Jean Victor Allard

Infobox Military Person
name= Jean Victor Allard
lived= birth date|1913|06|12—death date and age|1996|04|23|1913|06|12


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placeofbirth= Saint-Monique de Nicolet, Quebec
placeofdeath= Trois-Rivières, Quebec
allegiance= Canada
branch=
serviceyears= 1933-1969
rank= General
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commands=
battles=
awards= Order of Canada (C.C.)
Order of the British Empire (C.B.E.)
National Order of Quebec (G.O.Q.)
Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.)
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laterwork=
General Jean Victor Allard, CC, CBE, GOQ, DSO, ED, CD (June 12, 1913—April 23, 1996) was the first French-Canadian to become Chief of the Defence Staff, the highest position in the Canadian Forces from 1966–1969. He was also the first to hold the accompanying rank of (full, four-leaf) general.

Allard served as an officer in the Régiment de Trois-Rivières prior to the Second World War. After the outbreak of war, he was attested to the Canadian Active Service Force and promoted to the rank of major. When the active component of his regiment was redesignated to become an anglophone armoured unit, he requested a transfer to the infantry and became the Deputy Commanding Officer of le Régiment de la Chaudière in England. In December 1943, he became the Commanding Officer of the Royal 22^e Régiment in Italy. He was in command of a brigade at the end of the war in Germany, in the rank of brigadier (now brigadier-general). He was the Canadian Military Attaché in Moscow after the war and then commanded the Canadian brigade in Korea. As a major-general, he commanded a British division in NATO, as part of the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR).

As a lieutenant-general, he commanded Mobile Command, comprising the Canadian land forces in Canada and, at that time, the close air support forces, as well.

From 1966 to 1969, he was Chief of the Defence Staff. It was under his supervision that the Canadian Forces were integrated. He is also remembered for the implementation of a significant expansion of French-language units (FLUs) in the Army (the creation of a French-language brigade at CFB Valcartier with units of all arms and services), in the Air Force (the creation of French-language squadrons) and in the Navy (the creation of French-language ships).

In 1968, he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada.

In 1985, he published his memoirs, with English translation in 1988 "The memoirs of General Jean V. Allard", written in cooperation with Serge Bernier.

Honours

The Général-Jean-Victor-Allard Building, the home of the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School, was named in honour of General Allard.

References

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* Jean V. Allard. "Mémoires du Général Jean V. Allard". Ottawa, Les Éditions de Mortagne, 1985. ISBN 2-89074-190-7

External links

* [http://www.gg.ca/honours/search-recherche/honours-desc.asp?lang=e&TypeID=orc&id=14 Order of Canada Citation]