| Philippe Erulin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 5 July 1932 |
| Died | 26 September 1979 |
| Place of birth | Dole, France |
| Place of death | Paris, France |
| Allegiance |
 France |
| Service/branch | French Army |
| Years of service | 1952-1979 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Commands held | 2 REP |
| Battles/wars |
Suez Crisis Algerian War Shaba II |
| Awards | Commander of the Légion d'honneur |
Philippe Louis Edmé Marie François Erulin (5 July 1932, Dole, Jura – 26 September 1979) was a French Army officer. He gained notoriety in Algeria for allegedly taking part in the torture of Henri Alleg, and in Zaire for leading the Battle of Kolwezi.
Biography[]
Erulin graduated from the ESMIA on 29 September 1952. On 1 February 1953, he was promoted to corporal, and to sergeant on 1 April.
On 1 October 1954, Erulin was promoted to sous-lieutenant, and attended course at the École d'application de l'infanterie, in Saint Maixent.
On 20 January 1955, he was transferred to the 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment, and rose to full lieutenant on 1 October 1956. On 10 June 1957, he took part in the arrest of Maurice Audin.
On 1 April 1961, Erulin was promoted to Captain. On 1 June 1962, he was put at the head of the 6th company of the 153rd motorised infantry regiment. On July 1968, he rose to major, and to lieutenant-colonel on 1 October 1973.
On 1 July 1976, Erulin was promoted to full colonel, and received command of the 2 REP, in Calvi. In this capacity, he led the regiment during the Battle of Kolwezi. During this period, he had Ante Gotovina as his personal driver. The battle raised Erulin's mediatic profile and brought back the torture of Alleg to the foreground of public debate, with an article in Le Monde on 18 March 1978, and a television broadcast on Les Dossiers de l'Ecran, where René Andrieu mentioned Alleg's ordeal.[1]
Honours[]
Full medals
- Commander of the Légion d'honneur[citation needed]
- Croix de la Valeur militaire (4 citations)[citation needed]
- Overseas Medal with "Zaire" clasp[citation needed]
- Croix de la bravoure militaire with palm (Zaire)[citation needed]
- Croix du combattant[citation needed]
- Chevalier dans l'ordre du Mérite agricole[citation needed]
- Commemorative Medal for the Middle East (1956)[citation needed]
- North Africa Security and Order Operations Commemorative Medal with "Algérie" clasp (1958)[citation needed]
- Insigne des blessés militaires (twice)[citation needed]
- Médaille de bronze de la Jeunesse et des Sports[citation needed]
Bibliography[]
- Zaïre : sauver Kolwezi, by Philipe Erulin, Édition Montbel (Photo album)
Sources and references[]
- ↑ Les débats autour de la guerre d'Algérie à travers le journal Le Monde, by Philippe Salson, June 2001
The original article can be found at Philippe Erulin and the edit history here.