Jean Gabin
He played tough guys in crime films that we would today classify as action movies. But he lacked no courage in real life either. French actor Jean Gabin did everything he could to fight for his country at the front line.
Eduard Modeller‘s Den No. 9 - JANUARY 2026
Jean Gabin Jean Gabin
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Miro Barič
From Hollywood to
Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest
Heplayedtoughguysincrimelmsthatwewouldtodayclassifyasacon
movies.Buthelackednocourageinreallifeeither.FrenchactorJean
Gabindideverythinghecouldtoghtforhiscountryatthefrontline.
He was born on 17 May 1904 in Paris
as Jean-Alexis Moncorgé. He completed
his military service with the naval riemen
(Fusiliers marins), a branch of the navy
responsible for the protecon of ships and
ports. This was not the naval infantry; that
role was handled by another branch of the
armed forces, the Troupes de Marine.
Aer his military service he devoted
himself to show business. Under the stage
name Jean Gabin he performed in various
Parisian cabarets and eventually worked his
way up to the famous Moulin Rouge. From
there it was only a small step into the world of
lm. By the second half of the 1930s he was
already established internaonally, and his
lms were successful in American cinemas
as well. However, a promising career was
interrupted by the war.
In 1941 he managed to leave France via
Spain and Portugal for the United States. In
H o l l y w o o d h e mad e se ve r al lm s a n d b e c am e
involved with the star Marlene Dietrich, but
he was not sased. He wanted to ght for
his country, and so in New York he tried
to enlist in the Free French Forces. He was
refused. According to the command, he was
supposed to support the war eort with his
lms. Moreover, he was already approaching
40 years of age. Gabin did not give up,
however. In 1943 he met a representave of
the Free French Navy and managed to get
aboard the ship Elorn (5,482 GRT), which was
sailing in a convoy to Algeria. Gabin served as
commander of a 40 mm gun crew on board,
but instead of his stage name he used his
real one—Jean Moncorgé.
In Algeria he tried to transfer from the
Elorn to a combat unit. The Free French
authories once again aempted to
involve him in arsc acvies. In the end,
a compromise was found—he became
commander of small-arms training for new
recruits. Marlene Dietrich also came to
Algeria to see him; through her performances
at the front she boosted troop morale.
From Algeria she then connued on to Italy.
Around this me Jean Moncorgé learned of
the formaon of an armored regiment of
naval riemen (RBFM—Régiment Blindé de
Fusiliers Marins), which was to join General
Philippe Leclerc’s 2nd Armored Division.
He wanted to join this unit, but it had already
sailed from North Africa to England without
him. At least he was given the opportunity
to undergo tank crew training.
The RBFM was formed from volunteers
among French sailors whose ships had
either been destroyed or were no longer t
for service. The unit was equipped with M10
Jean Gabin as the
commander of an M10
tank destroyer. Note
the sailor’s cap.
Source: RBFM
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