Philippe Kieffer
Encyclopedia
Philippe Kieffer capitaine de frégate
in the French Navy
, was a French officer and political personality, and a hero of the Free French Forces
.
, Haiti
, to an Alsatian
family, Philippe Kieffer obtained a diploma at the École des Hautes Études Commerciales (School of Higher Business Studies) and became a bank director in New York City
.
On 2 September 1939, aged 40, he volunteered for military service. He joined the French Navy
, in which he was a reserve officer, a week later. He served on the battleship
Courbet
, and at the headquarters of the Northern Fleet
during the Battle of Dunkirk
. He left for London on 19 June 1940 and joined the Forces Navales Françaises Libres ("Free French Naval Forces") on 1 July 1940, the day they were founded.
Speaking fluent English, he was asked to serve as a translator and cipher officer. Impressed by the techniques of the new British Commandos
, formed in 1940, Kieffer requested authorisation to set up an elite French unit on the same model. In May 1941, he obtained authorisation from Admiral Emile Muselier
to found the unit of Fusiliers-Marins Commandos
("Marine Riflemen Commandos"). They undertook extremely harsh selection and training in Achnacarry
, in Scotland
, where a number of candidates died. The Commando was part of No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando
.
Kieffer was promoted to lieutenant de vaisseau on 1 July 1942. On 19 August 1942, men of the 1st Company of the 1er Bataillon de Fusiliers Marins Commandos
were engaged during the Dieppe Raid
("Operation Jubilee").
In 1943, the French Commando had grown to two troops, and was regularly used for night raids on the shores of France and Holland during the preparations for the invasion of Normandy
. In 1944, the 177 men of the "1er BFM Commando" were integrated into the British No. 4 Commando
under Lieutenant-Colonel Dawson, part of the 1st Special Service Brigade under Brigadier Lord Lovat
.
Since Luxembourg
did not have its own units, some Luxembourgish volunteers were incorporated in the "1er BFM Commando" and took part in the landings and battles of Normandy.
, Benouville
, Amfreville
and Bavant, designated as Sword Beach
. Kieffer, recently promoted to capitaine de corvette, led his men personally. The unit suffered 21 killed and 93 wounded; Kieffer himself was almost immediately wounded twice, hit by shrapnel in the leg, but refused evacuation for two days. Kieffer rejoined his unit on 14 June, in time to take part in the breakthrough towards the Seine
and Honfleur
. Along with two of his men, he was the first member of the Free French Forces to enter Paris
. His 18-year old son, who had recently joined the Maquis
, was killed by German troops near Paris at nearly the same time.
to capture the port of Antwerp. He later took part in raids against occupied Dutch islands.
In 1945, he was nominated for the Consultative Assembly, and started working in the Inter-Allied Forces Headquarters. He was promoted to capitaine de frégate in 1954.
Kieffer died in Cormeilles-en-Parisis
, France
on 20 November 1962 after a long illness, and was buried in Grandcamp, Calvados
.
Ranks in the French Navy
The rank insignia of the French Navy are worn on shoulder straps of shirts and white jackets, and on sleeves for navy jackets and mantels....
in the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
, was a French officer and political personality, and a hero of the Free French Forces
Free French Forces
The Free French Forces were French partisans in World War II who decided to continue fighting against the forces of the Axis powers after the surrender of France and subsequent German occupation and, in the case of Vichy France, collaboration with the Germans.-Definition:In many sources, Free...
.
Life and career
Born in Port-au-PrincePort-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
, Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, to an Alsatian
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
family, Philippe Kieffer obtained a diploma at the École des Hautes Études Commerciales (School of Higher Business Studies) and became a bank director in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
On 2 September 1939, aged 40, he volunteered for military service. He joined the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
, in which he was a reserve officer, a week later. He served on the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
Courbet
French battleship Courbet (1911)
Courbet was the lead ship of her class, the first dreadnoughts built for the French Navy. She was completed before World War I and named in honour of Admiral Amédée Courbet. She spent the war in the Mediterranean, helping to sink the Austro-Hungarian protected cruiser in August 1914...
