Biographical information | Claude Berruyer was born on 15.04.1915 in Grenoble, Isere, in a family of farmers and workers. After learning various trades like locksmith, turner, fitter, art ironwork and mechanic, he felt the call of the sea and joined the navy. He boarded the battleship Courbet as a mechanic. Good work earned him the rank of master mechanic. The chief enginee , Mr. Dejean proposed to him to join a sea campaign. He joined the Lamotte Picquet, the flagship of Admiral Degout who then represented France in the Middle East. In 1937-1937, he toured several East Asian countries under the command of vice-admiral Jules le Bigot on the Lamotte Picquet.
Claude Berruyer was also a passionate photographer who took more than 1,000 pistures during his two years on board French ships in East Asia.
Upon returning from his long cruise, Claude Berruyr joined the marine fire brigade in Marseille. In 1942, he was involved in the résistance. Under the alias "Mle 63", he participated in numerous operations against the German army. His actions and participation in various resistance groups earned him numerous distinctions :
The Military Medal
Cross the Combatant
The Cross Volunteer Fighter ,
The Cross of the Voluntary Combatant of the Resistance
The Commemorative Medal 39-45
In 1951, he retired from the Navy and took up a job in the Merchant Navy as an engineer until the age of 55 in 1970. Claude also worked as a guard at the Sedis Saint Simeon Bressieux until 1977. He passed away on 26 September 2009 at the advanced age of 94 . |