Pierre Crousillac

Pierre Crousillac (14 November 1921 – 17 December 2011) was a French Army officer who rose to the rank of général de corps d'armée. A graduate of the École polytechnique and a member of the French Resistance during World War II, he served as a signals officer in the First Indochina War, took part in the French liaison mission to the Israeli army during the Suez Crisis, and commanded the 11th Shock Parachute Battalion during the Algerian War.

He later served as military attaché in Moscow, commanded the 8th Infantry Division at Compiègne, and from 1978 until his retirement in 1981 headed the French military mission to the NATO Military Committee.

Early life and education Crousillac was born on 14 November 1921 in Brive-la-Gaillarde, in the Corrèze department. He grew up in Tulle and studied in the scientific preparatory classes of the Lycée Louis-le-Grand before entering the École polytechnique in September 1942.

Two months later his studies were interrupted when he was sent to the Chantiers de la jeunesse, where he served as a corporal at Argelès-sur-Mer, Saint-Amans-Soult and Argentat.

Resistance and Liberation In October 1943, refusing to comply with the Service du travail obligatoire, he joined the Armée secrète in the Brive-la-Gaillarde area, where he commanded a company of maquisards. Like most of his comrades he then joined the Corrèze-Limousin marching regiment and took part in the operations of the Liberation.

He was then posted to the 11th Shock Parachute Half-Brigade, commanding successively its marching group (GM 11) from August 1959 to May 1960 and the 11th Shock Parachute Battalion from May 1960 to April 1961, under the operational call sign "Coplan". He took part in operations in Algeria, notably in the border zone and the northern Sahara, for which he was cited in army dispatches.

He was subsequently deputy to the general commanding the 4th Military Region and then commanded the 8th Infantry Division at Compiègne.

On 24 May 1978 the Council of Ministers appointed him head of the French military mission to the NATO Military Committee, General Alain Bizard succeeding him at the head of the 8th Division. He left active service in November 1981. An enthusiast for the medieval town of Turenne, he contributed to its promotion by organising guided tours.

Honours Commander of the Legion of Honour: Knight (decree of 14 August 1956), Officer (7 July 1967), Commander (8 July 1981) Commander of the Ordre national du Mérite (decree of 10 December 1974) Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures, with vermeil and silver stars (1953) Cross for Military Valour, with palm (1961) Croix du combattant volontaire de la Résistance Croix du combattant volontaire 1939–1945 Croix du combattant Médaille coloniale Commemorative medal for the Indochina campaign Commemorative medal for security and law-and-order operations French commemorative medal for Middle East operations