George Henri Anne-Marie Victor de Villebois-Mareuil

George Henri Anne-Marie Victor count de Villebois-Mareuil or by his shortened name George de Villebois-Mareuil (22 March 1847, Montaigu, Brittany, France - 6 April 1900, Boshof, Orange Free State, South Africa) was a former colonel in the French infantry who fought and died on the side of the Boers during the Second Anglo-Boer War. He was the first of only two foreign volunteers to be given the rank of Major-General in the armed forces of the Boer Republics. The other being his second in command Evgeni Maximov (1849–1904) after the death of Villebois-Mareuil.

Earlier in his career Georges de Villebois-Mareuil took part in the Franco-Prussian War in 1871 and drove the Prussians back from Blois.

George Henri Anne-Marie Victor count de Villebois-Mareuil was born approximately 30 km South East of Nantes. He was a soldier and author. He started his military education at the École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr where he graduated as a Second Lieutenant in 1867. He loved sport and excelled in gymnastics. Shortly after his graduation he left for Cochinchina where he joined the Marine Infantry serving under his uncle Admiral de Cornulier who was Governor of the Colony. He was promoted to full Lieutenant in 1870.

He returned to France shortly after the start the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. He joined 7th battalion des Chasseurs à Pied, of which he took command of the 6th company. On 28 January Blois was occupied by the Prussians. He liberated the city and proved himself exemplary under fire, despite being badly injured during the battle. He refused to be evacuated until the end of the hostilities and spent weeks between life and death, and had to spend 9 months in hospital, after which he was decorated and promoted to the rank of Captain.

...
Wikipedia