Lionel

The exceptional circumstances of Lionel Mosséri's short but remarkable life and military career are described by his stepfather, Louis Marlio, in the Preface to letters which Lionel wrote home to his family. Highly intelligent, articulate and revealing a disciplined, philosophical and visionary mind, Lionel's letters are sufficiently thought-provoking and well-written to justify publication.

Mosséri received an English public school education and was trained and served in both the British and French armies. When he was killed on 25th November, 1944, he was leading a French detachment into Masevaux, the first city in Upper Alsace to be freed from the German Occupation. He was just twenty-three years old.

Who knows what the future might have held for Mosséri in Europe, in the years following the war, in the peaceful society for which he fought so hard and ultimately gave his life? This book is dedicated by his step-father and brothers in honor of his memory, and to his fallen comrades who are remembered with him.

Originally published in French in 1946. This is the first translated version.