Moïse Bebel
Born(1898-05-21)21 May 1898
Trois-Rivières, Guadeloupe
Died10 June 1940(1940-06-10) (aged 42)
Erquinvillers, France
AllegianceFrance
Service/branchFrench Army
Years of service–1940
RankCaptain
Commands held24th regiment of Senegalese skirmishers
Battles/warsSecond 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.

Life

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]

References

  1. ↑ "Hospice Moïse Jean Louis Victor Gilles Bebel". Memoire des hommes. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Bebel Hospice Moïse Jean Louis Victor Gilles". www.memoires-de-guadeloupe.com. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  3. ↑ "Erquinvillers (Oise), 9 - 10 juin 1940 - Maitron". fusilles-40-44.maitron.fr. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Moïse Bébel (1898-1940)". Une autre histoire (in French). 13 December 2013. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  5. 1 2 Nivel, Dominique (12 June 2016). "Cérémonie commémorative de la mort du capitaine Moïse Bébél". FranceAntilles.fr. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
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