Jean-Marie Querville

Jean-Marie Querville, was a French Navy officer of the Free French Naval Forces, a Compagnon de la Libération, became the Commander-in-Chief for the Mediterranean, then Maritime Prefect, following as an inspector general of the Marine Nationale and Admiral.

Military career
Entered into the École navale in 1921. He then served on the SMS Regensburg and participated to the 1925 Rif Campaign in Morocco. Enseigne de 1reclasse on October 25, he obtained in May 1926 his brevet as a transmission officer, and navigated on the torpilleur (Torpilleur), the Matelot Blanc (Matelot Blanc).

Assigned to the submarine service in 1927, he was in Madagascar in 1929. Promoted to lieutenant de vaisseau in March 1930, and second officer in charge of the submarine L'Aréthuse from 1931 to 1934. In August 1934, he assumed command of submarine Sirène. In 1936, he commanded submarine Souffleur until 1938, prior to the submarine being sunk off the coast of Beirut on June 25, 1941.

The following year, he made way to Indochina where he served as liaison agent to Singapour attached to the British, right at the beginning of Second World War. He remained even still when he survived the armistice in May 1940.

Free French naval forces
With his mind made up, he joined the United Kingdom in September 1940. Designated as a Capitaine de corvette, he was part of the État-major (general staff headquarters) of the Free French Naval Forces (FNFL) attached to a bureau in London.

He assumed in February 1941 the command of submarine La Junon. Five months later, in July 1941, he was promoted to Capitaine de frigate. The following month, in August 1941, he was entrusted with the command of the 1st Submarine Division of the Free French Naval Forces, composed of submarine La Minerve, the submarine Le Rubis and submarine La Junon, making off an elite formation.

Still under his direct command, La Junon continued on with the most perilous unconventional missions, by surveying the fjords off the coast of Norway where the adversary's cruisers and battleships hided, transported specialized combatants, members of the resistance and agents, while also mounted naval charges attacking enemy ships. Among his assignments was the transportation in a fjord, British and Norwegian Commandos in charge of dealing with the Norwegian heavy water sabotage, in September 1942. The operation was a success, Querville acquired then a reputation of being a specialist of difficult missions.

Designated as Compagnon de la Libération on January 12, 1943, he was assigned to the particular État-major of général de Gaulle and became a counsel member of the Ordre de la Libération. He commanded still again La Junon on a new mission in March 1943, and then executed a mission in Algiers.

He assumed in November 1943 the command of frigate L'Aventure which was launched on November 30, and commanded the ensemble of the 1st Division of Frigates. At the head of this frigate division, he participated to the Normandy landings in June 1944, commanding various Escorteurs (Escorteur) contingents of the U.S. designated American disembarking Group « Chama » on Omaha Beach. While fulfilling his escort role between the United Kingdom and France, he escorted 102 naval convoys. On the night of June 22, the convoy which he was escorting was torpedoed by a squadron of Junkers Ju 88. Querville underlined his response by bringing down one or two of the adversary planes, prompting the remainder to flee the scene. He then partook to the blockade of the Saint-Nazaire pocket (poches de l'Atlantique), again onboard L'Aventure, until April 1945. Since 1939, he had navigated a total of 34 months in operations.

After-war; Admiral
Following the war, he was designated as Capitaine de vaisseau in July 1945. He received in Indochina the command of the Suffren Cruiser. During the Indochina War, he commanded the French Navy in Tonkin from 1948 to 1950. He accumulated three citations.

Promoted to Contre-Amiral, he was the major general of the port at Brest starting from March 1951. He then made way to Vietnam, designated as the Commandant of the Naval Division of the Extreme-Orient. Reassuming command of the French Navy at Tonkin, he earned two new citations. He maintained post until March 1955.

Querville was named Vice-Amiral in 1956. He received the command of the French Navy in Central Africa. Designated later as Squadron vice-admiral in 1959, he assumed the function of Commander-in-Chief for the Mediterranean. At a critical moment, he proved again his « courage » and « présence d'esprit de corps ». He then became the Maritime Prefect of the 4th Region in Algeria.

He was designated as the inspector general of the French Navy when he was promoted to the highest rank, that of Admiral in October 1962. He went on later to expected retirement.

Admiral Querville passed away on December 30, 1967.

Decorations

 * Grand officier de la Légion d'honneur ;
 * Compagnon de la Libération, decreed on January 12, 1943;
 * Croix de guerre 1939-1945, with 6 citations ;
 * Croix de guerre des TOE, with 5 citations ;
 * Croix de la Valeur militaire with palmes ;
 * Distinguished Service Order (United Kingdom) ;
 * Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom);
 * Chevalier de l'Order of St. Olav (Norway) ;
 * Commandeur de l'Ordre de l'Étoile noire (Benin) ;
 * Officier de l'Order of the Star of Anjouan ;
 * Grand officier de l'Ordre national du Vietnam.