Jean-Baptiste Piron
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant General
Jean-Baptiste Piron DSO
(Couvin
, 10 April 1896 - Ukkel/Uccle, 4 September 1974) was the commander of the 1st Belgian Infantry Brigade
, also known as the Piron Brigade, which took part in the liberation of Western Europe
during the Second World War.
After joining the army in 1914, he served in the 2nd Line Regiment until being hospitalised for appendicitis
in October 1917. Temporarily unfit to serve in the infantry, he was transferred to the air service and became an aerial observer. By the end of the war in 1918, he had been promoted to the temporary rank of Captain (made official in 1933). In 1936 he was promoted to the rank of Major
, becoming commander of the 1st Grenadier Regiment.
In April 1941, he fled the German occupation of Belgium via France
, Spain
and Gibraltar
, and managed to reach Scotland
in January 1942. The following year, he promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
and put in command of the 1st Infantry Brigade
(Brigade Piron) by Hubert Pierlot
.
After the war he led the Belgian occupation troops in Germany
. In 1947 he was promoted to Lieutenant-General in the Belgian army
. From 1951 to 1957 he was chief of staff of the army and aide-de-camp to King Baldwin I.
Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold
Officer of the Order of Leopold II with crossed swords
Croix de Guerre 1914-1918, with palm and gilt lion
Croix de Guerre 1940-1945, with palm
Military Cross, 1st class
Victory Medal
Fire Cross 1914-1918
Medal of the Voluntary Combatant 1914-1918
Commemorative Medal of the War 1914-1918
Commemorative Medal of the 100th Anniversary of National Independence (1930)
Evader's Cross
Commemorative Medal of the War 1940-1945
with crossed sabres
Grand Officer of the Legion d'honneur
French Croix de Guerre 1939-1945 with palm
Grand Cross of the Order of Adolphe of Nassau
Commander of the Order of the Oak Crown
Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau with crossed swords
South Korean Order of Military Merit, Taeguk or 1st class
Companion of the Distinguished Service Order
1939-1945 Star
France and Germany Star
Defence Medal
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Jean-Baptiste Piron DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(Couvin
Couvin
Couvin is a Walloon municipality and town located in Belgium in the province of Namur.On 1 January 2006 the municipality had 13,476 inhabitants. Couvin is the second largest municipality of Belgium by surface area, after Tournai...
, 10 April 1896 - Ukkel/Uccle, 4 September 1974) was the commander of the 1st Belgian Infantry Brigade
1st Belgian Infantry Brigade
The Belgian 1st Infantry Brigade, also known as the "Brigade Piron", after its commander, Jean-Baptiste Piron, was a Belgian and Luxembourger army unit which fought in World War II...
, also known as the Piron Brigade, which took part in the liberation of Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
during the Second World War.
After joining the army in 1914, he served in the 2nd Line Regiment until being hospitalised for appendicitis
Appendicitis
Appendicitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the appendix. It is classified as a medical emergency and many cases require removal of the inflamed appendix, either by laparotomy or laparoscopy. Untreated, mortality is high, mainly because of the risk of rupture leading to...
in October 1917. Temporarily unfit to serve in the infantry, he was transferred to the air service and became an aerial observer. By the end of the war in 1918, he had been promoted to the temporary rank of Captain (made official in 1933). In 1936 he was promoted to the rank of Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
, becoming commander of the 1st Grenadier Regiment.
In April 1941, he fled the German occupation of Belgium via 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...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, and managed to reach 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...
in January 1942. The following year, he promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
and put in command of the 1st Infantry Brigade
1st Belgian Infantry Brigade
The Belgian 1st Infantry Brigade, also known as the "Brigade Piron", after its commander, Jean-Baptiste Piron, was a Belgian and Luxembourger army unit which fought in World War II...
(Brigade Piron) by Hubert Pierlot
Hubert Pierlot
Hubert Marie Eugène, Count Pierlot was a Belgian Walloon politician and jurist, the 32nd Prime Minister of Belgium between 1939 and 1945 .-Biography:He was a representative of the Catholic Party Hubert Marie Eugène, Count Pierlot (23 December 1883, Cugnon (Bertrix) – 13 December 1963, Uccle)...
.
After the war he led the Belgian occupation troops in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. In 1947 he was promoted to Lieutenant-General in the Belgian army
Belgian Army
The Land Component is organised using the concept of capacities, whereby units are gathered together according to their function and material. Within this framework, there are five capacities: the command capacity, the combat capacity, the support capacity, the services capacity and the training...
