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Philippe Leclerc de Hautecloque

Officier général francais 7 etoiles.svg Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque
A man in uniform with a walking stick. He wears an old-fashioned French Army helmet with crest.
Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque
Born (1902-11-22)22 November 1902
Belloy-Saint-Léonard, France
Died 28 November 1947(1947-11-28) (aged 45)
Colomb-Béchar, French Algeria
Allegiance  France
Service/branch French Army
Years of service 1924–1947
Rank Général d'Armée
Commands held Colonne Leclerc
L force
2nd Armoured Division
French Far East Expeditionary Corps
Battles/wars
Awards Marshal of France (posthumous)
Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour
Order of Liberation
Médaille militaire
Croix de Guerre 1939–1945
Croix de Guerre des TOE
Companion of the Order of the Bath (UK)
Distinguished Service Order (UK)
Silver Star (US)
Commander of the Legion of Merit (US) (more, see below)

Philippe François Marie Leclerc de Hauteclocque (French pronunciation: ​[filip ləklɛʁ də otklɔk]; 22 November 1902 – 28 November 1947) was a French general during the Second World War. He became Marshal of France posthumously in 1952, and is known in France simply as le maréchal Leclerc or just Leclerc.

The son of an aristocratic family, de Hauteclocque graduated from the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr, the French military academy, in 1924. After service with the French Occupation of the Ruhr and in Morocco, he returned to Saint-Cyr as an instructor. He was awarded the croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures for leading goumiers in an attack on caves and ravines on Bou Amdoun on 11 August 1933. During the Second World War he fought in the Battle of France. He then became one of the first to make his way to Britain to fight with the Free French under General Charles de Gaulle, adopting the nom de guerre of Leclerc so that his wife and children would not be put at risk if his name appeared in the papers. He was sent to French Equatorial Africa, where he rallied local leaders to the Free French cause, and led a force against Gabon, whose leaders supported Vichy France. From Chad he led raids into Italian-controlled Libya. After his forces captured Kufra, he had his men swear an oath known today as the Serment de Koufra, in which they pledged to fight on until their flag flew over the Strasbourg Cathedral.


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