Jean Victor Allard

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Jean Victor Allard
General Jean Victor Allard, CDS
Born(1913-06-12)12 June 1913
Sainte-Monique-de-Nicolet, Quebec
Died23 April 1996(1996-04-23) (aged 82)
Trois-Rivières, Quebec
Allegiance Canada
Service/branchCanadian Army / Canadian Forces
Years of service1933–1969
RankGeneral
Commands heldChief of the Defence Staff
Commander, Mobile Command
25th Canadian Infantry Brigade
6th Canadian Infantry Brigade
Royal 22e Régiment
Battles/warsWorld War II
Korean War
AwardsCompanion of the Order of Canada
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec
Distinguished Service Order & Two Bars
Other workInventor, diplomat, and amateur painter.

General Jean Victor Allard CC, CBE, GOQ, DSO & Two Bars, ED, CD (12 June 1913 – 23 April 1996) was the first French Canadian to become Chief of the Defence Staff, the highest position in the Canadian Forces, from 1966 to 1969. He was also the first to hold the accompanying rank of general.

Military career[edit]

Allard served as an officer in the Régiment de Trois-Rivières prior to World War II. After the outbreak of war in 1939, he was attested to the Canadian Active Service Force and promoted to the rank of major. When the active component of his regiment was redesignated to become an Anglophone armoured unit, he requested a transfer to the infantry and became the Deputy Commanding Officer of Régiment de la Chaudière in England.[1] In December 1943, he became the Commanding Officer of the Royal 22e Régiment in Italy.[1]

He was in command of the 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade at the end of the war in Germany, in the rank of brigadier (now brigadier-general).[1] He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) on three occasions. He was the Canadian Military Attaché in Moscow after the war until 1948 when he was appointed Commander for the East Quebec Area.[1] During the Korean War, he commanded the 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade from April 1953.[1] He signed the truce at Panmunjon on Canada's behalf on 27 July 1953. He became commander of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade in 1954 and Commander of the Eastern Quebec Area in 1956.[1] In 1958 he was made Vice-Chief of the General Staff.[1]

As a major-general, he commanded the British 4th Division from 1961 to 1963, as part of the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR).[1] In 1964 he was made Chief of Operational Readiness.[1] As a lieutenant-general, he was Commander, Mobile Command from 1965 to 1966, comprising the Canadian land forces in Canada and, at that time, the close air support forces, as well.[1]

In July 1966, Allard was promoted to full general. From 1966 to 1969, he was Chief of the Defence Staff.[1]

In 1985, he published his memoirs, with English translation in 1988 The memoirs of General Jean V. Allard, written in cooperation with Serge Bernier.[2]

Honours[edit]






Ribbon Description Notes
Companion of the Order of Canada (C.C.)
  • Awarded on: June 28, 1968
  • Invested on: November 12, 1968
  • "Former Chief of the Defence Staff. In recognition of his brilliant military career."[3]
  • [4]
Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE)
Serving Member of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
Grand officier de l'Ordre national du Québec (GOQ)


Distinguished Service Order and two bars (DSO)
  • 18 March 1944 – awarded as a Lieutenant-Colonel
  • 20 January 1945 – awarded first bar as a Lieutenant-Colonel
  • 10 November 1945 – awarded second bar as a brigadier
  • [5]
1939–1945 Star
  • For services during World War II
  • [6]
Italy Star
  • For services during World War II in Italy
  • [6]
France and Germany Star
  • For services during World War II in France and Germany
  • [6]
Defence Medal
  • For services during World War II
  • [6]
Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Overseas Service bar
  • As a Canadian who volunteered to serve within the Canadian Army during World War II
  • [6]
War Medal 1939–1945
  • For services during World War II
  • [6]
Korea Medal
  • For services during the Korean War
  • Canadian issue of the medal
  • [6]
Canadian Volunteer Service Medal for Korea
  • 1991
  • For services during the Korean War
  • [6]
United Nations Korea Medal
  • For services during the Korean War
  • [6]
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
Canadian Centennial Medal
Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal for Canada
  • 1977
  • As a Companion of the Order of Canada, he is awarded automatically with this medal.[8]
125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal
  • 1993
  • As a Companion of the Order of Canada, he is awarded automatically with this medal.[8]
Efficiency Decoration (ED)
Canadian Forces' Decoration (CD)
Bronze Lion
Chevalier de l'Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur
Croix de Guerre avec Palme en Bronze
Officer of the Legion of Merit
Général-Jean-Victor-Allard Building

The Général-Jean-Victor-Allard Building, the home of the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School, was named in honour of General Allard.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Biography of General Jean-Victor Allard (1913–1996), Canada". www.generals.dk. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  2. ^ Jean V. Allard. Mémoires du Général Jean V. Allard. Ottawa, Les Éditions de Mortagne, 1985. ISBN 2-89074-190-7
  3. ^ General, Office of the Secretary to the Governor. "Général Jean V. Allard, C.C., G.O.Q., C.D., C.B.E., D.S.O." The Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  4. ^ Office of the Governor General of Canada. Order of Canada citation. Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 24 May 2010
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "General Jean Victor ALLARD, CC, GOQ, CBE, DSO, ED, CD Chief of the Defence Staff 15 July 1966 – 14 September 1969" (PDF). Blatherwick. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Web, Boîte à outils de l'expérience (9 December 2016). "Un francophone devient l'officier le plus haut gradé de l'armée canadienne". www.clo-ocol.gc.ca. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  7. ^ "Jean-Victor Allard – Ordre national du Québec". www.ordre-national.gouv.qc.ca. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  8. ^ a b c "Commemorative Medals of The Queen's Reign in Canada". Archived from the original on 2015-02-07. Retrieved 2019-03-25.

External links[edit]

Military offices
Preceded by
Lieutenant Colonel J.P.E. Bernatchez
CO Royal 22e Régiment
1943–1945
Succeeded by
Lieutenant Colonel G.A. Turcot
Preceded by GOC 4th Division
1961–1963
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Geoffrey Walsh
(as Chief of the General Staff)
Commander, Mobile Command
1965–1966
Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief of the Defence Staff
1966–1969
Succeeded by
Honorary titles
Preceded by
Lieutenant Colonel P.J. Addy
Colonel of the 12e Régiment blindé du Canada
1969–1979
Succeeded by
Lieutenant Colonel M.R. Gaulin
Preceded by
Lieutenant General J. Chouinard
Colonel of the Royal 22e Régiment
1985–1988
Succeeded by
Major General R.A. Reid