. From 1951 to 1957 he was chief of staff of the army and aide-de-camp to King Baldwin I.
Medals and decorations
Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown with palmOrder of the Crown (Belgium)
The Order of the Crown is an Order of Belgium which was created on 15 October 1897 by King Leopold II in his capacity as ruler of the Congo Free State. The order was first intended to recognize heroic deeds and distinguished service achieved from service in the Congo Free State - many of which acts...
Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold
Officer of the Order of Leopold II with crossed swords
Order of Leopold II
The Order of Leopold II is an order of Belgium and is named in honor of King Léopold II. The decoration was established on 24 August 1900 by Leopold II as king of the Congo Free State and was in 1908, upon Congo being handed over to Belgium, incorporated into the Belgian awards system...
Croix de Guerre 1914-1918, with palm and gilt lion
War Cross (Belgium)
The Belgian War Cross , established on 25 October 1915 is a military decoration of the Kingdom of Belgium. Presented primarily as an award for bravery or other military virtue on the battlefield. The award was reestablished on 20 July 1940, by the Belgian Government in exile in London, for...
Croix de Guerre 1940-1945, with palm
War Cross (Belgium)
The Belgian War Cross , established on 25 October 1915 is a military decoration of the Kingdom of Belgium. Presented primarily as an award for bravery or other military virtue on the battlefield. The award was reestablished on 20 July 1940, by the Belgian Government in exile in London, for...
Military Cross, 1st class
Military Cross (Belgium)
The Military Cross is a military decoration of Belgium. It was established on 11 February 1885 and is awarded to commissioned officers in the Belgian Armed Forces for loyal and uninterrupted service. Officers of the military reserve can also be awarded this decoration, on the condition that they...
Victory Medal
Victory Medal (United Kingdom)
The Victory Medal is a campaign medal - of which the basic design and ribbon was adopted by Belgium, Brazil, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Siam, Union of South Africa and the USA in accordance with decisions as taken at the Inter-Allied Peace Conference at...
Fire Cross 1914-1918
Fire Cross 1914-1918
The Cross for Service Under Fire 1914-1918 is a Belgian military decoration awarded to all recipients of the so-called Fire Card, which was awarded to all who came under fire at the front during the First World War. Holders of the Fire Card were allowed to receive a military decoration in French...
Medal of the Voluntary Combatant 1914-1918
Medal of the Voluntary Combatant 1914-1918
The Medal of the Voluntary Combatant 1914-1918 is a Belgian medal awarded to Belgians and foreigners who voluntarily reported for service in the Belgian Armed Forces and who served in a combat unit in a danger zone for not less than 6 months during the First World War. It was established on 17 June...
Commemorative Medal of the War 1914-1918
Commemorative Medal of the 100th Anniversary of National Independence (1930)
Evader's Cross
Commemorative Medal of the War 1940-1945
Commemorative Medal of the War 1940-1945
The Commemorative Medal of the War 1940-1945 was a military decoration of Belgium. It was established on 16th February 1945 as a decoration to recognise Belgian servicemen and women who served during World War II...
with crossed sabres
Grand Officer of the Legion d'honneurLégion d'honneur
The 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...
French Croix de Guerre 1939-1945 with palmCroix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
Grand Cross of the Order of Adolphe of Nassau
Commander of the Order of the Oak CrownOrder of the Oak Crown
The Order of the Oak Crown is an Order of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.-History:The Order of the Oak Crown was instituted by the Grand Duke-King William II, in 1841...
Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau with crossed swords
Order of Orange-Nassau
The Order of Orange-Nassau is a military and civil order of the Netherlands which was created on 4 April 1892 by the Queen regent Emma of the Netherlands, acting on behalf of her under-age daughter Queen Wilhelmina. The Order is a chivalry order open to "everyone who have earned special merits for...
South Korean Order of Military Merit, Taeguk or 1st classOrder of Military Merit (Korea)
The Order of Military Merit is the primary military decoration awarded by the government of Republic of Korea.-Classes of the Order:The order is divided into five classes:Notable recipients...
Companion of the Distinguished Service OrderDistinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
1939-1945 Star
France and Germany StarFrance and Germany Star
The France and Germany Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in World War II.The medal was awarded for operational service in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Germany from 6 June 1944 to 8 May 1945...
Defence MedalExternal links
- http://www.brigade-piron.be/Piron_en.htm