Pierre Ponchardier "the Ponch' "
Pierre Ponchardier (October 4, 1909 - January 27, 1961) was a French admiral (rear-admiral) born in Saint-Étienne.
Biography
After the Naval School, he took courses at the Air Force Application School in Versailles. He joined the naval aviation and commanded 1B squadron in 1940.
After the defeat, he will create with his brother Dominique Ponchardier, an intelligence network.
At the end of the Second World War, he left for Southeast Asia to ensure the presence of France there. He will create a paratrooper commando there, the SAS B or Ponchardier commando, integrated into the Light Intervention Corps in September 1945 during the landing of the latter in Saigon.
Truly character with command methods his own, like the trumpet (ford T horn) that he wore in operation to transmit his orders to his commandos; or the famous "hairy everyone" before the assault intended to "demoralize" the adversary...
Back in France, he took command of the aircraft carrier La Fayette. In 1958, he was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff of the Navy.
It was during his next command, commander of the South Atlantic maritime zone, that he died in a plane crash in Senegal on January 27, 1961.
Decorations
Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor1
Companion of the Liberation
Croix de guerre 1939-1945
Croix de Guerre des TOE (18 citations)
Military Valor Cross
Resistance Medal
Escapees Medal
It is the character of Pierre Ponchardier who would have inspired the author of "Gorillas" embodied on screen by Lino Ventura and by Roger Hanin