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Pierre Vilars

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Pierre Vilars
Born(1916-08-05)5 August 1916
Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
Died19 September 2024(2024-09-19) (aged 108)
Vannes, France
NationalityFrench
EducationÉcole d'Arts et Métiers
OccupationMilitary officer

Pierre Vilars (5 August 1916 – 19 September 2024) was a French military officer.[1] He was a veteran of World War II and one of the last remaining French survivors of Operation Dragoon.

Biography

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Born in Mont-Saint-Aignan on 5 August 1916, Vilars became an engineer after his studies at the École d'Arts et Métiers.[2] He specialized in the plastic industry.[3]

A sub-lieutenant in the 111th colonial artillery regiment [fr] stationed on the Belgian border,[4] Vilars survived the bombings of the Germans during May 1940.[5] On 21 June 1940, he fought in the defense of Lorient during one of the last engagements of the Battle of France.[6] However, he was taken prisoner by the Werhmacht following France's defeat. After a year of detention at Oflag XIII-B in Nuremberg, he was freed in 1941 under the guise of his intentions to fight the English.[5] However, he went into exile in Upper Volta and rejoined the French Free Forces under Charles de Gaulle.[4] He was named a lieutenant in the 1re armée [fr] in March 1943 and took on the false identity of Jean-Pierre Blondel while wanted by the Germans.[5] While in West Africa, he fought in the 13th Senegalese rifle regiment [fr].

On 17 June 1944, Vilars participated in the Invasion of Elba.[7] During Operation Dragoon, he landed on the beaches of Cavalaire-sur-Mer and took part in the Battle of Toulon within the 9th Colonial Infantry Division.[8] After the help of volunteer troops from the French Forces of the Interior, he denounced attempts by the French leaders to "whitewash" the Allied momentum, paying tribute to the African forces in his regiment.[9] His division then continued north, claiming victory in the Battle of Alsace and the Colmar Pocket with the 23rd colonial infantry regiment [fr]. In April 1945, his regiment crossed the Rhine, pushing the 19th Army until their eventual victory. On 25 May 1945, he was awarded the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945. Although he had been named captain, he was recently married and requested his immobilization from Jean Étienne Valluy who suggested he go to Indochina.[9] He was named Chef d'escadron in 1960 and settled in Vannes in the 1970s.

Vilars had several children with his wife, Jacqueline,[10] including a son who became a mayor.[11] On 8 November 2021, he was named a Knight of the Legion of Honour.[12][13]

Pierre Vilars died in Vannes on 19 September 2024, at the age of 108.[14][15] At the time of his death, he was the fifth oldest man in France.[16]

References

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  1. ^ "Il était le quatrième homme le plus âgé de France, Pierre Vilars est décédé à 108 ans à Vannes". Ouest-France (in French). 25 September 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  2. ^ Vilars, Timothée (14 August 2024). "Le débarquement de Provence par Pierre Vilars, 108 ans : « A ce moment, c'est curieux, on n'a pas peur. On ne pense pas au danger et heureusement »". Le Nouvel Obs (in French). Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  3. ^ Demaison, Alix (5 August 2016). "Pierre Vilars, l'exemple d'un centenaire accompli". Ouest-France (in French). Vannes. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Vilars, Timothée (15 August 2024). "Pierre Vilars, 108 ans, raconte sa guerre et son Débarquement en 1944 : « On vit une autre vie, on fait ce qu'il faut »". Le Nouvel Obs (in French). Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  5. ^ "Juin1940. Un véritable acte de résistance à Guidel". Le Télégramme (in French). 17 June 2010. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  6. ^ "PORTRAIT. Il est le 4e homme le plus âgé de France : Pierre Vilars a fêté ses 108 ans à Vannes". Ouest-France (in French). 7 August 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  7. ^ "Il est le quatrième homme le plus âgé de France : Pierre Vilars a fêté ses 108 ans à Vannes". Maville (in French). 7 August 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Pierre Vilars, 108 ans, raconte la guerre et son débarquement en Provence en 1944". YouTube (in French). 15 August 2024.
  9. ^ "Il est le quatrième homme le plus âgé de France : Pierre Vilars a fêté ses 108 ans à Vannes". Maville (in French). 7 August 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  10. ^ Camerin, Tony (7 August 2024). "Cinquième doyen de France, Pierre Vilars a fêté ses 108 ans à Vannes". Le Télégramme (in French). Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  11. ^ Paitier, Sophie (28 December 2021). "À Vannes, Pierre Vilars, 105 ans, et enfin la Légion d'honneur". Le Télégramme (in French). Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  12. ^ "Décret du 8 novembre 2021 portant nomination dans l'ordre national de la Légion d'honneur en faveur des anciens combattants de la guerre de 1939-1945, des Théâtres d'opérations extérieurs et de l'Afrique du Nord". Journal officiel de la République française (in French). 9 November 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  13. ^ "Monsieur Pierre VILARS". Simplifia (in French).
  14. ^ "Monsieur Pierre Vilars". Ouest-France (in French).
  15. ^ "Anniversaires à souhaiter en août 2024". Palmarès des Français les plus âgés en vie (in French).
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