André, Pierre et Emile Derocque

André Derocque was born on August 6, 1898 in La Bouille, when he just turned 18, instead of waiting to be called up, he volunteered for military service on September 4, 1916. He was demobilized on October 1, 1919 and was awarded 4 commendations and the War Cross.

Pursuing his medical studies, he was admitted as an intern in the hospitals of Paris in 1922 , he soon won fame as entertainer of the doctors’ mess but most importantly as wise and talented surgeon. He defended his thesis in 1926, for which he obtained a silver medal. Newly qualified, he was admitted assistant surgeon in the hospital of Rouen in 1927. In 1932 he succeeded his father who had reached the age limit, as chief surgeon in the General Hospice of Rouen. At the same time he practised high level mountaineering.

When war broke out in 1936, the renowned surgeon was 41 years old and father of five children. Despite this situation he decided to go fight. He was no longer a doctor, he was a soldier again.”I want to remain an artilleryman” he wrote, aware of the task he had to accomplish. Despite a severe dislocation of his knee due to a fall, he remained at his post.

During the german offensive of June 13, 1940 near Corribert (Marne), artillery captain André Derocque, at the head of his battery was struck by a shell shrapnel which went through his helmet to his occipital bone. He died shortly after and was buried by he his comrades the following day. He rests in the cemetery of Fère-Champenoise..

Pierre Derocque (father of André) was born in Rouen on February 20, 1872. He started his medical studies in 1889 and became an extern and then intern the following year, in the hospitals of Paris. In 1897 he earned his PhD, returned to his home city and founded the Medical Journal of Normandy (Revue Médicale de Normandie). On March 27, 1899 he opened his surgical clinic( first clinic in orthopedic surgery in the region) 1n 1900 he was admitted assistant doctor and the following year assistant surgeon in the Hospital of Rouen . Friend of Charles Nicolle , he collaborated with him in the fight against venereal diseases. In 1919 he was promoted head surgeon of services at the Hötel-Dieu hospital and then at the General Hospice (1927). On January 7, 1934 he died in a car accident on the road to Saint Martin de Boscherville..

Emile Adolphe Derocque (grand-father of André and father of Pierre) was born in Rouen on August 11,1829., coming from an upper class family, he belatedly chose to study medicine. He defended his thesis in 1858. In 1868 he was promoted deputy director of the medical division at the General Hospice and then at the Hotel -Dieu of Rouen.in 1870.On June 8, 1884 he died at his home from meningitis. He successively married the two daughters of Dr Pierre Brutus BILLARD (1795-1866) , student of FLAUBERT father and President of the Administrative Commission of the civil Hospices of Rouen.