Marcel Bigeard (born 14 February 1916) is a
FrenchFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
military officer who fought in
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
,
IndochinaThe First Indochina War was fought in French Indochina from December 19, 1946, until August 1, 1954, between the French Union’s French Far East Expeditionary...
and Algeria. He was one of the commanders in the
Battle of Dien Bien PhuThe Battle of Dien Bien Phu was the climactic confrontation of the First Indochina War between the French Union's French Far East Expeditionary Corps and Viet Minh communist revolutionaries. The battle occurred between March and May 1954 and culminated in a comprehensive French defeat that...
and is thought by many to have been a dominating influence on French 'unconventional' warfare thinking from that time onward. He is one of the most decorated soldiers in
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
.
He is particularly noteworthy because he rose from
enlisted as Second ClassRank insignia in the French army, depends on whether the soldier belongs to a "infantery" or "cavalry". All sleeves are emblazoned with marks denoting either the infantry or the cavalry. In the infantry the main insignia colour is gold, but in the cavalry the main insignia colour is silver/white...
, the lowest possible rank, in 1936 and ultimately finished his career in 1976 with the rank of
Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant 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....
(
Général de corps d'arméeA Général de corps d'armée is a senior rank in the French Army.The rank is the equivalent of a Lieutenant General in other countries and is junior to the rank of Général d'armée and senior to Général de division...
).
Marcel Bigeard was born in
ToulToul is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Geography:Toul is located between Commercy and Nancy, and situated between the Moselle River and the Canal de la Marne au Rhin....
,
Meurthe-et-MoselleMeurthe-et-Moselle is a department in the Lorraine region of France, named after the Meurthe and Moselle rivers.- History :Meurthe-et-Moselle was created in 1871 at the end of the Franco-Prussian War from the parts of the former departments of Moselle and Meurthe which remained French...
on 14 February 1916, the son of Charles Bigeard (1880-1948), a railway worker, and Sophie Bigeard (1880-1964), a domineering housewife.
Marcel Bigeard (born 14 February 1916) is a
FrenchFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
military officer who fought in
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
,
IndochinaThe First Indochina War was fought in French Indochina from December 19, 1946, until August 1, 1954, between the French Union’s French Far East Expeditionary...
and Algeria. He was one of the commanders in the
Battle of Dien Bien PhuThe Battle of Dien Bien Phu was the climactic confrontation of the First Indochina War between the French Union's French Far East Expeditionary Corps and Viet Minh communist revolutionaries. The battle occurred between March and May 1954 and culminated in a comprehensive French defeat that...
and is thought by many to have been a dominating influence on French 'unconventional' warfare thinking from that time onward. He is one of the most decorated soldiers in
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
.
He is particularly noteworthy because he rose from
enlisted as Second ClassRank insignia in the French army, depends on whether the soldier belongs to a "infantery" or "cavalry". All sleeves are emblazoned with marks denoting either the infantry or the cavalry. In the infantry the main insignia colour is gold, but in the cavalry the main insignia colour is silver/white...
, the lowest possible rank, in 1936 and ultimately finished his career in 1976 with the rank of
Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant 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....
(
Général de corps d'arméeA Général de corps d'armée is a senior rank in the French Army.The rank is the equivalent of a Lieutenant General in other countries and is junior to the rank of Général d'armée and senior to Général de division...
).
Early life
Marcel Bigeard was born in
ToulToul is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Geography:Toul is located between Commercy and Nancy, and situated between the Moselle River and the Canal de la Marne au Rhin....
,
Meurthe-et-MoselleMeurthe-et-Moselle is a department in the Lorraine region of France, named after the Meurthe and Moselle rivers.- History :Meurthe-et-Moselle was created in 1871 at the end of the Franco-Prussian War from the parts of the former departments of Moselle and Meurthe which remained French...
on 14 February 1916, the son of Charles Bigeard (1880-1948), a railway worker, and Sophie Bigeard (1880-1964), a domineering housewife. He also had a four year older sister, Charlotte Bigeard. Lorraine instilled a strong patriotism in him and his mother a will to win; those two would remain his strongest driving forces. At fourteen, Bigeard quit school to help his parents financially by taking a position in the local
Société GénéraleSociété Générale is one of the main European financial services companies and also maintains extensive activities in others parts of the world. Its registered office on Boulevard Haussmann in Paris, while its headquarters are in the Tours Société Générale in the business district of La Défense and...
bank, where he did well.
