ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

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Roger Malfettes is a French officer of the Free French Forces, a Companion of the Liberation, then a colonial administrator and prefect, born in Novi and died in Fréjus.

Biography
Roger Malfettes is the son of Octave Émile Joseph Malfettes, a vineyard owner in Algeria who died from the aftermath of the War, and Angela Anne Julie Giroud. He inherited the family vineyard with his brother, but decided to engage in colonial infantry in 1937, serving in Cyprus in 1940 in the 24th Colonial Infantry Regiment.

He refused the Armistice and joined in the summer of 1940 the Navy Infantry Battalion, the first free French unit. He took part in Libya's campaign against the Italians in , then in the conflicts in Eritrea and Syria in 1941. He then distinguished himself at the Battle of Bir Hakeim. General de Gaulle handed him the cross of liberation on the , in Beirut. In the Marine and Pacific Infantry Battalion (BIMP), he fought successively in El Alamein, the Mareth Line and the Jebel Garci, then in Girofano, Rome and Radicofani during the Italian campaign (1944).

As a participant in the landing of Provence, he was the head of the attack commando of the BIMP company accompanying the fighting of the Golf Hotel and the Guard. He took part in the battles of the Rhône valley at the Vosges and Rossfeld (Alsace) to the Authion massif.

Promoted captain in 1946, Malfettes joined the colonial administration. He successively held the position of district chief in Oubangui (1956-1958), chief of subdivision in Abomey (Dahomey), commander of the circle and prefect of Abomey. He became Director of the Office of Veterans in Chad and then Head of Section at the Ministry of Overseas Affairs from 1964 to 1966. He became chief administrator of exceptional class of colonies.

Decorations

by decree of 9 September 1942

(2 citations)

with staples Libya, Bir-Hakeim 1942, Tripoli, Tunisia

Knight of the Order of Black Star
Knight of the Order of Nichan el Anouar
Medal of Military Merit (Vietnam)

Publications
Thirty red-lined blue caps from the 1st Navy Infantry Battalion ( - ), 1984.

Notes and references

Bibliography
(Notice on the site of the Liberation Order).
.

External links

Order of Liberation

Commander of the Legion of Honour promoted in 1996
Companion of the Liberation
Wounded War Medal Holder
Colonial Medal Holder
Voluntary Resistance Fighter Cross
Holder of the War Cross 1939-1945
Military Medal Holder
French Captain
French colonial administrator
French prefect
Black Star Order Knight
Free French Forces Officer (Terrestrial)
Birth in September 1918
Born in Sidi Ghiles
Death in November 2009
Death in Fréjus
Deaths at 91 years