Schonen, de , Baron Pierre Etienne Albert

Date of birth:: November 27th, 1912 (Paris, France)
Date of death:: March 8th, 2007 (Paris, France)
Nationality:: French

Biography

Baron Albert de Schonen graduated from the École Libre des Sciences Politiques.
Mobilized 5 September 1938 and called up to Cavalry No. 11.
Captured in 1940, escaped and travelled to London via Portugal.
Became part of Jedburgh Team Daniel and Team Gregory. Codename Argentier.
WIA September 1944.

After the war:
30 April 1945: Embassy Attaché.
Ambassador to the Central African Republic from 1969 to 1971.
He ended his diplomatic career as Ambassador to the Fiji Islands in 1976.

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Military Cross (MC)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Capitaine (Captain)
Unit:: Jedburgh

Citation:
"This officer was dropped by parachute into the Cote du Nord on the night of 4/5th August, 1944 as a member of an allied liaison mission.

After three days his team was recalled to London to undertake a more important mission in the Vosges. They were then parachuted to a maquis-held areodrome near Gex on the 4th September, 1944, and thereafter set off in a convoy towards Baume Les Dames. The convoy, however, ran into an enemy ambush where Capitaine de Schonen was severely wounded in the right shoulder and also received slight (?) (?). Capt. de Schonen crawled into cover and lost consciousness but later regained contact with his party and with him First Aid knowledge attended to the wounded. He then put his British comrade who was badly wounded and almost unconsious, into a car, and despite his own condition, drove him through enemy occupied territory for two hours to a village occupied by French troops.

In recognition of Capitaine de Schonen's devotion to duty and gallant conduct, it is recommended that he be awarded the Military Cross."

Recommended by
Colin Gubbins
Major-General
27.4.45