Moïse Bebel | |
---|---|
Born | Trois-Rivières, Guadeloupe | 21 May 1898
Died | 10 June 1940 Erquinvillers, France | (aged 42)
Allegiance | France |
Service/ | French Army |
Years of service | –1940 |
Rank | Captain |
Commands held | 24th regiment of Senegalese skirmishers |
Battles/wars | Second World War |
Hospice Moïse Jean Louis Victor Gilles Bebel (21 May 1898 – 10 June 1940) [1] was a French Army officer, born in Guadeloupe, who served during the Second World War. He was executed along with his men in a massacre of tirailleurs during the Battle of France.
Born in 1898 in Trois-Rivières, Guadeloupe, Bebel aspired to be a soldier from a young age. [2] He graduated from the Saint-Maxient non-commissioned officer school and quickly rose through the ranks, from second lieutenant to captain. [2] By the time of the Second World War, Bebel was an acting commandant in the 24th regiment of Senegalese skirmishers. [2] He fought in the Battle of France and was taken prisoner on 9 June 1940 while fighting near Erquinvillers. [2] The following day, Bebel was executed by German soldiers along with fifty of his men, becoming one of the 150 tirailleurs massacred in Erquinvillers and its surrounding villages between 9 and 10 June. [2] [3] The murder of Bebel and his men has been compared to the death of fellow tirailleur Charles N'Tchoréré. [4]
Bebel's remains, as well as those of several other Guadeloupean soldiers, were repatriated to Guadeloupe in 1950, with large numbers of people arriving to honor them. [2] [4] In 2016, on the 76th anniversary of his death, Bebel was honored in a ceremony. [5] The main square of Trois-Rivières is named after him. [5]