Charles Platon
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Rear Admiral René-Charles Platon |
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Platon in 1942
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| Secretary of State for the Colonies | |
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In office 6 September 1940 – 18 April 1942 |
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| Preceded by | Henry Lémery |
| Succeeded by | Jules Brévié |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
19 September 1886 Pujols, Gironde, France |
| Died | 28 August 1944 (aged 57) Valojoulx, Dordogne, France |
| Nationality | French |
René-Charles Platon (19 September 1886 – 28 August 1944) was a French admiral who was responsible for the Colonial Ministry under the Vichy government. He was a passionate supporter of the Révolution nationale (National Revolution) of Vichy France, which he wanted to export to the colonies. He was hostile to elected bodies, anti-Semitic, anti-Masonic and supported the back-to-the-soil movement. He saw Britain as the enemy of France. After the Allied invasion of Normandy in the summer of 1944 he was captured by French partisans, given a summary trial and executed.
Charles Platon was born in Pujols-sur-Dordogne, Gironde, on 19 September 1886. His father was a librarian at the Bordeaux Faculty of Law, and his mother was a professor at the Normal School. Platon was admitted to the Naval School at the age of 18, where he did well. He became a midshipman on 5 October 1907 in the port of Toulon. On 1 January 1908 he was assigned to the battle cruiser Léon-Gambetta. He was again posted to the port of Toulon on 1 January 1909. On 5 October 1909 he was promoted to Ensign. He was appointed to the battle cruiser Victor-Hugo on 1 January 1911.
On 1 January 1912 Platon entered the School of Destroyer Officers in Toulon. He was made an officer, and on 1 January 1914 was made second in command of the submarine Germinal based in Cherbourg. Platon was promoted to Lieutenant on 17 March 1917. On October 1917 he was given command of the submarine Opale in the Mediterranean. He was made a Knight of the Legion of Honour.
On 1 January 1921 Platon was given command of the submarine Fulton, based at Toulon. He graduated from the École Supérieure de la Marine (Higher Naval School) in 1922. He was promoted to Lieutenant Commander on 14 June 1923, and Commander on 11 January 1927. He was made an Officer of the Legion of Honor. On 22 February 1929 he was given command of the destroyer Tornado. On 1 January 1932 he was assigned to the port of Toulon. On 1 November 1935 he was promoted to Captain in command of the destroyer Fantasque.
In October 1939 Platon was promoted to Rear Admiral in command of the group at Dunkerque-Calais-Boulogne. The Germans launched their invasion on 10 May 1940. In June 1940 Platon helped the British command in the evacuation of the port of Dunkirk. Platon was known to use cocaine. After the escape of the British from Dunkirk his Anglophobia reached a hysterical pitch. Platon, who was still enraged at Britain over Dunkirk, visited Cameroon on 20–22 July 1940 and stirred up trouble between the sides that supported and opposed the British. Soon after the British were informed that their planes were not to fly over Cameroon. However, a month later Cameroon swung over to the Gaullist side.
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