Admiral Georges Durand-Viel

[AJK]

Please could someone supply the dates of promotion to:
- Capitaine de corvette
- Amiral (1931?)
for Georges Edmond Just DURAND-VIEL?

Thank you,

AJK

[Loïc]

hello

despite I am not a naval connoisseur a point I knew is that the rank of capitaine de corvette it not longer existed for several decades in the French Navy, suppressed in 1848 until 1917, many Naval Officers of this period never passed by this rank

Contre-Amiral since 20th march 1924
Vice-Amiral since 15th march 1928

https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb46664930z/date

Regards
Loïc

[AJK]

Hi Loïc,

Thank you very much for your response, and the clarification regarding the rank of capitaine de corvette. I have seen photographs of Admiral Durand-Viel where he clearly has 4 stars on his uniform sleeve, indicating that at some point (perhaps when he was appointed Chief of the Naval General Staff?) he was promoted to Admiral (rang et appellation d'amiral). I am trying to determine that date of promotion.

Thanks, and best wishes,

AJK

[Loïc]

Admiral (of France) in the French Navy it is like Marschall in the Army, it is not a rank but only a dignity conceded after wartime

The highest rank was Vice-Amiral d'Escadre since the death of the last Admiral of France bearing the title in 1873

that is reason why Darlan received this curious and unique naming of «Admiral of the Fleet» because the lack of equivalence with their foreign counterparts caused troubles

Durand-Viel left the active service in 1937 and in 1951 he still appears with his last same rank of «Vice-Amiral»

the explanation is below

https://journals.openedition.org/rha/7393#tocto1n3

institution of the fourth and fifth star as a "function badge" in 1921 in the army and in 1931 in the navy. On this date, the “Vice-Admiral, Chief of Staff and [the] Vice-Admiral, Inspector General of the Maritime Forces” wear “two additional stars in polished silver on the sleeves (…). These insignias are worn on the sleeves for the frock coat, the jacket and the coat, on the shoulder straps for the white garment. No change for the blue cap and the sea cap, the epaulets, belt and sword”. These decisions explain the cohabitation on the same uniform of five stars on the sleeves against only three on the cap. This hiatus appears clearly in the photographs of the 1930s.

as explained by Capu Rossu on this thread
https://atf40.1fr1.net/t4332-les-amirau ... u-25-06-40
for Durand-Viel the 5 stars seen in the photo "delivery of decoration in 1933"

The decree of June 6, 1939 still limits the ranks to that of vice-admiral but creates the ranks and titles of vice-admiral and admiral.

actually, only Darlan, Castex, Esteva and de Laborde received in application of this decree the rank and designation of admiral with retroactive effect to their taking office in their current command post, the decree of June 24, 1939 specifies that Admiral Darlan bears the title of Admiral of the Fleet with the retroactive date of January 1, 1937.

All the others are still vice-admirals including Durand-Viel who wears these 5 stars only to distinguish his function but does not have the rank and designation of admiral because it did not exist between 1931 and 1937.

Regards
Loïc

[AJK]

Thank you very much for your detailed reply, which clearly explains why Durand-Viel has 5 stars on his uniform, but did not have the rank and title of Amiral. You have been extremely helpful.

Regards,

AJK