He was called up in September 1936 to do his
military serviceMilitary service, in its simplest sense, is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, whether as a chosen job or as a result of an involuntary draft . Some nations Military service, in its simplest sense, is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, whether...
in the
French ArmyThe French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based component of the French Armed Forces and its largest. As of 2008, the army employs 133,947 regular soldiers and 24 000+ civilians...
; initially Bigeard had no enthusiasm for what would become his calling. He served on the Maginot Line with the 23rd Infantry Regiment at
HaguenauHaguenau is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department, of which it is a sub-prefecture.It is second in size only to Strasbourg, some to the south...
in
AlsaceAlsace is the fourth-smallest of the 26 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the sixth-most densely populated region in France , with 222 inhabitants per km²...
. Returning to civil life after the required two years with the rank of
caporal-chefRank insignia in the French army, depends on whether the soldier belongs to a "infantery" or "cavalry". All sleeves are emblazoned with marks denoting either the infantry or the cavalry. In the infantry the main insignia colour is gold, but in the cavalry the main insignia colour is silver/white...
, Bigeard went back to Toul and his work as a bank clerk at the local bank.
World War II
In 1939 he was recalled to active duty and served, initially as a
sergeantSergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
, with the 79e Régiment d'Infanterie de Forteresse (79th Fortress Infantry Regiment) in the fortified sector of Hoffen.
Bigeard rose quickly through the ranks and reached the position of
adjutantAdjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Commonwealth Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer....
, but in June 1940, during the
Battle of FranceIn World War II, the Battle of France, also known as the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, executed from 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations...
he was captured and made a prisoner of war. After two unsuccessful attempts he managed to escape from a German POW camp on November 11 1941. Bigeard eventually made his way to
AfricaAfrica is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area. With a billion people in 61 territories, it accounts for about 14.8% of the...
to join with the Free French. In 1943 he was commissioned as an officer with the rank of
Second LieutenantSecond Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.In British English the rank is pronounced second /lɛf'tɛnənt/ , while in American English it is pronounced second /lu'tɛnənt/ ....
. In 1944, after special service training by the British, he was parachuted into occupied France as part of a team of four with the mission of leading the
resistanceThe French Resistance is the collective name used for the French resistance movements which fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and the collaborationist Vichy Regime during World War II...
in the
AriègeAriège is a department in southwestern France named after the Ariège River.- History :Ariège is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from the counties of Foix and Couserans....
département close to the border with
AndorraAndorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of ...
. One of these audacious ambushes against superior German forces gained him the British
DSOThe Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other Commonwealth countries, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.The DSO was instituted on 6 September 1886 by...
. His nickname of "Bruno" has its origins in his callsign of this period. By the end of the war he had attained the rank of captain.
Indochina
Bigeard was first sent to Indo-China in October 1945 to assist with French efforts to reassert its influence over the former French colonies. He commanded a French company and then locals in their interdiction of Viet Minh incursions around the Laos border along the 'road' R.C. 41 (Route Coloniale). In 1947 he returned to France and commanded a company in the newly forming
3è BPCThe 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment is an Airborne regiment in the French army. It is a part of the 11th Parachute Brigade and stationed at Carcassonne.-History:...
(Bataillon de Parachutistes Coloniaux). He returned to Vietnam in 1948 for combat duty in the Tonkin delta with the 3è RPC then the 3rd Thai Battalion and finally back to the Tonkinese highlands in command of an Indochinese battalion. In July 1952 (his third Vietnam posting) as a
majorIn many European languages, the term Major is a military rank, implying seniority at one of usually various levels of rank. For example:*"General-Major" or "Major-General", denoting a senior ranking general officer....
commanding the
6th BPCThe 6th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment was an airborne unit of the French Army.-Indochina:Formed as the 6th Colonial Commando Parachute Battalion in Quimper, Brittany on 16 May 1948 from elements of the 1st Colonial Commando Parachute Demi-brigade, disembarks in Saigon in July 1949, the...
(Colonial Parachute Battalion) with whom he established his fame and reputation. He seems to have been a keen self-publicist which assisted his cause to get the materials needed to help him succeed. This unique style included creating the famous 'casquette Bigeard' cap from the 'excess' material of the long shorts in the standard uniform. He participated in many operations including a combat drop on Tu-Lê in November 1952.
On 20 November 1953 Bigeard and his unit took part in
Operation CastorOpération Castor was a French airborne operation in the First Indochina War. The operation established a fortified airhead in Dien Bien Province, in the north-west corner of Vietnam. Commanded by Brigadier General Jean Gilles, Castor was the largest airborne operation since World War II...
