 1er Bataillon d'Infanterie de Marine
Awarded on:
May 1941
awarded with clasps "Libye 1941" and "Bir-Hakeim 1942"
Médaille Coloniale

Sources

Photo