Pierre Louis-Dreyfus
| Pierre Louis-Dreyfus | |
|---|---|
| Born |
May 17, 1908 Paris, France |
| Died | January 15, 2011 (aged 102) Neuilly-sur-Seine, France |
| Citizenship | French |
| Occupation | soldier; businessman |
| Spouse(s) | Dolores Neubauer (divorced) (1905-1987) Claude Singer (died 2005) |
| Children |
with Neubauer: --Dominique Louis-Dreyfus --Gérard Louis-Dreyfus with Singer: --Philippe Louis-Dreyfus --Danièle Louis-Dreyfus |
| Parent(s) | Sarah Germaine Hément Charles Louis-Dreyfus |
Pierre Louis-Dreyfus (May 5, 1908 – January 15, 2011) was a French Resistance fighter during World War II who later served as CEO of the Louis Dreyfus Cie.
Pierre Louis-Dreyfus was born on May 17, 1908 in Paris, one of three children born to Charles Louis-Dreyfus (1870-1929), a merchant and ship-owner, and Sarah Germaine Hément. His family was Jewish. His paternal grandfather, Léopold Louis-Dreyfus, founded the Louis Dreyfus Group in 1851. He had two siblings, brother François Louis Dreyfus (1909-1958) and sister, Arlette Louis Dreyfus (1911-2001). In 1928, he graduated from the Lycée Condorcet with a joint degree in arts and law.
Called to military service, he became a cadet in the Reserve Cavalry School at Saumur in October 1928 and was released in May 1929 with the rank of sub-lieutenant. He was then assigned to the 6th Dragoons until his release in October 1929. Thereafter, he worked in the family business, Louis Dreyfus & Cie., eventually becoming a partner. He was recalled in August 1939 and served as a lieutenant in the 2nd Dragoon Regiment. He served two rotations in Luxembourg and France before again being discharged.
In 1941, along with his friends, Emile Laffon, Jacques Bounin and Emmanuel d'Astier, he came into contact with and joined the French Resistance. Having extensive military training, Louis-Dreyfus was assigned responsibility for coordinating the resistance groups in the south of France. He was forced to flee France in December 1942 and arrived back in England in January 1943. In April 1943, he joined the 1st Free French Division in Africa and was promoted to captain serving as a liaison officer with the Scottish 51st Highland Division. In December 1943, he requested assignment to the Bomber Group "Lorraine" where he served as a gunner. From July 1944 until May 1945, he flew 81 bombing missions on the Western Front in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. He received four citations for his "tireless work" and for exhibiting the "best professional qualities, military and moral." He was then assigned as a representative of the French Army assigned to the 137th Wing of the Royal Air Force.
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