1. Tom Morel was killed in action at the end of a successful commando raid.
17 Facts About Tom Morel
1. 2.
Tom Morel is memorialized at Saint-Cyr and by the French scouting movement.
3.
Tom Morel's father was the son of a Lyon silk industrialist and his mother was from a family of Savoie jurists and soldiers.
4.
Tom Morel was well schooled by the Lyon Jesuits where he was a Scout de France and patrol leader, and moved towards a military career.
5.
Tom Morel then took high-altitude training at Chamonix and became leader of the section d'eclaireurs skieurs, which he turned into a first-class fighting force.
6.
In September 1939, while his battalion left for the Eastern front, the section commanded by Tom Morel remained guarding the Italian border.
7.
Tom Morel was decorated with the croix de Guerre and obtained his first citation.
8.
Tom Morel received a second citation, then was made Knight of the chevalier de la Legion d'honneur.
9.
Tom Morel then served in the Army of the Armistice at Annecy under commandant Vallette d'Osia and participated in the sequestering of weapons and supplies.
10.
Tom Morel signed up, along with Vallette d'Osia's old adjutant Captain Maurice Anjot, to organise the AS, whose numbers were multiplying after the February 1943 initiation of the STO, the scheme of obligatory labour in Germany.
11.
On 31 January 1944, Tom Morel occupied the plateau with 120 maquisards.
12.
Tom Morel was distinguished by his talent as a leader and trainer of these men who had come from varied geographical, social and political backgrounds.
13.
Tom Morel took up the doctrine of "live free or die", and disciplined his battalion to turn it into unified and effective force in the fight for liberation.
14.
Tom Morel decided to lead another operation, more significant and hazardous, against the staff of the GMR, "Aquitaine", in Entremont at the foot of the Glieres Plateau.
15.
One of the groups, commanded directly by Tom Morel, succeeded in taking the hotel de France where the GMR staff was based.
16.
Tom Morel's personality was summarized by Pierre Golliet in the book Glieres - Haute-Savoie - Premiere bataille de la Resistance - 31 janvier - 26 mars 1944 :.
17.
From one end of his soldier's life to the other, Tom Morel will have been borne by this wish, which is the wish of true heroism.