Raymond LUQUET 1923 – 2011
Raymond Louis Léon LUQUET was born on June 2, 1923 in RABAT, Morocco.
He joined Chantier de Jeunesse n°101 on January 29, 1943.
He joined the 1st Régiment de Tirailleurs Marocains (1 RTM) on
April 12, 1943, where he was assigned to the Compagnie Spéciale de
Headquarters on 11/5/43 at Staouéli in Algeria.
He transferred to the Bataillon de Choc on May 28, 1943 (reg. no. 141) and was assigned to the 2nd Company.
On September 13, 1943, he embarked at ALGER and landed at Ajaccio in Corsica the following day, where he fought with the 2nd Cie.
He was appointed Corporal on July 1, 1944.
Captain Lefort’s 2nd Cie landed on the island of Elba at 1am on June 17, 44, providing cover between San Piero in Campo and Fontana. It was during this fighting that hunter Raymond Luquet earned his first commendation, in the Division Order:
“F.M. marksman with great composure and a remarkable eye. Unable to cock his weapon as he advanced through crops, he fired his F.M. at enemies he spotted some 200 meters away. He shot down one of them, causing the others to scatter”.
This citation includes the Croix de Guerre 1939-1945 with silver star.
Back in Corsica, he and his unit prepared for the Provence landings. The Bataillon de Choc was not part of the 1st wave, with the exception of the 30-strong CORLEY- MUELLE section parachuted over the Drôme on July 31 and August 1, and the 10 Chocs parachuted over LE MUY on August 15, along with over 5,000 Anglo-American paratroopers.
The Battalion landed in Provence on August 19 and fought its way into Toulon. Corporal Raymond LUQUET is cited in the Brigade Order:
“F.M. sniper, who protected the progress of his group in front of the Toulon Arsenal on August 22, 1944, under precise and terribly violent enemy fire. Also protected the withdrawal by voluntarily remaining last on the ground beaten by enemy automatic weapons”.
This citation includes the Croix de Guerre 1939-1945 with bronze star.
Then came the climb up the Rhône valley towards Dijon (September 1944), and the hard fighting in the Vosges in October 1944.
On November 1, 1943, he was appointed Master Corporal.
On November 20, 1944, he fought in Belfort, before the tough Alsace campaign, where he took command of his group following the death of his Sergeant-Chef, and led his men into battle, including Jebsheim (68), where on January 30, 1945, the battalion lost 32 men in a single morning (including 6 officers) and a hundred more wounded (including 10 officers).
On February 1, the Bataillon de Choc had to relieve the Commando de France at Durrenentzen (68), which had suffered heavy losses the previous day in its attempt to take the village (53 dead and a very large number wounded).
The Battalion succeeded in taking the village at the cost of a further 10 dead and several wounded, including Raymond who was seriously wounded during the assault on an enemy barricade. He was evacuated to a military field hospital at the rear of the front (Saint Dié?).
He was commended in the Division Order and awarded the Silver Star Croix de Guerre.
He rejoined the Shock Battalion in Germany on May 2, 1945, just before crossing the Austrian border, where he ended the war on May 8, 45 with his comrades in Dalaas, celebrating the end of the fighting: immense joy at being alive, but also immense sadness for all the lost comrades who are no longer with us…
On July 1, 1945, he receives his Sergeant’s stripes.
The remnants of the 6 Shock Battalions of the 1st French Army form the 1st Regiment of Airborne Shock Infantry (1 R.I.C.A.P.) and return to France at the PALU camp in Bordeaux.
Sergeant LUQUET embarked in Marseille on November 2, 1945 and landed in Morocco on November 4. He returned home to the Moroccan capital, Rabat, on December 10, 1945.
He returned to service in Algeria a few years later.
He died on September 27, 2011 in Evian-les-Bains (74).
His decorations :
La Croix de Guerre 1939-1945 avec 3 étoiles,
La Médaille des blessés avec un étoile,
La médaille Commémorative 1939-1945 avec agrafes Italie France Allemagne,
La médaille Commémorative A.F.N avec agrafes Maroc et Algérie.