Date of birth:

February 16th, 1915 (Lojewo, Poland)

Date of death:

January 2nd, 1979 (Paris, France)

Nationality:

French

He agreed in March 1936 in the foreign legion and serves for two years in Algeria at the 1st foreign infantry regiment and then in Morocco where the declaration of war is surprised.

Promu Sergeant in August 1939, he participated in the establishment of the 13th Foreign Legion Brigade (13th dble), with which he participated in Norway's fighting against German troops in April 1940.

It is particularly distinguished during the Narvik attack during which it is wounded by shell brilliance and receives its first quote.

In June 1940, it is evacuated on England with the French expeditionary body of General Béthouart. In London, he chooses to rally free French forces as about half of his unit.

He takes part in the Pennland on Dakar's expedition at the end of September 1940 and the Gabon campaign in November. After a four-month stay in Yaoundé, he joined the qastina camp in Palestine in May 1941. There is mutated to the walking battalion No. 1 (BM 1), with which he fights in Syria in June and July 1941 against the Vichy troops. Sergeant-Chief in September 1941, he participated in the creation of the Levant of BM 11 and combat in his bosom in Libya and Egypt where he is injured by a lust of liver shells in El Alamein, October 28, 1942. He takes part Then at the campaign of Tunisia until May 1943. From April 1944 to May 1945, Michel Cruger participates with the 1st free French division to the operations of Italy and France where he arrives on August 15, 1944 in Provence.

During the Vosges campaign, it stands out again during the operations for taking the Col de la Chevestraye, in the Forest of Rovers, at the end of October 1944. It successfully ensures the supply of the company, in painful conditions and Dangerous, especially in these vosges lands where atmospheric conditions and enemy shots make this work very difficult.

Promoted adjutant in March 1945 Michel Cruger, physically decreased, must be hospitalized after the war. He leaves the army in 1947.

Naturalized French in 1948, he entered the OEEC in 1951.

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

• - Michel CRUGER | L'Ordre de la Libération et son Musée