Jean-François-Maxime Raybaud

Jean-François-Maxime Raybaud (June 19, 1795 La Colle-sur-Loup, – January 1, 1894 La Colle-sur-Loup, Alpes-Maritimes) was a French philhellene officer and writer, and a participant in the War of Independence of Greece.

Born at the Château du Canadel in La Colle-sur-Loup, he moved as a child to La Flèche when his father, Louis-Maxime Raybaud, became the Head of the Military School (Prytanée National Militaire). At the time of his arrival in Greece in 1821, he is mentioned by the Greek historian A.Vakalopulos as former officer of Napoleon. However, Raybaud himself, on the first pages of his Greek memoirs published in 1824, mention that he "entered the service in 1813," and "left the army because of reduction in December 1820." This gives a basis to modern British historian William St. Clair to consider his participation in Greek War of Independence as the search for a new career. In July 1821, after meeting in Marseille with Alexander Mavrokordato, Raybaud sail with him on the brig of the owner from the island of Hydra to insurgent Greece. With them on the ship were 70 volunteers from the Greek diaspora, four French and three Italian volunteers. On August 2, 1821 the ship was anchored in the lagoon of the city of Messolonghi

Raybaud was participant in the siege and the witness of Siege of Tripolitsa in October 1821

The contemporary English writer Douglas Dakin claims that by this time Raybaud already "assist" the Greek insurgents in Macedonia. In the Battle of Peta, where the first regular regiment (actually battalion) of the Greek army, which consisted of Greeks of diaspora and foreign volunteers, lost half of its members, Raybaud served at the headquarters of Mavrokordato. In July 1822 in the city of Messolonghi Raybaud headed 25 survivors of Peta Philhellenes during ceremonial volley in a memory of their fallen comrades.

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