Paul Gamory-Dubourdeau (29 October 1889 – 10 January 1963) was a French collaborator during World War II. A decorated army officer in the French army, Gamory-Dubourdeau volunteered in the Waffen SS, becoming commander of the French SS Volunteer Assault Brigade before transferring to the SS headquarter in Berlin. After the war he was captured and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Biography

Paul-Marie Gamory-Dubourdeau was born on 29 January 1885 in

Ploudalmézeau Ploudalmézeau (; ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. The village and small port of Portsall is part of the commune. Portsall is known for the Amoco Cadiz oil spill. Geography Climate Ploudalmézeau ...

, Brittany. He started his military career in 1903 after joining the

2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment The 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (french: 2e Régiment Étranger d'Infanterie, 2e REI) is an infantry regiment of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. The regiment is one of two mechanized infantry regiments of the 6th Light Armoured Brigade ...

of the French Foreign Legion. In 1911, after attending the ''École militaire d'infanterie de Saint-Maixent'', he served with the Camel Corps in

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

and Tibesti. From 1916 to 1918 he served in France with corps of colonial infantry Senegalese Tirailleurs. Based in Morocco. He retired from the army in 1928 settling in

Casablanca Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...

. In 1936 he joined the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

fascist Fascism is a far-right, Authoritarianism, authoritarian, ultranationalism, ultra-nationalist political Political ideology, ideology and Political movement, movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and pol ...

and

anti-semitic Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...

political party

French Popular Party The French Popular Party (french: Parti populaire français) was a French fascist and anti-semitic political party led by Jacques Doriot before and during World War II. It is generally regarded as the most collaborationist party of France. ...

(PPF). In 1943 Gamory-Dubourdeau volunteered for the Waffen-SS, becoming commander of the first French SS formation known as the French SS Volunteer Assault Brigade from April to August 1944 after training at the SS-Junkerschul at

Bad Tölz Bad Tölz (; Bavarian language, Bavarian: ''Däiz'') is a Town#Germany, town in Bavaria, Germany and the administrative center of the Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen district. History Archaeology has shown continuous occupation of the site of Bad Tö ...

in Bavaria. From September to December 1944 his command was transferred to the , a unit predominantly composed of former members of the Sturmbrigade, as part of the 33rd Waffen Grenadier Division Charlemagne. In December 1944 Gamory-Dubourdeau was transferred to the SS headquarter in Berlin to lead the French Department of the

SS Main Office The SS Main Office (german: SS-Hauptamt; SS-HA) was the central command office of the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) in Nazi Germany until 1940. Formation The office traces its origins to 1931 when the SS created the SS-Amt to serve as an SS Headquarters ...

. In May 1945 he was captured by

American troops The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...

and sent to a French prison. In 1947 Gamory-Dubourdeau was sentenced to life imprisonment and dégradation nationale (stripping of rank), Gamory-Dubourdeau died at

Sours Sours () is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. Population See also *Communes of the Eure-et-Loir department The following is a list of the 365 communes of the Eure-et-Loir department of France. The communes coo ...

in 1963.

References

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* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gamory-Dubourdeau, Paul-Marie 1880s births 1963 deaths French Army officers Officers of the French Foreign Legion French military personnel of World War I French Army personnel of World War II SS-Sturmbannführer Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France) Recipients of the Legion of Honour French Waffen-SS personnel French prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment People convicted of treason against Germany Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by France