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in 1992. He became the president of the French branch of the
Association of Commandos. He maintained a friendship with former German soldier, Johannes Borner, with their friendship being the subject of a book by Jean-Charles Stasi.
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Gautier was married to
Dorothy Banks, whom he met while stationed in the United Kingdom in September 1943, until her death in 2016. They had two daughters.
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279:, where more than half his unit was killed. He later injured his ankle, which led him to have limited participation in the remainder of the war.
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In June 2019, Gautier participated in commemorating the 75th anniversary of D-Day where he was joined by fellow French D-Day veteran
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After the war, Gautier became a campaigner for peace, calling war a "misery" that "ends with widows and orphans". He worked as a
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in the United
Kingdom for seven years, before moving to Cameroon and Nigeria for another seven years. He later settled in the
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474:"Léon Gautier, last-surviving member of the Free French navy who crossed the Channel with the British on D-Day – obituary"
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715:"Le résistant français Jacques Lewis, héros du Débarquement, est mort à l'âge de 105 ans"
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described
Gautier as having "united the virtues of a warrior and those of a peacemaker."
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742:"Léon Gautier, le dernier survivant français du Débarquement en Normandie, est mort"
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761:"War veteran writes open letter against wind farm plans on D-Day beach"
543:"Léon Gautier, Last Surviving French Commando From D-Day, Dies at 100"
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787:"Dernier survivant du Commando Kieffer, Léon Gautier nous a quittés"
443:"Léon Gautier, last survivor of D-Day's only French unit, has died"
40:
690:[Two enemy veterans have become neighbors in Ouistreham].
401:"Le jour le plus long de Léon Gautier, membre du commando Kieffer"
607:"Leon Gautier, last surviving French D-day commando, dies at 100"
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for a lung infection. In response to his death, French president
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He died on 3 July 2023, at age 100, after being hospitalized in
80:
508:"Un des derniers du commando Kieffer débarque à la JDC de Caen"
419:"Léon Gautier, dernier survivant du commando Kieffer, est mort"
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and participated in the 14 July 1940 parade in London with the
211:
at the age of 17, and took part in the defense of the port of
688:"Les deux vétérans ennemis sont devenus voisins à Ouistreham"
275:, in the Congo, Syria, and Lebanon before taking part in the
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Commemorative medal for voluntary service in Free France
149:
Commemorative medal for voluntary service in Free France
582:"Léon Gautier: Last French D-Day fighter dies aged 100"
869:
Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France)
640:"Last surviving French D-Day commando dies aged 100"
204:, he was working as an apprentice car body maker.
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107:
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87:
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839:Military personnel of the Free French Naval Forces
381:"Le vétéran Léon Gautier décoré par Manuel Valls"
264:, which operated in Africa and the Middle East.
879:Chevaliers of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques
864:Recipients of the Médaille militaire (France)
252:. Gautier also served on the merchant vessel
8:
269:1er Bataillon de Fusiliers Marins Commandos
236:. He fled to the United Kingdom before the
884:Members of the Order of the British Empire
258:and as a marine rifleman on the submarine
200:, on 27 October 1922. At the start of the
39:
20:
834:French military personnel of World War II
854:French expatriates in the United Kingdom
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859:Grand Officers of the Legion of Honour
167:(27 October 1922 – 3 July 2023) was a
666:"'I invaded my own country on D-Day'"
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379:Travadon, Nathalie (24 August 2014).
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759:Thompson, Hannah (23 October 2022).
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342:. He had also been awarded with the
16:French veteran of D-Day (1922–2023)
874:Recipients of the Resistance Medal
580:Armstrong, Kathryn (3 July 2023).
14:
506:Fleury, Jean-Luc (29 June 2012).
441:Flandrin, Antoine (3 July 2023).
785:Lagneau, Laurent (3 July 2023).
740:Rousset, Margaux (3 July 2023).
271:, led by Lieutenant-Commander
184:Early life and military career
1:
244:in 1940, he decided to join
514:(in French). Archived from
356:Volunteer Combatant's Cross
338:and a Grand Officer of the
336:Order of the British Empire
334:Gautier is a member of the
144:Volunteer Combatant's Cross
910:
894:21st-century French people
889:20th-century French people
721:(in French). 30 July 2024
694:(in French). 26 June 2011
427:(in French). 3 July 2023.
407:(in French). 6 June 2014.
348:Croix de Guerre 1939–1945
238:Nazi occupation of France
134:Croix de Guerre 1939-1945
38:
350:(with 2 citations), the
250:Free French Naval Forces
311:Personal life and death
240:. After learning about
215:and the mouth of the
424:Ministère des Armées
277:invasion of Normandy
188:Gautier was born in
844:French centenarians
267:He fought with the
207:He enlisted in the
171:soldier during the
829:People from Rennes
547:The New York Times
344:Médaille militaire
66:, Brittany, France
246:Charles de Gaulle
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849:Men centenarians
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352:Resistance Medal
340:Legion of Honour
273:Philippe Kieffer
202:Second World War
173:Second World War
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139:Resistance Medal
126:Legion of Honour
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613:. 3 July 2023.
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549:. 4 July 2023.
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512:defense.gouv.fr
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45:Gautier in 2017
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644:MarketScreener
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668:. 1 June 2004
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795:. Retrieved
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748:(in French).
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723:. Retrieved
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696:. Retrieved
692:Ouest France
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622:. Retrieved
611:The Guardian
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589:. Retrieved
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520:. Retrieved
516:the original
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489:. Retrieved
477:
449:– via
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389:(in French).
386:Ouest-France
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289:panel beater
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160:Léon Gautier
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112:World War II
108:Battles/wars
76:(2023-07-03)
25:Léon Gautier
18:
824:2023 deaths
819:1922 births
793:(in French)
719:Le HuffPost
447:Le Monde.fr
242:Free France
209:French Navy
169:Free French
102:French Navy
74:3 July 2023
813:Categories
366:References
358:, and the
297:Ouistreham
229:battleship
88:Allegiance
57:1922-10-27
619:0261-3077
555:0362-4331
486:0307-1235
213:Cherbourg
179:Biography
586:BBC News
451:Le Monde
295:town of
221:Normandy
194:Brittany
96:Service/
83:, France
797:11 July
770:11 July
746:actu.fr
725:30 July
698:11 July
672:11 July
650:11 July
624:11 July
560:11 July
522:11 July
491:11 July
330:Honours
261:Surcouf
255:Gallois
233:Courbet
227:on the
617:
591:4 July
553:
484:
354:, the
346:, the
293:Norman
225:gunner
198:France
190:Rennes
118:Awards
98:branch
91:France
64:Rennes
223:as a
196:, in
799:2023
772:2023
727:2024
712:>
700:2023
674:2023
652:2023
626:2023
615:ISSN
593:2023
562:2023
551:ISSN
524:2023
493:2023
482:ISSN
320:Caen
217:Vire
81:Caen
71:Died
51:Born
219:in
164:MBE
31:MBE
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