Paulin Colonna d'Istria (27 July 1905 – 4 June 1982) was a French
Gendarmerie officer, awarded the
Compagnon de la Libération
The Order of Liberation (french: Ordre de la Libération) is a French Order which was awarded to heroes of the Liberation of France during World War II. It is a very high honour, second only after the ''Légion d’Honneur'' (Legion of Honour) ...
after playing a major part in the
liberation of Corsica
Italian-occupied Corsica refers to the military (and administrative) occupation by the Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Kingdom of Italy of the island of Corsica during the Second World War, from November 1942 to September 1943. After an initial period ...
.
Early life
Colonna d'Istria was born on 27 July 1905 in
Petreto-Bicchisano
Petreto-Bicchisano (; co, Pitretu è Bicchisgià) is a Communes of France, commune in the Corse-du-Sud Departments of France, department of France on the island of Corsica.
Population
Settiva
Settiva is an archaeology, archaeological site ...
to a career soldier. He trained at the
Collège d'Autun then the officer training academy in
Saint-Maixent
Saint-Maixent () is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays de la Loire in north-western France.
See also
*Communes of the Sarthe department
The following is a list of the 354 communes of the Sarthe department of France.
...
before fighting in the
Rif War
The Rif War () was an armed conflict fought from 1921 to 1926 between Spain (joined by France in 1924) and the Berber tribes of the mountainous Rif region of northern Morocco.
Led by Abd el-Krim, the Riffians at first inflicted several de ...
until 1926.
Career
In 1936, Colonna d'Istria was sent to north Africa and was still there when war broke out with Germany in September 1939. In 1940, learning of the
Appeal of 18 June
The Appeal of 18 June (french: L'Appel du 18 juin) was the first speech made by Charles de Gaulle after his arrival in London in 1940 following the Battle of France. Broadcast to Vichy France by the radio services of the British Broadcasting Cor ...
, he joined the Resistance and was sent by
Henri Giraud
Henri Honoré Giraud (18 January 1879 – 11 March 1949) was a French general and a leader of the Free French Forces during the Second World War until he was forced to retire in 1944.
Born to an Alsatian family in Paris, Giraud graduated from ...
to relieve two of the four first agents from
Operation Pearl Harbour
Italian-occupied Corsica refers to the military (and administrative) occupation by the Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Kingdom of Italy of the island of Corsica during the Second World War, from November 1942 to September 1943. After an initial period ...
who returned to Algeria on 14 March aboard the
''Casabianca''. After coordinating between resistance networks, organising arms drops from the ''Casabianca'' and gaining information on enemy positions, the Resistance members Toussaint Griffi and
Laurent Preziosi
Laurent Preziosi (22 June 1912 - 5 November 2010) was a French Resistance member, most notable as one of the first four volunteers for Operation Pearl Harbour sent to Corsica on 11 December 1942 aboard the French submarine Casabianca (Q183), ''Casa ...
were ordered to meet him in the office of Colonel de Villeneuve, head of the
Deuxième Bureau
The Deuxième Bureau de l'État-major général ("Second Bureau of the General Staff") was France's external military intelligence agency from 1871 to 1940. It was dissolved together with the Third Republic upon the armistice with Germany. Howeve ...
, on rue Charras in Algiers. They provided him with everything needed to make his mission a success, knowing that the Resistance radio operator
Pierre Griffi was still in place to help him.
He was secretly landed on the east coast of Corsica by a British submarine on 4 April 1943 and travelled to
Niolo, where he set up a temporary command post. Until the island's liberation was completed on 4 October that year, he coordinated and commanded the Resistance movements around the
National Front with the aim of enabling landings without imposing a particular political viewpoint on the island's liberation.
The National Front rose from 2000 to 12000 volunteers that September and was able to create more than fifty parachute landing zones for arms drops, despite repression by Italian occupying troops. From 9 June to 3 July he returned to Algiers, returning on the ''Casabianca'' with 12 tonnes of weapons and other materiel. He joined the National Front's departmental committee and organised the preparatory campaign for the landings. A Corsican uprising began on 8 September, the date of the
Cassibile Armistice between the western Allies and the Italians, leading to total liberation three weeks later.
Traces of War entry
/ref>
In November 1943 Colonna d'Istria joined the staff of the Free French
Free France (french: France Libre) was a political entity that claimed to be the legitimate government of France following the dissolution of the Third Republic. Led by French general , Free France was established as a government-in-exile ...
forces in the United Kingdom and entered Paris on 25 August 1944 as part of General Leclerc's 2nd Armoured Division. After the war, at the rank of lieutenant-colonel, he returned to the Gendarmerie. In 1951 he was elected parliamentary deputy for Algiers, but was soon dismissed from that role. He was made a général de brigade in 1956, taking command of the Gendarmerie in the French Occupied Zone of Germany. His active service ended in 1963.
Personal life
Colonna d'Istria died in Toulon
Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...
on 4 June 1982 and is buried in Marseille
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fra ...
.
Honours and legacy
The 116th class of the prestigious École des Officiers de la gendarmerie (EOGN) was named after him in 2011.
Honours
* Grand officier de la Légion d'honneur
Grand may refer to:
People with the name
* Grand (surname)
* Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor
* Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist
* Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper
Places
* Grand, Oklahoma
* Grand, Vosges, village and co ...
* Compagnon de la Libération
The Order of Liberation (french: Ordre de la Libération) is a French Order which was awarded to heroes of the Liberation of France during World War II. It is a very high honour, second only after the ''Légion d’Honneur'' (Legion of Honour) ...
– decree of 16 August 1944
* Croix de guerre 1939-1945 (2 citations)
* Médaille coloniale
The Colonial Medal (french: "Médaille Coloniale") was a French decoration created by the "loi de finances" of 26 July 1893 (article 75) to reward "military services in the colonies, resulting from participation in military operations, in a colon ...
(with "Maroc" clasp)
* Croix des services militaires volontaires 3ème classe
* Médaille d'or de l'éducation physique et des sports
* Peace of Morocco Medal (Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
)
* Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, ty ...
(United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Colonna d'Istria, Paulin
1905 births
1982 deaths
People from Corse-du-Sud
Rally of the French People politicians
Deputies of the 2nd National Assembly of the French Fourth Republic
Free French military personnel of World War II
Companions of the Liberation
Grand Officers of the Legion of Honour
Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France)
Companions of the Distinguished Service Order