Jourden, Joseph Michel

Date of birth:: March 29th, 1911 (Le Conquet/Finistère, France)
Date of death:: August 9th, 1944 (Plouigneau/Finistère, France)
Nationality:: French

Biography

Do you have more information about this person? Inform us!

Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Sous-Lieutenant (Second Lieutenant)
Unit:: Special Operations, Office of Strategic Services (OSS), U.S. Government
Awarded on:: May 20th, 1945

Citation:
"For extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy from 24 June 1944 to 5 August 1944. Sous-Lieutenant Jouden, with a team mate, landed on a beach of Northern Brittany, crossed a mine field, and walked many miles carrying radio equipment, before he cold find cover. As a radio operator of an intelligence team, he lived clandestinely for a period of six weeks in a part of France where German controls were particularly severe. He conscientiously and skilfully transmitted intelligence regarding enemy strength, mine fields, coastal batteries, mined waters, changes in the coastal channels, and the identification of enemy parachute units, which was of great value to the United States Forces in their Brittany campaign. During the liberation of the Finistere region, he was taken prisoner by a German unit and tortured for four hours. Sous-Lieutenant Jourden courageously played a heroic part in the liberation of Western France."

Awarded posthumously.