Commandant Gabriel Auguste Ferdinand Ducuing (22 December 1885, Paris - 25 May 1940, Cap Gris Nez) was an officer in the French Navy of the First and Second World Wars. Events 1790 - The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies Year 1885 ( MDCCCLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Cape_Gris_Nez_FranceJPG|thumb|300px|Cape Gris Nez]] Cap Gris Nez ("Grey Nose Cape" in English is a cape on the Côte d'Opale in the Pas-de-Calais The French Third Republic (in French, La Troisième République, sometimes written as La IIIe The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale ( National Navy) and often called La Royale ( The Royal Navy) is the maritime arm The military reserve forces of France are the Military reserve force within the armed forces of France. In World War II, the Battle of France, also known as the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries Events 1790 - The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies Year 1885 ( MDCCCLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Cape_Gris_Nez_FranceJPG|thumb|300px|Cape Gris Nez]] Cap Gris Nez ("Grey Nose Cape" in English is a cape on the Côte d'Opale in the Pas-de-Calais The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale ( National Navy) and often called La Royale ( The Royal Navy) is the maritime arm World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

Life

Early life

He was the son of a second cousin of Ferdinand Foch. Ferdinand Foch OM GCB (2 October 1851 – 20 March 1929 was a French soldier military theorist and writer credited with possessing "the most original Aiming for the merchant marine, he embarked in 1904 as "pilotin" on the three-masted "Cérès". Year 1904 ( MCMIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting on Called to carry out his military service in 1907, he served on board the battleships "Brennus" and "Bouvet". Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year A battleship is a large heavily armored Warship with a main battery consisting of the largest Calibre of Guns Battleships were On returning to the merchant fleet, he was promoted lieutenant in the course of 1908 and captain in the course of 1911. Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year He sailed successively on several steamships, all the while taking the time to learn four foreign languages and to study for a law degree.

First World War

At the outbreak of war in July 1914 he was the second captain of a steamship, but he soon decided to leave the merchant navy to join the infantry chasseurs to defend his country. For the film see Second in Command. The Second-in-Command ( 2i/c or 2IC) is the deputy commander of any British Army A Chasseur (a French term for "hunter" is the designation given to certain regiments of French light Infantry ( Chasseurs à pied Named sous lieutenant in December, he could not bear the static life of the trenches and moved to the nascent French Air Force, first as an observer-corps officer, then (briefly in July 1915) as a pilot. Second Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned officer Military rank in many Armed forces. See Western Front (disambiguation for other meanings Western Front was a term used during the First and Second World In July 1915 he returned to the Navy with a commission, captaining an auxiliary vessel. Assigned to maritime aviation at Dunkerque then at Venice (Italy), he immediately became noted for his brilliant qualities as a trainer. Dunkirk ( French: Dunkerque, dœ̃kɛʀk or; Dutch:; is a harbour city and a commune in the northernmost part of France, in the Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the After carrying out many observation and bombing missions, he was injured in battle, mentioned in despatches by the French and Italian navies and knighted by the king of Italy. Victor Emmanuel III (Vittorio Emanuele III 11 November, 1869 – 28 December, 1947) was a member of the House of Savoy and Promoted enseigne de vaisseau de 1ère classe in the reserve in July 1916, he was moved to train fighter pilots at Pau, where, unfortunately, an accident rendered him unfit to pilot a plane himself. Ensign (ˈɛnsən is a junior rank of commissioned officer in the militaries of some countries normally in the infantry or navy Pau is a town and ''commune'' in the Aquitaine ''région'' of Made a knight of the Légion d’honneur in January 1917 at only 32 years old, he was again stationed at Dunkerque as second in command of its center of maritime aviation. However, finding this post insufficiently "combattant", he had himself made an balloon observer on and, on 1st October, took command of the centre at Le Havre, where he remained up until July 1918. Le Havre is a city in the northwest region of France situated on the right bank of the mouth of the Seine River as it outlets into the Bay of the Seine Promoted lieutenant de vaisseau in the reserve, he was then put on attachment (because of his long training as captain) as liaison officer to the under secretary of state to the merchant navy until his demobilization in April 1919. Lieutenant (abbreviated Lt or Lieut) is a Military, Naval, Paramilitary, Fire service, Emergency medical services

Inter-war

At the end of the war he did not rejoin the merchant-fleet, instead becoming a ship owner. Marked by the conflict, he remained an a particularly active officer in the naval reserve. On July 9 1925, replying to the call of the general delegate of the National Union of the Officers of the Reserve (Union Nationale des Officiers de Réserve), he combined with some friends to form (within the UNOR) the 5th commission made up of the sailors' vows at the congress of Belfort. This later became the general assembly component of the ACORAM (Central Association of the Officers of Reserve of the Army, or Association Centrale des Officiers de Réserve de l’Armée de Mer), of which Ducuing was naturally elected president, and which still remained close to UNOR.

