Jean Victor Allard

Jean Victor Allard
General Jean Victor Allard, CDS
Born	(1913-06-12)12 June 1913 Sainte-Monique-de-Nicolet, Quebec
Died	23 April 1996(1996-04-23) (aged 82) Trois-Rivières, Quebec
Allegiance	Canada
Service / branch	Canadian Army / Canadian Forces
Years of service	1933–1969
Rank	General
Commands	Chief of the Defence Staff Commander, Mobile Command 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade Royal 22e Régiment
Battles / wars	World War II Korean War
Awards	Companion of the Order of Canada Commander of the Order of the British Empire[1] Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec Distinguished Service Order & Two Bars
Other work	Inventor, 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.

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.^[2] In December 1943, he became the Commanding Officer of the Royal 22^e Régiment in Italy.^[2]

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).^[2] He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) on three occasions, the first in April 1944,^[3] and the second time being in March 1945.^[4]

He was the Canadian military attaché in Moscow after the war until 1948 when he was appointed Commander for the East Quebec Area.^[2] During the Korean War, he commanded the 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade from April 1953.^[2] 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.^[2] In 1958 he was made Vice-Chief of the General Staff.^[2]

As a major-general, he commanded the British 4th Division from 1961 to 1963, as part of the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR).^[2] In 1964 he was made Chief of Operational Readiness.^[2] 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.^[2]

In July 1966, Allard was promoted to full general. From 1966 to 1969, he was Chief of the Defence Staff.^[2]

In 1985, he published his memoirs, with English translation in 1988 The memoirs of General Jean V. Allard, written in cooperation with Serge Bernier.^[5]

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."[6] [7]
	Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE)	1946 [8]
	Serving Member of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem	[9] [8]
	Grand officier de l'Ordre national du Québec (GOQ)	1992 [8] [10]
	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 [8]
	1939–1945 Star	For services during World War II [9]
	Italy Star	For services during World War II in Italy [9]
	France and Germany Star	For services during World War II in France and Germany [9]
	Defence Medal	For services during World War II [9]
	Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Overseas Service bar	As a Canadian who volunteered to serve within the Canadian Army during World War II [9]
	War Medal 1939–1945	For services during World War II [9]
	Korea Medal	For services during the Korean War Canadian issue of the medal [9]
	Canadian Volunteer Service Medal for Korea	1991 For services during the Korean War [9]
	United Nations Korea Medal	For services during the Korean War [9]
	Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal	1953 [9]
	Canadian Centennial Medal	1967 As Chief of Defence Staff (Canada) and a member of the Canadian order of precedence.[11] [9]
	Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal for Canada	1977 As a Companion of the Order of Canada, he is awarded automatically with this medal.[11]
	125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal	1993 As a Companion of the Order of Canada, he is awarded automatically with this medal.[11]
	Efficiency Decoration (ED)	1947 [8]
	Canadian Forces' Decoration (CD)	1959 [8]
	Bronze Lion	1948 [8]
	Chevalier de l'Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur	1950 [8]
	Croix de Guerre avec Palme en Bronze	1950 [8]
	Officer of the Legion of Merit	1954 [8]

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

• Jean Victor Allard Fonds
• Generals of World War II
• Canada's 25 Most Renowned Military Leaders Archived 2020-11-11 at the Wayback Machine