Raphaël Vienot


Raphaël Vienot was colonel of the French Army who particularly illustrated himself during the Crimean War and was killed in action while leading the assault of his regiment. He is the patron of a promotion at the.

Military career

Born in Fontainebleau in 1804, he was admitted to the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr in 1823 after nine years of studies at Prytanée National Militaire of La Flèche. He graduated as a Sous-lieutenant and was assigned to the 4th Line Infantry Regiment where he served for more than twenty years.
In 1846, he was designated as chef de bataillon at the 20th Light Infantry Regiment, and joined then in 1852, the 1st Foreign Regiment 1er RE of the French Foreign Legion with the rank of Lieutenant-colonel.
On September 5 1854, in full swing during the Crimean War, he was nominated as regimental commander. As of April 1855, he led with the allies a vigorous offensive on the established works outside Sevastopol to repel the defenders to the center of the principal place.
During the night of May 1 and May 2, he launched his assault with his regiment on the Fort Schwartz. The adversary were pushed by the paste of the Legionnaires, however colonel Viénot was shot straight in the forehead while leading the regiment. During this assault, fourteen of the eighteen Legion Officers of the regiment would also fall with him.
He is the second regimental commander of the French Foreign Legion to get killed in action while leading his regiment at the head of the men, after colonel Conrad.

Posterity

His name is given a couple of years after his death to the Mother House of the Legion at Sidi bel-Abbès in French Algeria then in 1962, to the actual garrison of the 1st Foreign Regiment 1er RE, at Aubagne in France.
He was chosen as the patron for the 2006-2008 promotion Corniche Brutionne.