, and at the headquarters of the Northern Fleet
Northern Fleet
The Red Banner Northern Fleet is a unit of the Russian Navy that has access to the Barents and Norwegian Seas, the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, and is responsible for the defense of northwestern Russia. It was established in 1937 as part of the Soviet Navy...
during the Battle of Dunkirk
Battle of Dunkirk
The Battle of Dunkirk was a battle in the Second World War between the Allies and Germany. A part of the Battle of France on the Western Front, the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation of British and allied forces in Europe from 26 May–4 June 1940.After the Phoney War, the Battle of...
. He left for London on 19 June 1940 and joined the Forces Navales Françaises Libres ("Free French Naval Forces") on 1 July 1940, the day they were founded.
Speaking fluent English, he was asked to serve as a translator and cipher officer. Impressed by the techniques of the new British Commandos
British Commandos
The British Commandos were formed during the Second World War in June 1940, following a request from the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, for a force that could carry out raids against German-occupied Europe...
, formed in 1940, Kieffer requested authorisation to set up an elite French unit on the same model. In May 1941, he obtained authorisation from Admiral Emile Muselier
Émile Muselier
Emile Henry Muselier was a French admiral who led the Free French Naval Forces during World War II. He was responsible for the idea of distinguishing his fleet from that of Vichy France by adopting the Cross of Lorraine, which later became the emblem of all of the Free French...
to found the unit of Fusiliers-Marins Commandos
1er Bataillon de Fusiliers Marins Commandos
1er Bataillon de Fusiliers Marins Commandos was a Fusiliers Marins commando unit of the Free French Navy which served during the Second World War...
("Marine Riflemen Commandos"). They undertook extremely harsh selection and training in Achnacarry
Achnacarry
Achnacarry is a small hamlet, private estate, and a castle in the Lochaber region of Highland, Scotland. It occupies a strategic position on an isthmus between Loch Lochy to the east, and Loch Arkaig to the west....
, in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, where a number of candidates died. The Commando was part of No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando
No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando
No. 10 Commando was a commando unit of the British Army during the Second World War. The first No. 10 Commando was proposed in August 1940, using volunteers from Northern Command, however there was such a poor response that No...
.
Kieffer was promoted to lieutenant de vaisseau on 1 July 1942. On 19 August 1942, men of the 1st Company of the 1er Bataillon de Fusiliers Marins Commandos
1er Bataillon de Fusiliers Marins Commandos
1er Bataillon de Fusiliers Marins Commandos was a Fusiliers Marins commando unit of the Free French Navy which served during the Second World War...
were engaged during the Dieppe Raid
Dieppe Raid
The Dieppe Raid, also known as the Battle of Dieppe, Operation Rutter or later on Operation Jubilee, during the Second World War, was an Allied attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe on the northern coast of France on 19 August 1942. The assault began at 5:00 AM and by 10:50 AM the Allied...
("Operation Jubilee").
In 1943, the French Commando had grown to two troops, and was regularly used for night raids on the shores of France and Holland during the preparations for the invasion of Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
. In 1944, the 177 men of the "1er BFM Commando" were integrated into the British No. 4 Commando
No. 4 Commando
No. 4 Commando was a battalion-sized British Army commando unit, formed in 1940 early in the Second World War. Although it was raised to conduct small-scale raids and harass garrisons along the coast of German-occupied France, it was mainly employed as a highly-trained infantry assault unit.The...
under Lieutenant-Colonel Dawson, part of the 1st Special Service Brigade under Brigadier Lord Lovat
Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat
Brigadier Simon Christopher Joseph Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat and 4th Baron Lovat DSO, MC, TD was the 25th Chief of the Clan Fraser and a prominent British Commando during the Second World War...
.
Since Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
did not have its own units, some Luxembourgish volunteers were incorporated in the "1er BFM Commando" and took part in the landings and battles of Normandy.
Liberation of France
On 6 June 1944, at 0731, the Bérets verts ("Green berets") landed in OuistrehamOuistreham
Ouistreham is a commune in the Calvados department' in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.Ouistreham is a small port with fishing boats, leisure craft and a ferry-harbour. It serves as the port of the city of Caen. The town is about the mouth of the Canal de Caen à la...
, Benouville
Bénouville
Bénouville is the name of several communes in France:*Bénouville, in the Calvados département*Bénouville, in the Seine-Maritime département...
