Date of birth:

November 17th, 1908 (Pellegrue, France)

Date of death:

August 12th, 1961 (Séméac, France)

Nationality:

French

Volunteered in November 1926 as part of the 24th Colonial Artillery Regiment, he was quickly promoted to brigadier and then to field marshal in September 1927.

After several stays overseas (Morocco, Indochina) in colonial artillery units, the head marshal Courounet was sent to Chad, to the Régiment de Tirailleurs Senegalais du Tchad (RTST) in March 1939.

He then assumed the functions of head of a transport section, responsible for transporting supplies to Chad from Moussoro to Faya.

It takes a considerable effort of endurance, tenacity and self-control to master the track which leads from Bahr El Ghasal to Faya via the difficult Djoura.

In January 1940 he was assigned to the Compagnie Portée du RTST in Faya-Largeau. On August 26, 1940, he actively participated in the rallying of Chad to Free France by leading several of his undecided comrades.

With the Leclerc Column he took part as a machine gun commander in the Koufra combat in the Libyan desert.

His attitude in front of Koufra earned him an exceptional adjutant appointment by General de Larminat and the following citation to the Order of the Army: "Conscientious and cold-blooded non-commissioned officer. On February 18 in front of Koufra a extinguished, under enemy fire, his machine-gun car set on fire. On the 19th, by the efficiency of his fire, contributed to the success of his platoon. "

In December 1941 he was assigned to the 2nd Auto Cie of the RTST in Fort Lamy (Chad) and in January and February 1942 he participated in the first Fezzan campaign.

On May 23, 1942, adjutant Courounet was made a Companion of the Liberation.

Promoted chief warrant officer in October 1942, he participated with Column Leclerc then Force L, as detachment chief of CA 2, in the operations of the 2nd campaign of Fezzan, Tripolitania and Tunisia during which he provided a very heavy transport work in extremely difficult conditions.

He then continued to serve as chief warrant officer in the 497th Divisional Train Company of the 2nd Armored Division under General Leclerc. As such, he moved to England with the 2nd Armored Division in the spring of 1944 and landed in Normandy on August 1, 1944.

After Normandy and the liberation of Paris, Paul Courounet was appointed second lieutenant on an exceptional basis and continued the war in the Vosges and then in Alsace.

After the Second World War, Lieutenant Courounet served in Indochina with the 4th Battalion of the Régiment de Marche du Tchad (RMT).

On his return, he commanded the Compagnie d'Instruction du Groupement du Materiel et des Bâtiments Coloniaux in Nîmes.

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