Two dentists Companions of the Liberation: Philippe Sassoon and Maurice Prochasson by Xavier Riaud 1

Following the 1940 armistice, in front of the prevailing general spirit of renunciation, General de Gaulle decided to rebel against the oppressor and to take in hand ’s destiny. This led him to deliver his famous radio address of June 18. The rallying of the French Equatorial and that of Cameroon at the end of August 1940, the successive failure in Dakar the following month, then the resumption of battle aiming at recovering Gabon led the General to consider the creation of a new decoration which would reward those who particularly fought for the freedom of France and its colonies. On November 16, 1940, while he was in Cameroon, he realized that he would not be able to reward anyone with the Legion of Honour, that it would take a long time to liberate his motherland and that his fellow countrymen would take some time to rally him. Therefore, with the ordinance n°7, he instituted the and de Gaulle, as its founder, has been the only Grand Master of the Order (http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr (a), 2002). From January 29, 1941, five first men were nominated. The promptness of the creation of this new distinction and its likeness with the medieval knight orders were not artificial and showed to what extent it is tied to the history of the free French. It also demonstrated his attachment to it. The characteristics of the Cross of Liberation were set through the decree of January 29, 1941, which settled the organization of the Order. Its attribution was exceptional. Therefore, only 1038 people, 5 towns, and 18 fighting units received it between January 1941 and January 1946. Until the end of 1944, its awarding was strictly linked with the particular circumstances of the occupation and clandestineness. For instance, received it on October 17, 1942 under the name of Corporal Mercier. When he retired from power in 1946, General de Gaulle signed the decree of January 23, 1946 which put an end to its awarding, the war having come to an end. De Gaulle reopened it only twice: in 1958 for and in 1960 for the defunct George VI, King of England, who was awarded posthumously (http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr (a), 2002).

Maurice Prochasson (1901-1964) Maurice Prochasson was born on July 21, 1901 in Paris. He studied dentistry during the interwar years (Benmansour, 2010). He came forward to de Gaulle’s radio address and enlisted in the Free French forces in England in 1941. During his trip while he was passing through Spain and Morocco, he sent documents of paramount importance for the Allies to the Intelligence Service. When he met de Gaulle, he also gave him those essential documents ( http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr (b), 2002; Trouplin, 2010). In the English capital city, Maurice learnt the death of his son and asked his appointment to a fighting unit straight away. He immediately got it as dentist and assistant of the surgical team in the . In March 1942, he joined his unit stationed in Lebanon. Upon arrival, he showed great bravery in the Campaign and notably in Bir-Hakeim where his courage and devotion were the subject of a citation ( http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr (b), 2002; Trouplin, 2010). Maurice Prochasson was present in El-Alamein and fought with the greatest energy during the Tunisia campaign ( http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr (b), 2002; Trouplin, 2010). From May 9 th to May 14 th 1944, in San Clemente, Italy, during the major assault on the Gustav line, he took the command of an artillery piece and distinguished himself with the

1 Dental Surgeon, Doctor in Epistemology, History of Sciences and Techniques, Laureate and member of the National Academy of Dental Surgery. 1 precision of his shootings and his ardour for war despite the opposing attacks. After some recrimination and under the orders of General Diégo Brosset, Prochasson went back to his initial post. His courage and self-denial were once again praised as in Pontecorvo, he operated on a fellow soldier at an altitude of 1,000 meters under the opposing fire which kept on assaulting him from all quarters ( http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr (b), 2002; Trouplin, 2010). On August 16 th 1944, he landed with the 1st Free French division in Provence at Cavalaire. He got involved in the whole French campaign. He was present during the liberation of Toulon, , the confrontations between the Vosges and Alsace. He ended the war in May 1945 on the front of the Alps. During his three-year military service, none of his division men had been evacuated for any dental complaint ( http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr (b), 2002; Trouplin, 2010). Subsequently, he was made Companion of the Liberation by decree on August 7, 1945. He was also made officer of the Legion of Honour. He received the 39/45 war Cross with three citations, the Medal of the Resistance, the colonial medal with « Bir-Hakeim », « Libye » on it, the « Croix de guerre des Théâtres d’opérations extérieurs » (a French medal rewarding military service in foreign countries) with two citations ( http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr (b), 2002; Trouplin, 2010). He ended the war at the rank of “Commandant” (Major) in the . Maurice Prochasson died in Paris, on August 7th, 1964, following a long disease. He was buried at Chalo Saint-Mars in Seine-et-Oise ( http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr (b), 2002; Trouplin, 2010).

