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Jean Bréchignac
Jean Bréchignac (29 September 1914 – 25 May 1984) was a French Army officer who fought in World War II, First Indochina War and Algerian War. He led the 2nd Battalion, 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment (1er RCP) in Indochina, most notable during the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, and the 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment in Algeria. His career ended when he took part in the 1961 Algiers putsch against the French government. He was described as one of the most accomplished officers of his period by Jules Roy. Biography He was a graduate from Saint-Cyr Military Academy and fought in World War II. Bréchignac was given command of the 2nd Battalion of the 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment (1er RCP), which arrived in Indochina on 17 January 1953, taking part in several airborne operations, most notable the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. He and most of his battalion jumped into Dien Bien Phu during the night of 3/4 April. Bréchignac was captured at the end of the battle; he was amongst the minority ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cran-Gevrier
Cran-Grevier is a former commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the commune Annecy. Geography Cran-Gevrier is in the west of Annecy. Part of the town is on a hill (hill of Gevrier). The hamlet of Cran was on the level of the Thiou river. The top of the hill of Gevrier is designated as a natural area. The Fier forms most of the commune's north-western border. History The city draws its origins from two hamlets: Cran and Gevrier. There are two possible origins for each one of these names: * Cran which means "notch" (permitted the establishment of a road between Boutae (Annecy) and Aquae (Aix-les-Bains), or between two rivers (river Thiou and river Fier). * Gevrier, the oldest hamlet, got its name either from the Grabriaccus villa, or from the word "guivre", the name of a mythical snake whose role in tales is to keep treasures (one finds a snake rolled up around a sword on the bla ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |