Date of birth:

June 30th, 1911 (Chantelle, France)

Date of death:

April 7th, 1973 (Paris, France)

Nationality:

French (1870-present, Republic)

Entered the Naval Health School in Bordeaux in 1932, he became a colonial doctor.

Doctor at the 4th RTS in Fréjus in 1937 and 1938, he was sent to Congo, to Pointe-Noire, and was assigned to the health department of Kouilou, then to the surgical service of the hospital of Pointe-Noire in April 1940.

From June 1940, responding to General de Gaulle's call, he tried to leave the AEF to gain allied territory. After two unsuccessful attempts, he remained in Pointe-Noire where he struggled to rally the colony to Free France.

He took part in the Gabon campaign with the Parant column in October and November 1940 before being assigned as director of the Gabon health service and the Libreville hospital where he worked as a surgeon.

Wishing to join an operational unit, he had to wait for many months before being tasked at the end of November 1941 with forming, in Bangui, within Column Leclerc, the Column 2 sanitary group of which he took command. On his arrival in Bangui in December 1941, Guy Chavenon was promoted to doctor-captain.

In October 1942, he took the medical group, made up of two sections, to Fort-Lamy to participate in the second campaign of Fezzan and that of Tripolitania. During the fighting in Tunisia, Guy Chavenon distinguished himself, as a surgeon, on March 10, 1943, in Ksar Rhilane, during the counter-attack of the 20th Panzerdivision by operating relentlessly. Close to General Leclerc, he became his personal doctor.

In 1944, he carried out the Normandy campaign by taking part in the battles of Ecouché (August 12 to 22), and Longjumeau. At the same time, he showed cold blood and courage in ensuring the treatment of the wounded during the aerial bombardment of Ducey. At the end of August, with the 2nd Armored Division, Guy Chavenon entered liberated Paris.

He was wounded on November 23, 1944, at the time of the capture of Strasbourg while he was picking up a man who had fallen under his eyes, under a violent bombardment.

After the war, he left with Leclerc for Indochina, where he served as an intermediary for the general at the Sainteny mission. On his return to France in August 1946, he was assigned to the General Staff of General Leclerc, to the inspection of the Land Forces in AFN in Paris. Then, he was appointed to Marseille with the rank of doctor colonel in July 1947.

In 1948, Guy Chavenon left for Togo, where he took part in equipping the Lomé hospital. He was then Deputy Head of Surgical Services at the Bégin Hospital in Paris.

Director of the health service in Madagascar in 1954, he remained in post until 1961, when he chaired the Reform Commission of the 1st Military Region (Paris).

Promoted general physician in 1966, he was appointed at the same time deputy director of the health service of the 9th Military Region before retiring to Vichy.

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• - Guy CHAVENON | L'Ordre de la Libération et son Musée