Charles Marion

Charles Marion
	;
Medal record
Men's equestrian
Representing France
Olympic Games

Charles Louis Pierre Marion^[1] (French pronunciation: [ʃaʁl lwi pjɛʁ maʁjɔ̃]; or Charles Léonce Pierre Marion, 14 January 1887 – 16 November 1944) was a French assassinated politician and general. He was also a horse rider who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics and in the 1932 Summer Olympics.^[2]

Horse riding

In 1928 he and his horse Linon won the silver medal in the individual dressage competition. Four years later he and his horse Linon won the silver medal in the individual dressage competition again. They were also part of the French dressage team which won the gold medal in the team dressage event.

Government career

Charles Marion served as the head colonel of the "18e RCC " (Régiment de Chasseurs à Cheval) when the WWII was declared in 1939 but shortly after he was missionned as deputy military attaché to the France's Embassy in London. Sir Winston Churchill once said he much appreciated him.

After the Armistice between France and Germany he was promoted a general and a prefect for the government of Vichy France. He was arrested in october 1944, but while waiting for his trial he was kidnapped from his jail on nov 16th 1944 and summarily murdered by uncontrolled French partisans.^[3] Later a document was found in the Gestapo's office of Lyon which suspected him of having ties with the "Armée secrète" (military branch of the french Résistance) and strongly recommended his arrestation.

References

^ "Charles Louis Pierre Marion". Olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Charles Marion". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 3 December 2016. Full name: Charles Léonce Pierre Marion
^ "Charles Marion". Olympedia. Full name: Charles Léonce Pierre Marion