It didn't seem likely that Leon Gautier would live to see
his 100th birthday; he was a French commando on D-Day,
storming the beaches of Normandy with his comrades. But
though many allied soldiers had died that day, June 6, 1944,
Gautier was not one of them. In fact, he was the
last surviving French commando from that day.
Having enlisted in the French Navy when just 17, he took part
in the defense of the port of Cherbourg and the mouth of the
Vire in Normandy as a gunner on the battleship Courbet.
Gautier fled to Great Britain just before the Nazi occupation
of France. Once he learned about Free France he decided to
join Charles de Gaulle and participated in the July 14 parade
in London, marching with the Free French Naval Forces.
Gautier also served on the merchant vessel Gallois as well
as being a marine rifleman on board the submarine Surcouf ,
which operated in the Middle East and in Africa.
Next, Gautier fought with the 1st Bataillon de Fusiliers Marins
(Marines) Commandos, with whom he had fought on D-Day
in the invasion of Normandy. Over half of his unit died
in combat there.
After the war Gautier became the president of the French branch
of the Association of Commandos. He married Dorothy Banks,
an Englishwoman whom he met when he was stationed in the
United Kingdom in 1943, and they were married until her passing
in 2016 and had two daughters. In addition, Gautier became
a peace advocate, stating that war is a "misery" which
"ends with widows and orphans." He even befriended a former
German soldier, Johannes Borner, with their unlikely friendship
being the subject of a book by Jean-Charles Stasi.
Finally, Gautier was awarded the OBE: Order of the British Empire.
On 2017, to Gautier was born a great-great-grandson.
The little baby's birthday? June 6.
On July 3 of this year, the old commando went to rejoin his
comrades. God bless and thank you, Monsieur Gautier,
for your service!
Requiescat in pace.
MEM
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