Pierre Langlais

Pierre Langlais
Langlais in 1953
Born	(1909-12-02)2 December 1909 Pontivy, Morbihan
Died	17 July 1986(1986-07-17) (aged 76) Vannes
Allegiance	France
Service / branch	French Army
Years of service	1930–65
Rank	Général de brigade
Unit	Compagnie Méharistes Battalion of the 9th Colonial Infantry Division (9e DIC) 1st Colonial Half-Brigade Paratroop Commandos 2nd Airborne Brigade (GAP2) 20th Airborne Brigade
Battles / wars	World War II Italian Campaign Liberation of France Battle of the Colmar Pocket First Indochina War Battle of Hanoi Operation Castor Battle of Dien Bien Phu Algerian War
Awards	Grand Cross of the Légion d’honneur Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 Croix de guerre des TOE
Other work	Author

Pierre Charles Albert Marie Langlais (2 December 1909 – 17 July 1986) was a senior French military officer who fought in World War II and the First Indochina War. Hailing from the Brittany region of France, Langlais was known as a tough and uncompromising character with an "unflagging devotion to his men."^[1]

After serving the majority of his career in France's North African colonies before the Second World War, Langlais became best known for his role in the Indochina War where he commanded paratroop forces and became the de facto commander of the French garrison in the midst of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu.