Date of birth:

January 22nd, 1915 (Chanteloup, France)

Date of death:

May 4th, 2005 (L'Aigle, France)

Nationality:

French

In September 1932, he enlisted for five years in the marines.

Returned to civilian life, he was then a control assistant and then deputy controller in the Service des Fabrications dans l'Andustrie, an administration dependent on the Ministry of War, in the region of Evreux.

Special assigned, Paul Chausse was mobilized at his request in November 1939 and served, until April 1940, as quartermaster rifleman on the patrol boat Léoville.

He takes part in convoy escorts between Brest and Casablanca.

He then embarked aboard the H79 Léopold Néra, a Belgian trawler requisitioned to be used for the evacuation of refugees from the ports of the Channel. Under the orders of Lieutenant-Commander Ortoli who commands the small flotilla of trawlers, he left Brest for England where he landed in Plymouth in June 1940.

Paul Chausse signed an engagement in the FNFL on July 19, 1940 in London and joined the 2nd Marine Rifle Battalion. Under the orders of Lieutenant Thulot, he was responsible for the training of recruits.

He left England with his unit in October 1940 and joined equatorial Africa where he was assigned to the surveillance of the coasts of Cameroon, Gabon and then the Middle Congo. From January 1942 to April 1943, he was responsible with his unit for the surveillance of the coasts of Syria and Lebanon and for the training of recruits as second master then master rifleman.

In May 1943, he chose to join the 1st Commando Marines Battalion (1st BFMC) under Commander Kieffer. He was then chief petty officer and took part in the reconnaissance raid near Ostend in Middelkerque in January 1944, then in the landing of June 6, 1944 in Normandy with the British "Troop n ° 4". His unit, made up of 177 men, was responsible for the capture of the Ouistreham casino and suffered 40% losses during the day.

Paul Chausse then distinguished himself on August 17, 1944 during a bayonet attack with his section, near the villages of Bavent and Robehomme in Calvados, at a place called "la Ferme de l'Epine", against a German unit of rearguard. It then stands out in defensive operations and patrols until September.

After a period of rest in England with the BFMC, he took an active part in the capture of the port of Flushing in Holland at the end of October 1944, by leading his section to attack a firmly defended enemy position; he inflicts many losses on the Germans and takes many prisoners.

Paul Chausse took part in the entire Dutch campaign until May 1945, then in the occupation of Germany until January 1946.

He ended the war as a crew officer of the 2nd class fleet.

Promoted to officer of the crews of the 1st class fleet in 1953, Paul Chausse was recalled to Algeria to the Demi-brigade de fusiliers marines (DBFM) of Nemours and was stationed at Bal-el-Assa near Marnia in Oranie from May to December 1956.

In civilian life, he was a supervisor, then an executive and finally head of personnel, from April 1947 to March 1976 within the Dubonnet Cinzano company.

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• - Paul CHAUSSE | L'Ordre de la Libération et son Musée