Jean Raoux (1916 – 11 January 2004) was a French général de brigade, who began his career during the Second World War and later fought in Indochina and Algeria
Jean Raoux was particularly noted for his knowledge of Arabic, completed by a licence ès-lettres. In his youth he frequently met with the writer Albert Camus in Algiers.
Education
Prepara Saint-Cyr at La Corniche (Alger)
Ecole Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr, promotion Marne et Verdun (1937–1939)
Breveté at the Ecole de Guerre (Doctorate in National Defence on the American defence strategy under FD Roosevelt)
Diplômé at the Ecole d'Etat-Major
Licence in Arabic (Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales)
Licence in English
Licence Es lettres
Second World War
1939 - Sous-Lieutenant - Assigned to the Caserne de Châteauroux to train reservists before the Battle of the Ardennes
1940 - Lieutenant - Fought in the Ardennes during the Battle of France
June 1940 - Captured by the Germans and escaped
1941 - In the Free Zone he rejoined the 152e régiment d'infanterie
1942 - At Clermont-Ferrand (then in the Free Zone) he married Marie-Paule Solelis (1920 - 5 October 2009) then returned to Algiers
1942 - He joined the 16e régiment de tirailleurs algériens at Tlemcen and fought in the North African campaign
1942 - Birth of his eldest daughter Marie-Françoise
January - May 1943: Fought against the Germans in the Tunisian campaign
1944 - He commanded a company of the 1st demi-brigade de Zouaves
15 August 1944 - Participated in Operation Dragoon, landing at Cavalaire
20 November 1944 - He actively participated in the liberation of Mulhouse under the command of Général de Lattre de Tassigny and joined the advance into Germany
February 1945 - Birth of his son Bernard
1945 - Under the orders of Colonel de Pouilly, he joined the 1re Division Blindée at Besançon
Indochina
1946: Captain: 10e Promotion de l'Ecole d'Etat-Major
17 December 1948: Birth of his daughter Catherine (married Joannidès in 1972) at Besançon
1948-1952: Put in command of 1re région militaire
1952-1955: Appointed to the France's High Commission to Laos; operated in Cochinchina at the head of a unit of Cambodians
Also whilst in Indochina he was councillor to his majesty Norodom Sihanouk, king of Cambodia, as well as Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny's personal English translator. He also met Graham Greene in Indochina and advised him on the publication of his The Quiet American.
Algeria
1955-1958: Ministère des Armées, liaison officer with the British Army
1966-1968 - Colonel: Commandement of the 75e régiment d'infanterie de ligne at Valence
1969-1972 - Groupe d'organisation des manoeuvres nationales to the Ecole Militaire in Paris, where his son Bernard, Sous-Lieutenant joined him in the Groupe de Recherche Opérationnelle de l'Armée de Terre
