Guy Le Borgne

Infobox Military Person
name=Guy Le Borgne


caption=
born=6 January 1920
died=12 December 2007
placeofbirth=Rennes, France
placeofdeath=Paris, France
nickname=Guy Le Zachmeur (Resistance alias)
allegiance=France
branch=French Army
serviceyears=1940-1980
rank=Général de corps d'armée
unit=
commands=8e GCP
3e RPIMa
11th Parachute Division
battles=World War II
*Operation Amherst
First Indochina War
Algerian War
awards=Grand Officer of the Légion d’honneur
Grand Cross of the Ordre national du Mérite
Croix de guerre 1939-1945
Military Cross (UK)
relations=
laterwork=President of the Confédération nationale des associations parachutistes

Guy Le Borgne (6 January 1920 – 12 December 2007) was a French Army general that fought in World War II, First Indochina War and Algerian War. He commanded several paratroop units during his career and was military governor of Lyon.

Biography

He graduated from Saint Cyr as part of the 1939-1940 “Franco-British Friendship” promotion. After the Allied defeat in the Battle of France, he escaped to North Africa and made his way to Great Britain to join General de Gaulle’s Free French Forces.

Became part of a Jedburgh team, a three men team consisting of an American, a Britt and a Frenchman. Le Borgne’s team no. 45 was dropped over Finistère, Brittany in July 1944, to assist the French Resistance. After the Jedburgh mission he joined one of two French Special Air Service units with which he takes part in two operations behind German lines in the Ardennes and the Netherlands.

After the war, he joins a parachute regiment and serves in Indochina where he commands the 8th Parachute Commando Group between 1952 and 1953. During the Algerian War he commands the 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment from 1961 to 1962, leading it during the Bizerte crisis and keeping it loyal to de Gaulle during the 1961 Algiers Putsch. After the war Guy Le Borgne commanded the 11th Parachute Division from 1973 to 1975 and finished his career as military governor of Lyon from 1976 to 1980 with the grade of general de corps d’armée.

After he retired he was elected President of the Confédération nationale des associations parachutistes in 1980 and becoming member of the honorary committee of the Union Nationale des Parachutistes in 1988. Guy Le Borgne also painted under the pseudonyme of Guy Le Zachmeur, his resistance alias from World War II. He died on 12 December 2007.

Decorations

* Grand Officer of the Légion d’honneur
* Grand Cross of the Ordre national du Mérite
* Croix de guerre 1939-1945
* Médaille de la Résistance
* Military Cross (UK)