Background
Antoine-Marie-Benoît Besson was born on 14 September, 1876 in Lyons, Rhone-Alpes, France.
Antoine-Marie-Benoît Besson was born on 14 September, 1876 in Lyons, Rhone-Alpes, France.
Besson graduated from St Cyr in 1898 and joined the 4th Regt of Zouaves.
He held command and staff positions on the western front from 1914, eventually leading the 4th Zouaves in action and winning four citations. A full general and member of the Supreme War Council from 8 July 1937, he commanded AG 3 in May 1940. Located on the extreme right flank in the Colmar-Mulhouse sector, AG 3 initially had only the 8th Army. But as new positions were organized on the Somme, Besson was assigned three armies deployed from the Channel to Reims. On order he began withdrawing to the Seine on 8 June 1940. Within a week seeing that nothing but continued slaughter for his men lay ahead he insisted that the government call for an armistice. Besson spent the rest of the war as a POW.
Quotes from others about the person
A British general characterized the 63-year-old, muchdecorated general as: “a pleasant, round little man with a nice chuckle, a good officer".