Jules A. G. Bastin (March 23, 1889 – December 1, 1944) was an officer in the

Belgian army The Land Component (, ), historically and commonly still referred to as the Belgian Army (, ), is the Land warfare, land branch of the Belgian Armed Forces. The King of the Belgians is the commander in chief. The current chief of staff of the Land ...

during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and a

resistance fighter A resistance movement is an organized group of people that tries to resist or try to overthrow a government or an occupying power, causing disruption and unrest in civil order and stability. Such a movement may seek to achieve its goals through ei ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. During

, Bastin fought as in lieutenant in the Belgian ''1^er régiment de Chasseurs à cheval''. He became heavily wounded on 16 August 1914 and was captured by the Germans. He became famous during his captivity for repeated escape attempts. He eventually succeeded on his tenth try. At the beginning of World War II, he held the rank of colonel and served as Chief of Staff of the Belgian Cavalry Corps. After the invasion of Belgium by the Germans in 1940 he fled to France and joined the underground movement by taking command of the

Belgian Legion Several military units have been known as the Belgian Legion. The term "Belgian Legion" can refer to Belgian volunteers who served in the French Revolutionary Wars, Napoleonic Wars, Revolutions of 1848 and, more commonly, the Mexico Expedition ...

. The Belgian government based in London made him the commander of all their underground military forces on 30 December 1942. He was arrested twice, first in April 1943 and later in November 1943. After his arrest in November he was sent to the

Gross-Rosen concentration camp Gross-Rosen was a network of Nazi concentration camps built and operated by Nazi Germany during World War II. The main camp was located in the German village of Gross-Rosen, now the modern-day Rogoźnica in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland, di ...

where he died on 1 December 1944. The Belgian government promoted him to the rank of major general posthumously in August 1946.

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bastin, Jules (Soldier) 1889 births 1944 deaths People who died in Gross-Rosen concentration camp Military personnel who died in Nazi concentration camps Belgian Army personnel of World War I Belgian anti-communists Belgian resistance members Belgian people who died in Nazi concentration camps Belgian military personnel killed in World War II Resistance members who died in Nazi concentration camps Belgian Army officers Belgian prisoners of war World War I prisoners of war held by Germany Belgian escapees Escapees from German detention