Théophile Marie Brébant (24 May 1889 – 20 February 1965) was a

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed For ...

officer 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

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 ...

. He ended his career in 1946 with the rank of

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Career

Brébant served from 23 July 1908 to 14 June 1946 in the French Army. During his career he belonged to the following regiments: * 48th line infantry regiment *

1st Foreign Regiment The 1st Foreign Regiment (french: 1er Régiment étranger, 1er RE) and the 2nd Foreign infantry Regiment are the original and most senior founding regiments of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. The regiment is also responsible for running sp ...

3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment The 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (french: 3e Régiment étranger d'infanterie, 3e REI) is an infantry regiment of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. The regiment is stationed in French Guiana. Its mission includes the protection of the C ...

* 41st Infantry Regiment * 146th Infantry Regiment fortress * 117th Infantry Regiment During

, Brébant participated in the

First Battle of the Marne The First Battle of the Marne was a battle of the First World War fought from 5 to 12 September 1914. It was fought in a collection of skirmishes around the Marne River Valley. It resulted in an Entente victory against the German armies in the ...

and the

Battle of Verdun The Battle of Verdun (french: Bataille de Verdun ; german: Schlacht um Verdun ) was fought from 21 February to 18 December 1916 on the Western Front in France. The battle was the longest of the First World War and took place on the hills north ...

. During the

Second World War 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 ...

from 1939 to 1940, he participated in the

Battle of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...

. Then he was a prisoner in Germany in

Oflag IV-D Oflag IV-D Elsterhorst was a World War II German Army Prisoner-of-war camp for Allied officers located near Hoyerswerda, then part of Lower Silesia, 44 km north-east of Dresden. Timeline * June 1940: part of Stalag IV-A was separated ou a ...

(

Hoyerswerda Hoyerswerda () or Wojerecy () is a major district town in the district of Bautzen in the German state of Saxony. It is located in the Sorbian settlement area of Upper Lusatia, a region where some people speak the Sorbian language in addition to G ...

Lower Silesia Lower Silesia ( pl, Dolny Śląsk; cz, Dolní Slezsko; german: Niederschlesien; szl, Dolny Ślōnsk; hsb, Delnja Šleska; dsb, Dolna Šlazyńska; Silesian German: ''Niederschläsing''; la, Silesia Inferior) is the northwestern part of the ...

Honour

A street of

Guingamp Guingamp (; ) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France. With a population of 6,895 as of 2017, Guingamp is one of the smallest towns in Europe to have a top-tier professional football team: En Avant Guinga ...

(

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

) is now called ''"Col. Brébant"'' to honour him. It is planned to name a street where a green space in his name at

Le Mans Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...

(

Awards

* Commander of the Légion d'honneur ''on 17 January 1952'' **''Officer of the Légion d'honneur on 13 December 1938'' **''Knight of the Légion d'honneur on 24 July 1918'' * French Croix de guerre 1914-1918 ( 1 bronze palm, 1 gilt star, 1 silver star, 1 bronze star) * French Croix de guerre 1939-1945 ( 2 bronze palms) * French Croix de guerre des TOE ( 1 silver star) *'' French Croix du combattant'' *

Colonial Medal 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 bar "Morocco" *''Medal commemorating the war 1914–1918'' * World War I Victory Medal *''Medal commemorating the war of 1939–1945 with staple France'' *''Wounded military insignia'' with two red stars (wounded twice) *''Medal of La Marne'' *''Medal of Verdun'' *''Medal commemorating the Battle of the Somme (1940)'' File:Colonel Brébant.jpg, Colonel Brébant 1939, 117th Infantry Regiment at Le Mans. File:DCB.JPG, Medals of Colonel Brébant. File:Médaille de la Marne.jpg, 6 September 1914 Battle of the Marne. A troop that can no longer move at all costs will keep the land conquered and killed on the spot rather than reculer. Signer

General Foch Ferdinand Foch ( , ; 2 October 1851 – 20 March 1929) was a French general and military theorist who served as the Supreme Allied Commander during the First World War. An aggressive, even reckless commander at the First Marne, Flanders and Art ...

. File:Diplome de Verdun du lieutenant Brébant.jpg, For chefs.

Officers An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

Soldiers A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...

. To all the heroes known and anonymous, living and dead, who have triumphed over the avalanche of barbaric and immortalized his name in the world and for future centuries, the city of

Verdun Verdun (, , , ; official name before 1970 ''Verdun-sur-Meuse'') is a large city in the Meuse department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department. Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital ...

, inviolable and stand on its ruins, dedicate this medal as a sign of his gratitude. Verdun, 20 November 1916. {{DEFAULTSORT:Brebant, Theophile Marie 1889 births 1965 deaths People from Guingamp French Army officers French military personnel of World War I French military personnel of World War II World War II prisoners of war held by Germany French prisoners of war in World War II Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France) Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France) Commanders of the Legion of Honour Officers of the French Foreign Legion Officers of the Legion of Honour Knights of the Legion of Honour People of the Rif War