Philippe Vannier

Philippe Vannier (Vietnamese name: Nguyễn Văn Chấn / 阮文震, 1762–1842) was a French Navy officer and an adventurer who went into the service of Nguyễn Ánh, the future emperor Gia Long of Vietnam.

Life Vannier was born in Brittany, in the town of Auray. He had served from 1778 in the Royal French Navy, and had reportedly fought in the American War of Independence. In April 1801, he again fought in front of the harbour of Qui Nhơn, and was nominated General (Brigadier) of the Navy. but then left Vietnam at the same time as Jean-Baptiste Chaigneau, soon after the accession of Minh Mạng to the throne.

Philippe Vannier died in Lorient on 6 June 1842. His Vietnamese wife died in the same city on 6 April 1878.

One of their grandsons, Emile Vannier, was a Navy officer who participated to the Cochinchina campaign in 1863–1864, and died in 1885.