René Lemoine

The son of a general manager of Peugeot, René Lemoine studied advanced mathematics and law. In addition to his Olympic feats he won bronze at the 1937 World Championships as an individual and silver with the team. At the first, still unofficial world championships in 1931, Lemoine won the title in individual foil, and in 1930, 1934 and 1935 won team silvers. After a study trip to Chad, he went to Equatorial Africa in 1938 and became a coffee farmer and exporter of colonial goods. In World War II, Lemoine became head of the civil and military resistance in Bangui (now Central African Republic) and organized actions supporting General de Gaulle’s Free French Forces. In 1940, he was arrested and imprisoned by the Vichy authorities but was released after 1½ months in prison. Subsequently, he fought in various locations in Madagascar and Northern Africa and was highly decorated. After the war Lemoine returned to his business of importing/exporting agricultural products. He was appointed as an Officer of the Legion of Honor and was awarded the Croix de Guerre, and also served as a French representative for the Central High Council of French Abroad until 1981.