Bel Hadj, Mohamed

Date of birth:: March 18th, 1905 (Saïdam, Algeria)
Date of death:: January 9th, 1945 (Dambach, France)
Buried on:: French War Cemetery Sigolsheim
Nationality:: French

Biography

August 1923 : volunteer, enlisted as tirailleur de 2e classe in the 10th Régiment de tirailleurs; then in the 6th RTA in Algeria.
1924-28: served in Morocco.
September 1928 - 1939 : appointed to the 6th RTA in Lebanon.
1930 : promoted caporal.
1933 : promoted sergent.
1937 : promoted sergent-chef.
November 1940 : after the 6th RTA was disbanded, transferred to the 10th RTA and took part with the Vichyst Army to the fightings against the British and the Free Frenchmen in Syria.
6 August 1941 : choose to desert to enter the Free French Forces.
October 1941 : promoted adjudant and appointed to the newly created 22th COY Nord-africaine (22e CNA) formed with tirailleurs coming from North Africa and rallied to the Free French Forces and attached to the 1st Free French Brigade led by general Koenig - took part to the campaign in Libya.
June 1942 : saved his COY commander on two occasions at Bir-Hakeim risking his own life.
1st July 1943 : 22nd CNA is converted in the 22nd Bataillon de Marche nord-africain (22e BMNA),
20 April 1944 : campaign in Italy with the 1st Free French Division (Division française libre or 1ère DFL).
1st July 1944 : promoted adjudant-chef.
17 August 1944 : landed in Provence - took part in the fightings to liberate the Provence region and the Rhône Valley in France.
November 1944 : the 22nd Bataillon is attached to the 2nd Brigade of the 1st DFL. 25 November 1944 : promoted sous-lieutenant.
9 January 1945 : leading a patrol in Dambach during the campaign in Alsace, WIA by mine - fatally wounded he told the doctor: "Lieutenant Bel Hajj is about to die, but that does not matter." Long live France ! He died during his transfer to the hospital.

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