Jules A. G. Bastin (March 23, 1889 – December 1, 1944) was an officer in the

Belgian army The Land Component ( nl, Landcomponent, french: Composante terre) is the land branch of the Belgian Armed Forces. The King of the Belgians is the commander in chief. The current chief of staff of the Land Component is Major-General Pierre Gérard. ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and a

resistance fighter A resistance movement is an organized effort by some portion of the civil population of a country to withstand the legally established government or an occupying power and to disrupt civil order and stability. It may seek to achieve its objectives ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. During

, Bastin fought as in lieutenant in the Belgian ''1^er régiment de Chasseurs à cheval''. He became heavily wounded on 16 August 1914 and was captured by the Germans. He became famous during his captivity for repeated escape attempts. He eventually succeeded on his tenth try. At the beginning of World War II, he held the rank of colonel and served as Chief of Staff of the Belgian Cavalry Corps. After the invasion of Belgium by the Germans in 1940 he fled to France and joined the underground movement by taking command of the

Belgian Legion Several military units have been known as the Belgian Legion. The term "Belgian Legion" can refer to Belgian volunteers who served in the French Revolutionary Wars, Napoleonic Wars, Revolutions of 1848 and, more commonly, the Mexico Expedition ...

. The Belgian government based in London made him the commander of all their underground military forces on 30 December 1942. He was arrested twice, first in April 1943 and later in November 1943. After his arrest in November he was sent to the Gross-Rosen concentration camp where he died on 1 December 1944. The Belgian government promoted him to the rank of

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

posthumously in August 1946.

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bastin, Jules (Soldier) 1889 births 1944 deaths People who died in Gross-Rosen concentration camp Military personnel who died in Nazi concentration camps Belgian Army personnel of World War I Belgian resistance members Belgian people who died in Nazi concentration camps Belgian military personnel of World War II Resistance members who died in Nazi concentration camps Belgian Army officers Posthumous recognitions Belgian prisoners of war World War I prisoners of war held by Germany Belgian escapees Escapees from German detention