page_title: René Laverdure
section_title: Commissioned career
hierarchical_section_title: René Laverdure / Commissioned career
caption_attribution_description: English: French officers and Tonkinese riflemen (tirailleurs tonkinois, linh tap) in Tonkin, 1884
context_page_description: Lieutenant-Colonel René Philippe Laverdure was a French army officer. He enlisted in the army as a private soldier in 1880 and saw active service with the 1st Marine Infantry Regiment and the Regiment de Tirailleurs Annamites in the Tonkin Campaign in modern Vietnam. He was promoted through the army's non-commissioned ranks and became an adjutant in 1884. A display of bravery on the battlefield won him a commission later that year.
  Laverdure served as an officer with various Marine Infantry Regiments and the Senegalese Tirailleurs, including active duty in Madagascar, being promoted to captain, before returning to Tonkin in 1894. Laverdure served in Tonkin with the marine infantry and the 3rd Regiment de Tirailleurs Tonkinois. He returned to Madagascar as a staff officer and later transferred to various Colonial Infantry and Garrison Infantry regiments on the island.
  Promoted to chef de bataillon in 1902 and subsequently to lieutenant-colonel Laverdure saw action in the Zaian War. He was placed in charge of a combined arms force based at Khénifra in the fight against Berber leader Mouha ou Hammou Zayani.
context_section_description: Lavderdure left Tonkin on 6 September 1884 and was promoted to lieutenant on 11 May 1886, he transferred in that rank to the Senegalese Tirailleurs eight days later.  He served with the tirailleurs in Senegal from 5 August that year, joining the 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment on 20 March 1888 and leaving Senegal with them on 15 May.  Laverdure was deployed to Madagascar on 12 September 1889 and joined the 4th Marine Infantry Regiment there on 1 January 1890.  In July he transferred to the 19th Marine Infantry Regiment of Diego Suarez before returning to the 1st Marine Infantry on 10 August 1891, leaving Madagascar on 21 December.
  Laverdure was promoted to captain on 19 December 1892, arrived in Tonkin again on 1 April 1894 and transferred to the 3rd Regiment de Tirailleurs Tonkinois on 3 May that year.  He was appointed a chevalier of the Legion of Honour on 5 February 1896.  A transfer to the 8th Marine Infantry Regiment followed on 7 May 1897 and he left Tonkin on 2 August.  Laverdure became a staff officer in Madagascar on 28 May 1898.  He was transferred to the 2nd Garrison Regiment on 25 April 1900, left Madagascar on 21 August, and joined the 2nd Colonial Infantry Garrison Regiment on 1 January 1901.  He was transferred again to the 21st Colonial Infantry Regiment on 17 January, returned to Madagascar on 10 March and transferred to the 15th Colonial Infantry Regiment on 10 May.  Laverdure was promoted to chef de bataillon (approximately equal to major) on 30 December 1902, left Madagascar on 25 September 1903 and transferred to the 5th Colonial Infantry Regiment on 12 October that year.  He was appointed an officer of the Legion of Honour on 31 May 1904 and transferred to the 25th Colonial Infantry Regiment on 11 May 1904.
caption: Tonkinese Tirailleurs with their French officers
exif: {}