Maurice CHAUVET was born on June 12, 1918, at Gâvre (Loire-Atlantique).
He was a scout, and through out his life he never deviated from his scouting commitments. As a French Scout, he was equally a member of the French pathfinders in Great Britain during the Second World War. There are also several references to scouting in his books. He joined the National Navy and served on the Georges Leygues cruiser, in 1936. He joined the Free French Forces with his brother, after an 18-month forced stay in Spanish prisons.
In 1943, he went to Scotland for a wearisome commando training: “At the Achnacarry camp, near Fort William, in commando Kieffer, in which there was about 50 % Breton soldiers and 40 % Frenchmen; the remaining 10 % comprised other nationalities, notably Spaniards and a few Americans, without mentioning the fact that among the guys from Havre, many hailed from Brittany. It should be noted that de Gaulle did not treat the Breton people fairly after the war, given that the majority of “Free French Forces” was made of Breton troops!” This training camp in the Highlands witnessed thousands of volunteers pass by from the entire Europe, which was under occupation and even beyond. About fifty of them lost their lives there while practicing with real bullets, grenades and explosives of all types. The dummy cemetery at the entrance to the camp used to be a clear forewarning to new recruits of the risks there were in the camp.
Upon graduation, Maurice Chauvet was appointed quarter-master in the 1st Marines Battalion (Badge 119 – Employee N° 538 FN 43).
He was one of the 177 Frenchmen, who landed, on June 6, 1944, at Colleville, at the orders of Major Philippe Kieffer, founder of the French marine commandos.
To illustrate the international nature of the recruitment, Maurice Chauvet said besides his boss, the Alsatian Philippe Kieffer, his immediate supervisor was Captain Charles Trepel, born at Odessa, whose family fled the Russian Revolution and settled in Germany. Somewhat provocative to the Gaullists, Maurice Chauvet took pleasure in saying: “my leader was Trepel and my boss was the King of England”. The Free Frenchmen used to therefore manifest an attitude of “International Brigades” emanating from the occupation of Europe where several nationalities fought in unison to keep alive the battle for freedom.
In 1943, he drew the badge of the first Marines Battalion (B.F.M.), which today is still being spotted by the marines.
“On a shield of bronze, which is in France, bringing to the centre of the brig Adventure supported by waves, superimposed with a dagger Commando, led the district chief of sinister dexter canton the tip, and decorated with a Cross of Lorraine in the dexter chief canton. The shield is based on a ribbon bearing the inscription ‘1st Battalion Commando FM’. Both ends tucked show two small anchors that are reminiscent of the marine origin of the unit.”
In 1963, he participated, as a technical adviser, in the production of the film “The longest Day”.
Maurice Chauvet died on May 21, 2010, at Institution Nationale des Invalides. The body removal ceremony, followed by a divine service took place on Wednesday, May 26, 2010.
He passed on at the age of 92 to go and meet his commando buddies who had preceded him in paradise. This great volunteer serviceman, officer of the Legion of Honour, was holder of several awards, notably the Second World War cross with silver star and a bronze star. His death marks the end of one of the last survivors of the 177 Frenchmen who landed on June 6, 1944, at Colleville.