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Andre Lalande, Major in the 13th DBLE, Lieutenant-General of the French Army
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André Lalande was born on May 26, 1913 in Rennes into Ille-et-Vilaine. His father was a general inspector in an insurance company. In Nancy where its family settled in 1919, André Lalande registered at the Saint-Sigisbert School. He graduated in 1930, then he trained in Paris, in the Janson of Sailly, for the competitive Saint-Cyr examination which he passed in 1931. In leaving the School, in 1933 (class of Tafilalet), he is promoted second lieutenant and affected with the 146th Régiment of Infantry of Fortress in Metz. Promoted lieutenant in 1935, he then, in 1937, requested to join the 6th Battalion of Alpine Hunters (6th BCA) in Grenoble. In the 6th BCA in the capacity as commander of the 1st Company, takes part in April throughJune 1940, in Norway, with the invaision of Narvik during which he is wounded by shrapnel and later promoted captain and made chevalier of the Legion of Honour. Returning from Norway to Brest on June 15, 1940, its unit is evacuated by ferry to England three days later.
At the camp of Trentham Park, André Lalande chooses to engage in the Free French Army. He remains in Delville Camp, charged with the training of the young French volunteers.In May 1941, after having spent one month in a motorized English battalion, the Rifle Brigade, André Lalande is assigned to the Staff of the French Terrestrial Forces in Great Britain. In October 1941 it is placed at the disposal of the General ordering the FFL in Syria and arrives to Beirut in December 1941. Lalande was assigned to the 13th Half-Brigade of Foreign Legion, in the capacity as Adjudant Chef of the 3rd Battalion, he takes part in the campaign in Libya and in particular with the siege of Bir-Hakeim in May and June 1942. In October 1942, he participated as commander of the 6th company of the 2e BLE, with the combat of Himeimat (El Alamein) during which it is wounded again by a ball. After one month at the Hospital of Alexandria, he passes its convalescence to Gambut. Promoted major in June 1943.
In April 1944, he disembarks in Italy with the 1st Free French Division (1st DFL), with the head of a company of guns of infantry, the CCI 13. He is distinguished in the fights in Garigliano, Liri and after the capture of Rome, in Bolsena and Radicofani. André Lalande disembarks in Provence, August 17, 1944, with the 13th DBLE, to take share in the countryside of France. After the combat of Toulon and the release of the valley of the Rhone, the 1st DFL continued its reconquest in the Vosges. In November 1944, he takes the command of the 3rd BLE which it carries out to the combat during the campaign of Alsace, then in the Alps, with the plateau of Authion, for the reduction of the last pockets of German resistance in April 1945. After the capitulation of Germany, he is assigned in November 1945, to the Ministry for the Armies, the cabinet of Edmond Michelet who detaches him in March 1946, at the commission of delimitation of the border italo-Yugoslavian in Trieste.
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In 1947, the lieutenant-colonel Lalande is detached at the international commission of Balkans. In October 1947, he joined the staff of National Defense then, in the following year, to the permanent headquarters of the President of the Council. In 1949, he is admitted at the School of War from where he leaves major in 1951. In 1953, he volunteers for service in Indo-China where he commands the 3e Foreign Régiment of Infantry (3e REI) and the Mobile Grouping interarmes n° 6. Promoted to colonel during the battle of Diên Biên Phu in April 1954, he takes the head of the center of resistance "Isabelle", which he defends with his men until the fall of the fortified camp. Captured, he is released in September 1954, after five months of captivity spent under terrible conditions. In February 1955, André Lalande becomes auditor with the Defense College of NATO then inJuly he is affected with the Permanent Group of NATO in Washington. Commanding the sector of Tiaret in Algeria (1958-1959), chief of assistant staff of the 10th military area of Algiers in 1959, he is promoted with the rank of brigadier general in 1961 and takes part in the operation launched on Bizerte to Tunisia. In 1963, the General Lalande commands the Light Aviation of the Army (ALAT) and in 1965 and 1966, the 11th Light Division of Intervention (11th DLI) and the Aéromobile Brigade in Pau. Promoted major general, he is in 1967 to 1969, chief of particular staff of the President of the Republic. Military governor of Lyon and commanding the 5e military Area, André Lalande is named lieutenant-general and is deposited in 2e section in 1973. He becomes President of the National Federation of the Warrant officers of Reserve (FNASOR) in 1976. The General André Lalande died on October 19, 1995 with Brive-a-Gaillarde. He is buried in Corrèze.
During his military career, Lalande received the following decorations/awards:
Grand Officier de la Legion d'Honneur
Compagnon de la Liberaration - Awarded November 20, 1944
Grand Croix de l'Ordre National du Merite
Croix de Guerre 39/45
Croix de Guerre des TOE
Medaille Colonial