René Laverdure

Lieutenant-Colonel René Philippe Laverdure (27 January 1862 – 13 November 1914) was a French army officer. He enlisted in the army as a private soldier in 1880 and saw active service with the 1st Marine Infantry Regiment and the Regiment de Tirailleurs Annamites in the Tonkin Campaign in modern Vietnam. He was promoted through the army's non-commissioned ranks and became an adjutant in 1884. A display of bravery on the battlefield won him a commission later that year.

Laverdure served as an officer with various Marine Infantry Regiments and the Senegalese Tirailleurs, including active duty in Madagascar, being promoted to captain, before returning to Tonkin in 1894. Laverdure served in Tonkin with the marine infantry and the 3rd Regiment de Tirailleurs Tonkinois. He returned to Madagascar as a staff officer and later transferred to various Colonial Infantry and Garrison Infantry regiments on the island.

Promoted to chef de bataillon in 1902 and subsequently to lieutenant-colonel Laverdure saw action in the Zaian War. He was placed in charge of a combined arms force based at Khénifra in the fight against Berber leader Mouha ou Hammou Zayani. Laverdure led an attack on Hammou's camp against the instructions of his superior, General Hubert Lyautey, and was decisively defeated at the Battle of El Herri. Laverdure lost his life in the battle and much of his command was wiped out. The situation in Morocco was momentarily perilous but the French eventually won the war in 1921.

Early life and career

Laverdure was born in Paris, France, on 27 January 1862. His father was Charles Louis Joseph Laverdure and his mother was Josephine Laverdure.

Laverdure enlisted in the French Army on 19 April 1880 as a private soldier in the 1st Marine Infantry Regiment. He was promoted to corporal on 30 November 1880 and to sergeant on 1 September 1881. Laverdure transferred to the colonial Regiment de Tirailleurs Annamites (central Vietnamese riflemen) on 15 March 1882 and received promotion to quartermaster sergeant on 15 April and to sergeant-major on 15 May. During this time the unit was serving on campaign in the Tonkin region. He achieved the senior NCO rank of adjudant on 22 February 1884 and was commissioned from the ranks for bravery on 1 May 1884, returning briefly to the 1st Marine Infantry as a sub-lieutenant before transferring to the 3rd Marine Infantry Regiment on 6 May 1884. A transfer to the 8th Marine Infantry Regiment followed on 7 May 1897 and he left Tonkin on 2 August. Laverdure saw an opportunity to attack the leader of the Berber forces, Mouha ou Hammou Zayani, when he set up camp at El Herri, a small village from Khénifra, for the winter. French commander Lyautey was hopeful of a negotiated end to the war and twice refused Laverdure permission to attack the Berber camp.

However Laverdure decided to disobey his orders to remain in Khénifra and marched on El Herri with almost the entire garrison on 13 November. Lyautey was briefly of the opinion that the event would cause the loss of the whole of Morocco but stabilised the situation and eventually won the war in 1921.

René Laverdure had married Adile Blanche on 20 February 1901 and they kept a house at Touffreville, Upper Normandy. Laverdure held the Tonkin Expedition commemorative medal and was an officer of the Order of the Dragon of Annam.