Jean Pinelli
Date and place of birth: August 9, 1914, in Nouméa (New Caledonia)
Date and place of death: July 19, 1993, in Brighton (United Kingdom)
Military rank: Lieutenant (Officier des Équipages) in the Free French Naval Forces (FNFL).
Identification: He wore Badge No. 2 of the commando.
Lieutenant Pinelli played a crucial role in the initial phase of the French commando unit. In April 1942, he was part of the very first group of about 28 volunteers who joined Lieutenant Philippe Kieffer in Great Britain. Along with Charles Trépel and Francis Vourc'h, he became one of Kieffer's main deputies. In his memoirs, Béret Vert, Commander Kieffer wrote highly of him: "Pinelli became for me an assistant instructor of the highest order."
Before the invasion of Normandy took place, Pinelli was already involved in dangerous missions. For example, in 1942, he led a group to the German submarine base in Lorient (Brittany), and in December 1943, he was involved in the commando raid on Étretat. He was also closely involved in the preparations for D-Day.
On June 6, 1944, Pinelli was part of the 177 French commandos who were to land on Sword Beach. However, his deployment on D-Day took a tragic turn even before he reached the beach. During the approach, Pinelli jumped from the troop transport ship into a smaller landing craft (an LCA). When this landing craft was just 30 meters from the Normandy coast, the bow was hit by a German shell. Pinelli was extremely severely wounded in his legs and pelvis. Due to the severity of his injuries, he could not participate in the fighting on land and was immediately evacuated to a hospital in England.
The injuries sustained on D-Day marked the rest of his life, but Pinelli managed to turn this setback into something positive. After the invasion, Pinelli spent years in English hospitals recovering. According to military records, he married Molly Rickleton in Eastbourne in May 1944 (just before D-Day). After his severe injury, she presumably nursed him during his long rehabilitation. After the war he decided to stay permanently in the United Kingdom. Pinelli retrained as a sports instructor for the disabled and dedicated the rest of his life with great commitment to events and sports for people with physical disabilities.
For his courage and dedication, he was appointed Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur (Knight of the French Legion of Honour).
Jean Pinelli is buried alongside his wife Molly in Ocklynge Cemetery in Eastbourne (Great Britain).
