Frédéric Geille

His studies at École des Beaux-Arts (Fine Arts) of Rennes were interrupted by the First World War. Accordingly, he engaged himself and in 1914 joined the 41st Infantry Regiment (French: 41^e Régiment d'Infanterie), "for the duration of the entire war". He accordingly took part in combat in Éparges, Argonne, Verdun and Champagne. In May 1917, he obtained a citation for "taking command of his unit, and by his energetic intervention will, brought the unfolding of the enemy" while he was the only ranked surviving of his section.

Designated Sous-Lieutenant by battlefield promotion under fire, Geille, upon his request, joined the Military Aeronautics (French: l'Aéronautique militaire) in 1917. Brevetted as an observer, he was assigned to the Escadriile BR7, dotted de Breguet XIV. He had the opportunity to distinguish capability in 1918 « succeeding at delicate as well as perilous missions on top of enemy lines ». It was during that period that he conducted his first parachute experiment. At the end of war, he remained in Military Aeronautics.

At the end of the war, Frédéric Geille finally remained in the army. Designated definitely as a Sous-Lieutenant, he went to Poland in the corps of the Escadrille SAL 39, with the Blue Army of general Józef Haller, then engaged against Soviet Russia. There, the young (French: Le jeune) officer showcased « evidence of an energy at all obstacles and at great tenacity ».

Returned to France, Sous-Lieutenant Geille finished by obtained his brevet as a military pilot. After having served in North Africa and in Lebanon (at the 39th Aviation Regiment), he was promoted to captain in 1927. He then passed a couple of years at the general staff headquarters of the 22^e Escadre, at Chartres.

From 1931 to 1935, he was a pilot at the 2^e Escadre de Chasse (French: 2^e Escadre de Chasse), situated on Aerial Base 112 Chartres-Champhol (French: base aérienne 122 Chartres-Champhol).

Nevertheless, an event evoked his interests: in 1934, in front of numerous foreign observers, the Soviets conducted a parachute jump, in the region of Kiev, of two battalions - with light artillery means - which, within the cadres of the grand maneuver, were able to apprehend a small town which was designated for them. The Red Army has retaken to account an idea put in circulation since 1918 by Commandant Ernest Evrard. However, the latter's intuition did not lift the enthusiasm of the respective general staff headquarters at the époque.

Nevertheless, both Captains Geille and Durieux (both pilots) as well battalion chief (French: chef de bataillon) Chalret du Rieu obtained to be sent to the USSR to study the techniques of Russian Soviet Jumps.

A candidate at the School of Tuchino, near Moscow, Frédéric Geille obtained the brevet of chief paratrooper instructor number 3 (French: instructeur en chef de parachutisme n°3). Returned to France, he was joined by « Kapitan » Kaitanoff, a brevetted paratrooper of the Red Army, officered as a technical councilor. The latter would be at the origin of a surprising anecdote. At Vilacoublay, during the campaign trial, which consisted of dropping mannequins as homologues of paratroopers, one of them would not open. The Soviet Officer accordingly examined the suspension lines and canopy of the defected exemplary, refolded the chute before boarding the aircraft and jumped with it. The homologue was accordingly accomplished.

Having pursued the instructor parachute (French: moniteur parachutiste) course in the Soviet Union. Upon his return to France, he organized at Pujaut, not far from Avignon, the center of Parachute Instruction of the French Air Force which he assumed command. Owing to his instruction center, the 601st Air Infantry Group 601^e GIA was born on 1 April 1937, first parachute unit of the French Air Force constituted on the model which existed then in a couple of countries (Soviet Union and Germany notably). On another hand, the 602nd Air Infantry Group 602^e GIA was based in Algeria. The mission confined to these two units was « transport by aircraft and disembark by parachute, in enemy territory, infantry detachments ».

Promoted Commandant in 1937, he realized two records the same year: that of a "saut à l'arraché" of thirty five meters of height and that of twelve jumps in one hour and forty five minutes.

In 1938, after the creation of the 601st Air Infantry Group 601^e GIA and 602nd Air Infantry Group 602 ^e GIA (at Reims, and White House, in Algeria), Commandant Geille returned to the Hunter Fighter Aviation Field (French: Aviation de Chasse) and was assigned to the 2^e Escadre, at the corps of which, he formed the III^rd Group.

On 27 February 1939 the 601st Air Infantry Group 601^e GIA left the Aerial Base 112 Reims-Champagne (French: base aérienne de Reims) to rejoin the 602^e GIA on the land of Algiers - White House (French: Alger-Maison Blanche).

As a Fighter pilot at the 2^e Escadre de Chasse, on the Aerial Base 112 Chartres-Champhol (French: base aérienne 122 Chartres-Champhol), and Commandant of one of the Escadrilles, his brevet of moniteur parachutiste (parachute instructor brevet), the first in France, was counter parted in February 1939.

• Commander of the Order of the Légion d'honneur
• Croix de guerre 1914-1918
• Croix de guerre 1939-1945
• Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures
• Inter-Allied Medal
• Volunteer combatant's cross 1914–1918
• Médaille de vermeil de la société d'encouragement au progrès
• Croix de la vaillance polonaise
• Knight of the Order of Polonia Restituta
• Commander of the Cherifian Order of Ouissam Alaouite

• Major (France)
• Escadron de Chasse 2/30 Normandie-Niemen
• 10th Parachute Division (France)
• 25th Parachute Division (France)
• 11th Parachute Brigade (France)