On the president's suggestion, Ducuing, the French Navy in June 1927 created training centres for reserve officers, that will become accessible to naval NCOs from 1931. A non-commissioned officer (sometimes noncommissioned officer) also known as an NCO or Noncom, is an enlisted member of an Armed force In April 1928, Ducuing's eminent services to the state saw him promoted to be an officer of the légion d’honneur. In liaison with the Union of Fighting Sailors (Union des Marins Combattants, UMC) of Paris, he worked for the creation, on February 23 1930, of the Federation of the Associations of Old Fighting Sailors (Fédération des Associations de Marins Anciens Combattants, FAMAC) that would become the FAMMAC. Equally down to him is the creation of the Central Association of the Non-Commissioned Officers of the Naval Reserve (Association Centrale des Officiers Mariniers de Réserve de l’Armée de Mer, or ACOMAR). At his request, in 1931 the Navy created courses for improving the instruction of non-commissioned officers in the naval reserve. Promoted capitaine de corvette in April 1932, he reached the normal retirement age in 1934 but at his own request remained in the reserves and postponed retirement until December 1942, when he would be 57. Lieutenant Commander ( Lieutenant-Commander in the Royal Navy) is a Commissioned officer rank in many navies Superior Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Second World War

German advance from front on 21st May (blue dotted line) to 4th June 1940

In September 1939, Ducuing took command of the battery of D. C. A. (défense contre aéronefs, or anti-aircraft group) of the Croix Faron at Toulon. Anti-aircraft warfare, or air defense, is any method of engaging hostile military Aircraft in defence of ground objectives, ground or naval forces Toulon ( Provençal Occitan: Tolon in classical norm or Touloun in Mistralian norm is a city in southern France and a large At the end of January 1940, the French Admiralty was anxious to observe and maintain free passage along the Pas-de-Calais coast, and so set up a coastal battery at cap Gris-Nez. Pas-de-Calais is a department in northern France. Its name is the French language equivalent of the Strait of Dover, which it borders Cape_Gris_Nez_FranceJPG|thumb|300px|Cape Gris Nez]] Cap Gris Nez ("Grey Nose Cape" in English is a cape on the Côte d'Opale in the Pas-de-Calais Ducuing was charged with commanding and organizing this battery from March 1940. He had 3 officers and around 100 men under him, with only twenty rifles and six revolvers between them. On May 22, facing the German offensive as it closed in on him, with the weak means at his disposal he organized an advanced position of 24 men of which he took personal command. Events 334 BC - The Greek army of Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of the Granicus. In World War II, the Battle of France, also known as the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries When practically encircled, commandant Ducuing and his men completely destroyed a German column made up of a small number of side-cars, a light tank and two armored cars. In the evening, he refused a surrender proposed to him by the Germans.

During the night of 24 to 25 May, he organized the evacuation by sea of a group of surviving sailors from the shipwreck of their base. Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. On May 25, 1940, at 9am, the German armour and Stukas under Guderian were no more than 200 metres from Ducuing's post on Cap Gris-Nez. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka (from Stu rz' ka' mpfflugzeug, " Dive bomber " was a two-seat (pilot and rear gunner Heinz Wilhelm Guderian ( 17 June, 1888 – 14 May, 1954) was a military theorist and innovative General of the German Having run out of munitions, commandant Ducuing destroyed the artillery and machine guns and gave the order to his men to withdraw. Remaining at his post alone, he went to the mast of the base and hoisted the French colors, but at that precise instant he was killed by a short burst of automatic weapon fire.

Honours

• 1915 - Italian knighthood
• January 1917 - knight of the Légion d’honneur
• April 1928 - officer of the Légion d’honneur
• May/June 1940 - Posthumously made capitaine de frégate on (with the navy especially waiving its rule forbidding all posthumous promotions for him), and a brilliant citation in the ordre de l’armée. The rank Insignia of the French Navy ( French: Marine Nationale) are worn on shoulder straps of shirts and white jackets
• In May 1952, the secretary of state to the navy inaugurated a stela at Cap Gris-Nez in memory of him and the fallen sailors under his command.
• The Commandant Ducuing is named after him. Ships in the class A total of 17 ships of this class were built and named after the heroes of the Second World War.

External links

• (French) ACORAM - biography
• (French) Memorial to the dead sailors of France