Albert Auguste Gicquel des Touches (10 April 1818 in
Brest
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**Brest Region
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*Brest, France
**Arrondissement of Brest
**Brest Bretagne Airport
** Château de Brest
*Brest, ...
– 18 May 1901 in
Versailles
The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, u ...
) was a French naval officer and author who served as
Minister of the Navy Minister of the Navy may refer to:
* Minister of the Navy (France)
* Minister of the Navy (Italy)
The Italian Minister of the Navy ( it, Ministri della Marina del Regno) was a member in the Council Ministers until 1947, when the ministry merged ...
from May to November of 1877.
Biography
Gicquel des Touches joined the
French Navy
The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...
in 1832, serving on the ''Aspirant'' on 16 October 1833 and the ''Vessel Teaches'' on 1 May 1838. He served aboard the ''Juno'', the ''Station Brazil'', and ''La Plata'' from 1838 to 1841. Subsequently, Gicquel des Touches was aboard the ''Belle Poul''e, where he was known among his superiors for his
hydrographic observations from 1842 to 1843.
Gicquel des Touches became a Lieutenant on 1 November 1843. He was later named Adjutant of Admiral
Tréhouart aboard the ''Jupiter'', the ''Friedland'', and the ''Inflexible''. He was promoted to Chief of Staff Admiral on ''Taenarus'' during the expedition to
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
in 1849. He was promoted to Captain on 9 August 1858. Gicquel des Touches became the new Chief of Staff of the ''Wing on Britain'' from 1860 to 1862, where he participated in the expedition to
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
. From 1862 to 1864, he commanded the gunnery school ship ''
Montebello''. In the more advanced stages of his career, he was named Maritime Prefect of the 3rd district to
Lorient in November 1871, Vice Admiral on 3 August 1875, and eventually Minister for the Navy of France from May to November 1877.
In 1881, Gicquel des Touches worked as Director General of Deposit Maps and Navy Planes at the
University of Paris
, image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of Arms
, latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis
, motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin)
, mottoeng = Here and a ...
. He also served as Chairman of the Hydrographic Committee and Vice-President of the Lighthouse Commission.
Gicquel des Touches left active duty in May 1884 and dedicated time in his retirement to charitable work for mariners.
Writings
* Instructions on Admiral Tréhoüart (1798-1873), Paris, eldest Challamel 1874.
* Notice on transportation to French Guiana and New Caledonia during the years 1871-1872-1873-1874 & 1875, Paris, imp. nat 1877.
* The Truth about the military laws ... , Paris, Bloud and Barral, 1888.
* On Sunday at the Protestant nations, report by Vice Admiral Gicquel Marquis Des Touches, Paris, impr. F. Survey 1889.
Sources
* ''Annuaires de la Marine'' 1860, 1869, 1881.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Touches
1818 births
1901 deaths
French Naval Ministers
French Navy admirals