Pierre Langlais
Allegiance France
Service/branchFrench Army
Years of service1930–65
RankGénéral de brigade
UnitCompagnie Méharistes
Battalion of the 9th Colonial Infantry Division (9e DIC)
1st Colonial Half-Brigade Paratroop Commandos
2nd Airborne Brigade (GAP2)
20th Airborne Brigade
Battles/warsWorld War II

First Indochina War

AwardsGrand Cross of the Légion d’honneur
Croix de Guerre 1939–1945
Croix de guerre des TOE
Other workAuthor

Pierre Charles Albert Marie Langlais (2 December 1909 - 1988) was a French military officer who fought in World War II and Indochina. He is best known as the ad-hoc commander of the French garrison during the Battle of Dien Bien Phu.

Biography

Early Life

Langlais was born at Pontivy, in Morbihan, Brittany. He attended St Cyr Military Academy and graduated in 1930. He chose to serve in the Compagnies Méharistes in North Africa patrolling the Sahara[1].

World War II

Langlais stayed in North Africa during the defeat of France in 1940. Following the defeat of the Vichy French forces in Operation Torch he joined the French Expeditionary Corps seeing action in Italy. He then passed into the French First Army under the command General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, seeing action in Alsace and Germany[2].

Indochina

Langlais arrived in Indochina as a Battalion commander in the of the 9th Colonial Infantry Division (9e DIC) in October 1945. His battalion participated in the early battles of the First Indochina War including the Battle of Hanoi in December 1946[3].

Langlais returned to Indochina for a second two year tour of duty in 1949. Assigned to the Chinese border area he watched the defeat of the last remaining units of the Kuomintang armies on the mainland[3].

Returning to France, in October 1951 Langlais was given command of the 1st Colonial Half Brigade of Paratroop Commandos (1 DBCCP), training replacements for Indochina[4]. The unit was previously commanded by Jean Gilles. In order to take this assignment Langlais trained as a paratrooper[3].

Returning to Indochina in June 1953 for his third tour, Langlais was given command of 2nd Airborne Brigade (GAP2)[3].

During his third tour of Indochina, he fought at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu and was captured.[5]

Post-War Career

By 1966, Langlais had been promoted to Brigadier General, and commanded the French 20th Airborne Brigade at Pau.[6]

Death

In 1988, in failing health and depressed since the death of his wife, Langlais committed suicide by making his last jump from the window of his apartment building.

Works

Langlais wrote a book about his experience at Dien Bien Phu:

References

  1. ^ Fall, Bernard (1967). Hell in a Very Small Place. Da Capo Press. p. 57. ISBN 0306802317.
  2. ^ Windrow, Martin (2004). The Last Valley: Dien Bien Phu and the French Defeat in Vietnam. Weidenfeld and Nicholson, London. p. 300. ISBN 029784671X.
  3. ^ a b c d Fall, p. 57.
  4. ^ Windrow, p. 300.
  5. ^ Roy, Jules. The Battle of Dienbienphu, p 316
  6. ^ Fall, p. 464.

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