, the opening stage of the
Battle of Dien Bien PhuThe Battle of Dien Bien Phu was the climactic confrontation of the First Indochina War between the French Union's French Far East Expeditionary Corps and Viet Minh communist revolutionaries. The battle occurred between March and May 1954 and culminated in a comprehensive French defeat that...
. Bigeard and the 6th BPC returned to
Dien Bien PhuDien Bien Phu is a town in northwestern Vietnam. It is the capital of Dien Bien province, and is known for the events there during the First Indochina War, the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, during which the region was a breadbasket for the Viet Minh.-Population:Statistics on Dien Bien Phu's population...
on 16 March 1954, parachuting in to reinforce the now besieged garrison. He acted as deputy to
Pierre LanglaisPierre Charles Albert Marie Langlais was the ad-hoc commander of the French garrison at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu.Langlais was born at Pontivy, in Morbihan...
, who along with other members of the "parachute mafia" took over the effective management of the battle from
GeneralA general officer is an officer of high military rank. The term or equivalent is used by nearly every country in the world. General can be used as a generic term for all grades of general officer, or it can specifically refer to a single rank that is simply called general.-All general officer...
Christian de CastriesChristian Marie Ferdinand de la Croix de Castries was the French commander at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954. Castries was born into a distinguished military family and enlisted in the army at the age of 19. He was sent to the Saumur Cavalry School and in 1926 was commissioned an officer, but...
. Bigeard helped organize local counter-attacks. Bigeard was heavily involved in the fighting for strongpoints Eliane 1 and Eliane 2. Towards the end of the battle he was promoted (along with other commanders) to the rank of
Lieutenant ColonelLieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and 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...
. This was in some way seen as a reward for his valiant command of his troops before the expected massacre at the end of the battle. Bigeard entered captivity after the main garrison fell on 7 May 1954 and was repatriated 3 months later. Approximately 16,500 French Union troops fought at Dien Bien Phu, Bigeard was one of the few (less than 3000) who returned.
Algeria
During the Algerian War, Bigeard, now a
ColonelColonel is a military rank of a commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every country in the world. It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
, was given command of the 3e RPC (Colonial Parachute Regiment) part of
Jacques MassuJacques Émile Massu was a French general who fought in World War II, First Indochina War, Algerian War and the Suez crisis.-Early life:...
's 10th Parachute Division. Bigeard revitalized the unit by weeding out laggards and the uncommitted and then put the remainder through an intense training regime. He led the 3e RPC through numerous operations, the most famous being the 1957
Battle of AlgiersBattle of Algiers may refer to:* The bombardment of Algiers by an Anglo-Dutch fleet in 1816.* The urban warfare and terrorist campaign between the FLN and the French Army during the Algerian War....
. The 'battle' was a martial control of the Algiers region to stop the bombing and threatening of civilian targets by the FLN and to eliminate the organisation which was organising the bombing and starting to dominate the civilian population. During that battle the 3è RPC was responsible for the
CasbahThe Casbah is specifically the citadel of Algiers and the traditional quarter clustered around it. The Casbah is specifically the citadel of Algiers and the traditional quarter clustered around it. The Casbah is specifically the citadel of...
, home to many of the native Algerian population and a stronghold of the
FLNThe National Liberation Front is a socialist political party in Algeria. It was set up on November 1, 1954 as a merger of other smaller groups, to obtain independence for Algeria from France....
organization in
AlgiersAlgiers is the capital and largest city of Algeria, and the second largest city in the Maghreb . According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630...
. The parachutists were able to eventually identify and neutralize the FLN organization in Algiers through intelligence garnered by imposing a system of
quadrillage (
block wardenBlock warden may refer to:*Nazi Blockleiter*Block warden system first experimented during the 1957 Battle of Algiers , and which would become a common technique of counter-insurgency throughout the 20th century. Also used for example during the "Dirty War" in Argentina and in the Portuguese...
) on the Algerian population. The use of torture by all four parachute regiments as an extension of interrogation was no secret and General Massu (the divisional commander), himself, wrote about its use and him testing it on his own body. The arrests, interrogation and detention were sanctioned by the then legal authority.