, Amfreville
Amfreville
Amfreville may refer to the following places in Normandy, France:* Amfreville, Calvados, in the Calvados département* Amfreville, Manche, in the Manche département* Amfreville-la-Campagne, in the Eure département...
and Bavant, designated as Sword Beach
Sword Beach
Sword, commonly known as Sword Beach, was the code name given to one of the five main landing areas along the Normandy coast during the initial assault phase, Operation Neptune, of Operation Overlord; the Allied invasion of German-occupied France that commenced on 6 June 1944...
. Kieffer, recently promoted to capitaine de corvette, led his men personally. The unit suffered 21 killed and 93 wounded; Kieffer himself was almost immediately wounded twice, hit by shrapnel in the leg, but refused evacuation for two days. Kieffer rejoined his unit on 14 June, in time to take part in the breakthrough towards the Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
and Honfleur
Honfleur
Honfleur is a commune in the Calvados department in northwestern France. It is located on the southern bank of the estuary of the Seine across from le Havre and very close to the exit of the Pont de Normandie...
. Along with two of his men, he was the first member of the Free French Forces to enter Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. His 18-year old son, who had recently joined the Maquis
Maquis (World War II)
The Maquis were the predominantly rural guerrilla bands of the French Resistance. Initially they were composed of men who had escaped into the mountains to avoid conscription into Vichy France's Service du travail obligatoire to provide forced labour for Germany...
, was killed by German troops near Paris at nearly the same time.
End of the War and later life
By October 1944, the Commando Battalion had three companies. Kieffer led it during the attacks on Vlissingen and WalcherenWalcheren
thumb|right|250px|Campveer Tower in Veere, built in 1500Walcheren is a former island in the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands at the mouth of the Scheldt estuary. It lies between the Oosterschelde in the north and the Westerschelde in the south and is roughly the shape of a rhombus...
to capture the port of Antwerp. He later took part in raids against occupied Dutch islands.
In 1945, he was nominated for the Consultative Assembly, and started working in the Inter-Allied Forces Headquarters. He was promoted to capitaine de frégate in 1954.
Kieffer died in Cormeilles-en-Parisis
Cormeilles-en-Parisis
Cormeilles-en-Parisis is a commune in the Val-d'Oise department in Île-de-France in Northern France.Inhabitants are called Cormeillais.-Neighboring communes:* Argenteuil* La Frette-sur-Seine* Franconville* Herblay* Montigny-lès-Cormeilles...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on 20 November 1962 after a long illness, and was buried in Grandcamp, Calvados
Calvados
The French department of Calvados is part of the region of Basse-Normandie in Normandy. It takes its name from a cluster of rocks off the English Channel coast...
.
Awards and honours
- Commander of the Légion d'HonneurLégion d'honneurThe Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
- Compagnon de la Libération by decree of 28 August 1944 http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr./fr_compagnon/520.html
- Croix de guerre 1939-1945Croix de guerre 1939-1945 (France)The Croix de guerre 1939–1945 is a French military decoration created on September 26, 1939, to honour people who fought with the Allies against the Axis force at any time during World War II.-Recipients:...
(4 citations) - Military CrossMilitary CrossThe Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(UK)
In popular culture
- Kieffer was portrayed by Christian MarquandChristian MarquandChristian Marquand was a French director, actor and screenwriter working in French cinema. A native of Marseille, he was born to a Spanish father and an Arabic mother his sister was film director Nadine Trintignant, and he can be seen as a heartthrob in French movies of the 1950s.His first film...
in the film The Longest DayThe Longest Day (film)The Longest Day is a 1962 war film based on the 1959 history book The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan, about "D-Day", the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II....
, in which the action against the fortified casino in OuistrehamOuistrehamOuistreham is a commune in the Calvados department' in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.Ouistreham is a small port with fishing boats, leisure craft and a ferry-harbour. It serves as the port of the city of Caen. The town is about the mouth of the Canal de Caen à la...
is depicted.
See also
- FORFUSCOFORFUSCOThe Naval infantry and Commandos Marine units are under command of the Force maritime des fusiliers marins et commandos in Lorient...
: the present commandos - Naval commandos (France)Naval commandos (France)The Naval Commandos are the special forces of the French Navy. They are made up of ~500 members, mostly based in northwestern France , with several bases across the country for specific training needs. The Naval Commandos are nicknamed bérets verts . Their qualification training is one of the...
where one of the 6 Commando units is named after Kieffer.
External links
- ww2inthehighlands.co.uk netmarine.net Ordre de la Libération http://commandosfnfl.net : a web site about the Free French commandos