René Olry | |
---|---|
Born | 28 June 1880 Lille, France |
Died | January 3, 1944 Angoulême, France |
(aged 63)
Allegiance | France |
Service/branch | Artillery |
Years of service | 1900–1942 |
Rank | Général d'Armée |
Commands held | Armee des Alps |
Battles/wars |
|
Awards | Légion d'honneur |
René-Henri OlryCLH (28 June 1880 – 3 January 1944) was a French general and commander of the Army of the Alps (French: l'Armée des Alpes) during the Battle of France of World War II.
Olry was born on 28 June 1880 in Lille in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France. The son of Albert Olry, himself a polytechnicien, Olry was admitted to the École Polytechnique in 1900. Upon graduating, he joined the 21st Artillery Regiment and was appointed the rank of lieutenant on 10 October 1904.
During the First World War, Olry served in the Second Army at the Battle of Verdun under the command of then-general Philippe Pétain. He left for Italy in 1917 as part of the French expeditionary force and participated in combat near the Piave River, and in 1918 assumed command of the 283rd Artillery Regiment. His conduct during the war earned him five citations.
Olry became secretary of the Supreme Council of National Defense (French: Conseil supérieur de la défense nationale) in 1922 and served with the French military mission to Greece until 1928, when he was promoted to colonel of the 309th Artillery Regiment. He was promoted again in 1932 to the rank of Brigadier General and in 1935 to Divisional General (a rank equivalent to Major General) with command of the 29th Infantry Division, which he led until 1937. He later became commander of the 15th Army Corps in the southern Alps.