Quadrillage was used to identify suspects who were then subjected to interrogation and sometimes the systemic use of torture. Aside from breaking the FLN's local organization, the harsh methods used by the paras (and numerous instances of suspicious deaths while in the hands of the authorities) alienated some of the native Algerian population and particular groups in France. During this time, Bigeard's name was associated with the death flights carried out by members of Massu's 10th Parachute Division in the Battle of Algiers. The victims, who were dropped from aircraft into the
Mediterranean SeaThe Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by the Levant. The sea is technically a part of the Atlantic Ocean, although it...
, were known as "Bigeard's shrimps" because they had weights attached to their feet sending them straight to the bottom.
After the initial apparent victory in Algiers, in April 1957 Bigeard moved the 3e RPC back into the Atlas mountains in pursuit of FLN groups in that province. In May he was in the area near
AgounenndaThe Battle of Agounennda was an engagement of the Algerian War fought 23 May-25 May 1957 between the French 3rd Colonial Parachute Regiment under Lieutenant Colonel Marcel Bigeard and FLN’s Commando 41 under Si Azzedine. Bigeard and his regiment were sent to hunt down the Commando after it had...
to ambush a large force of about 300 djounoud of the FLN group Wilaya 4. This group had already attacked an Algerian Battalion on 21 May causing heavy casualties. From a 'cold' start Bigeard estimated the attacking group's probable route of withdrawal and laid a wide ambush along a valley of 100 km². The ensuing battle and followup lasted from 23-26 May 1957, but resulted in 8 paras killed for 96 enemy dead, 12 prisoners and 5 captives released. For this exemplary operation he was nicknamed "Seigneur de l'Atlas" ("Lord of the Atlas mountains") by his boss General Massu. After other urban, desert and mountain operations Bigeard was replaced as the commander of 3e RPC by
Roger TrinquierRoger Trinquier was a French Army officer during World War II, the First Indochina War and the Algerian War, serving mainly in airborne and Special forces units...
in March 1958.
In 1958
Jacques Chaban-DelmasJacques Chaban-Delmas was a French Gaullist politician. He served as Prime Minister under Georges Pompidou from 1969 to 1972. In addition, for almost half a century, he was Mayor of Bordeaux and a deputy for the Gironde département.Jacques Chaban-Delmas was born Jacques Delmas...
ordered the creation of the École Jeanne d'Arc in Philippeville (modern day
SkikdaSkikda is a city in north eastern Algeria and a port on the Gulf of Stora, the ancient Sinus Numidicus. It was known as Philippeville until the end of the Algerian War of Independence in 1962...
) to provide field officers with a one-month training course in counter-insurgency techniques. Bigeard created the school and was placed in charge [Bigeard, (1975)].
In 1959 Bigeard was given command of his own sector in Ain-Sefra. Bigeard, unlike many fellow officers who were closely associated with the war, did not take part in the
Algiers putschThe Algiers putsch , also known as the Generals' putsch , was a failed coup d'état to overthrow French President Charles de Gaulle and establish an anti-communist military junta...
in 1961.
Post War Career
- 1967 Promoted to Brigadier General
Brigadier General is the lowest ranking General Officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of Colonel and Major General.The rank can be traced back to the militaries of Europe where a brigadier general, or simply a brigadier, would command a brigade in the field...
and placed in command of ground forces in DakarDakar is the capital city of Senegal, located on the Cape Verde Peninsula, on the country's Atlantic coast. It is Senegal's largest city. Its position, on the western edge of Africa , is an advantageous departure point for trans-Atlantic and European trade; this fact aided its growth into a major...
SenegalSenegal , officially the Republic of Senegal, is a country south of the Sénégal River in western Africa. Senegal is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Mauritania to the north, Mali to the east, and Guinea and Guinea-Bissau to the south, and it also encircles The Gambia on its three sides,...
- 1970-1973 Placed in command all forces in the French Indian Ocean Territory
- 1975-1976 Appointed State Secretary in Ministry of National Defence by President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
Valéry Marie René Georges Giscard d'Estaing is a French centre-right politician who was President of the French Republic from 1974 until 1981...
- 1976 Resigned from the army
- 1978-1988 Deputy for the region of Meurthe-et-Moselle
Meurthe-et-Moselle is a department in the Lorraine region of France, named after the Meurthe and Moselle rivers.- History :Meurthe-et-Moselle was created in 1871 at the end of the Franco-Prussian War from the parts of the former departments of Moselle and Meurthe which remained French...
served as a minister in the government of Valéry Giscard d'EstaingValéry Marie René Georges Giscard d'Estaing is a French centre-right politician who was President of the French Republic from 1974 until 1981...