Maurice Prochasson ( Museum of the Order of the Liberation , 2011).

Philippe Sassoon (1913-1983) Born on July 3, 1913, at in Libanon, Philippe Sassoon was a British subject. He was brought up in , then in Syria where he attended French secondary schools. Then, he studied medicine and opened his dental practice in Beirut ( http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr (c), 2002; Trouplin, 2010). Feeling profoundly French, he decided at the beginning of 1941 to leave his dental office and to illegally cross by foot the Palestinian border with his brother in order to join the French free forces. Upon his arrival in Syria, the two brothers enlisted in Damas as second class “legionnaires” in the 13 th half-brigade of the French Foreign Legion in June 1941. After the campaign in Syria, the two men were appointed to hospitals as dental surgeons and were promoted to the rank of second lieutenants. Soon, they were separated: Philippe stayed in the Legion while his brother joined the No. 341 Squadron (also known in French as “Groupe de Chasse n° 3/2 "Alsace"”) ( http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr (c), 2002; Trouplin, 2010). 2 After becoming medical auxiliary, Philippe Sassoon distinguished himself in June 1942 at Bir-Hakeim where he assisted the battalion’s doctor with devotion and an “absolute contempt for danger”. After Bir-Hakeim, with his unit, he got involved in the Battle of El-Alamein, then in the Tunisia campaign in a light surgical ambulance. Appointed to the medical service of the 1st French Free division, he trained a team of stretcher-bearers that he conducted to battle in Italy, from April to July 1944 before landing in Provence on August 15 on the beaches of Cavalaire (http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr (c), 2002; Trouplin, 2010). On August 22, during the violent fighting of La Garde next to Toulon and while the Marine infantry battalion and that of the Pacific were caught under heavy fire from German antitank and automatic weapons, Lieutenant Sassoon evacuated by himself wounded soldiers with his jeep and gave first-aid treatment, once again proving his exceptional bravery. After the gradual reconquest of Alsace, the young dentist was transferred to the Atlantic front before ending the war in the Alps for the liquidation of Kesselring’s army. In 1946, Philippe Sassoon was demobilized ( http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr (c), 2002; Trouplin, 2010). Being unable to practice dentistry in Voltaire’s homeland as he did not have the required French diplomas, he had to start his studies all over again in the Faculty of Medicine in Paris. He graduated with a Doctorate of dental surgery in 1947. In 1948, he acquired the French nationality and was able to open a dental practice in Toulon (http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr (c), 2002; Trouplin, 2010). Philippe Sassoon died at Sanary, in Var, on December 13, 1983. He was buried there. Officer of the Legion of Honour, he became Companion of the Liberation following the decree of March 7, 1945. He also received the 39/45 war Cross with 4 citations (http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr (c), 2002; Trouplin, 2010).

Philippe Sassoon (Museum of the Order of the Liberation, 2011).

Bibliography Benmansour Alain, personal communication, Paris, 2010. http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr (a), Historique [Historical account] , Paris, 2002. http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr (b), Maurice Prochasson , Paris, 2002. http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr (c), Philippe Sassoon , Paris, 2002. Musée de l’Ordre de la Libération [Museum of the Order of the Liberation], personal communication, Paris, 2011. Trouplin Vladimir, Dictionnaire des compagnons de la Libération [Dictionary of the Companions of the Liberation], Elytis (ed.), Bordeaux, 2010.

Biographical review of the Museum of the Order of the Liberation reproduced by kind permission of its curator, M. Vladimir Trouplin.

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