Bigeard has recently become drawn into the controversy in France around the use of torture in the Algerian war. The admission by senior military people who were involved of the long accepted belief that torture was used systematically has put the spotlight on all figures involved. He has justified the use of
tortureTorture, according to the United Nations Convention Against Torture, is:In addition to state-sponsored torture, individuals or groups may be motivated to inflict torture on others for similar reasons to those of a state; however, the motive for torture can also be for the sadistic gratification of...
during the Algerian War as a "necessary evil" in
Le MondeLe Monde is a French daily evening newspaper with a circulation of 371,803. It is considered the French newspaper of record, and is generally well respected, often the only French newspaper easily obtainable in non-Francophone countries....
newspaper, and confirms its use. He also claimed that he had not personally used torture .
Decorations
- Grand Cross of the Légion d'honneur
The Légion d'honneur or Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
- Croix de Guerre 1939-1945
The Croix de guerre 1939-1945 is a French military decoration created in September 26 1939, to honour people who fought with the Allies against the Axis force at any time during World War II.-Recipients:...
- Croix de guerre des Théatres d'Opérations Exterieures
The croix de guerre des théâtres d’opérations extérieures is a French medal rewarded for military service in foreign countries....
- Croix de la Valeur Militaire
The Croix de la Valeur Militaire is a military decoration of France that recognizes individual holding a citation for arms earned in theaters of operations which are not subject to the award of the Croix de guerre.-Décoration:...
- Médaille de la Résistance
The French Médaille de la Résistance was awarded by General Charles de Gaulle "to recognise the remarkable acts of faith and of courage that, in France, in the empire and abroad, have contributed to the resistance of the French people against the enemy and against its accomplices since June 18...
- Medaille des blessés (5 wounds)
- Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other Commonwealth countries, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.The DSO was instituted on 6 September 1886 by...
(UK)
- Commander of the Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued both to United States military personnel and to military and political figures...
(US)
- Grand officier du Mérite Sénégalais
- Grand officier du Mérite Togolais
- Grand officier du Mérite Comorien
- Grand officier du mérite Saoudite
- Officier du Million d'Eléphants du Laos
- Honorary Legionnaire de 1ère classe of the Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique unit in the French Army, established in 1831. The legion was specifically created for foreign nationals wishing to serve in the French Armed Forces, but commanded by French officers. However, it is also open to French citizens, who amount to 24% of recruits...
He has been granted a total of 25 citations, including 17 palms.
Influence on Counter-insurgency Doctrine
A key participant in the destruction of the FLN's organization during the battle of Algiers 1956, Bigeard applied concepts of counter-insurgency warfare which he articulated in his work
Manuel de l’officier de renseignement (Intelligence Officer's Handbook). Among these concepts was the acceptance of the use of torture against suspected insurgents to gain information. Many of these same concepts would later appear in the seminal book
La Guerre moderne, by
Roger TrinquierRoger Trinquier was a French Army officer during World War II, the First Indochina War and the Algerian War, serving mainly in airborne and Special forces units...
.
Popular Culture
The character of Pierre-Noel Raspeguy in the novels
The Centurions and
The Praetorians by Jean Larteguy is modeled largely on Bigeard, but also Paul Ducournau. In
Lost CommandLost Command is a 1966 war drama directed by Mark Robson and filmed in Spain. The screenplay was written by Nelson Gidding, based on the 1960 novel The Centurions by Jean Lartéguy...
, the 1966 movie adaptation of
The Centurions, Raspeguy was played by
Anthony QuinnAnthony Quinn was a Mexican-American actor, as well as a painter and writer. He starred in numerous critically acclaimed and commercially successful films, including Zorba the Greek, Lawrence of Arabia, and Federico Fellini's La strada...
.
The character of Colonel Philippe Mathieu, played by
Jean MartinJean Martin was a French actor of stage and screen. Martin served in the French Resistance during World War II and later fought with the French paratroopers in Indochina. Theatrically, he is perhaps best-known for originating two roles in Samuel Beckett's most famous plays: Lucky in Waiting for...
, in the film
The Battle of AlgiersThe Battle of Algiers is a war film released in 1966. It is based on occurrences during the Algerian War against French colonial rule in North Africa...
is widely believed to be a composite of Bigeard,
Jacques MassuJacques Émile Massu was a French general who fought in World War II, First Indochina War, Algerian War and the Suez crisis.-Early life:...
and other prominent officers.
Media links
General Bigeard interview on the battle of Dien Bien Phu, 3 May 2004