| Raymond Pognon | |
| Birth Date: | 30 November 1873 |
| Birth Place: | Honfleur, France |
| Death Place: | Melbourne, France |
| Occupation: | Companion of the Liberation |
| Alma Mater: | HEC Paris |
Raymond Pognon (born 30 November 1873 – 19 May 1959) was a French politician and resistance fighter, Companion of the Liberation. Elected locally in New Caledonia, he participated in the rallying of this territory to Free France in 1940 but, in disagreement with the representatives of General de Gaulle, retired from political life shortly after.[1]
Raymond Pognon was born on 30 November 1873 in Honfleur, in Calvados, to a merchant father and a journalist mother who contributed to the creation of the daily newspaper La Fronde. He completed his higher studies at HEC Paris and, having postponed several times due to physical weakness, carried out his military service in auxiliary services. In 1902, he left for New Caledonia where he was head of the administrative department of the mining company Le Nickel before becoming a farmer and breeder.[2]
In 1913, he became mayor of the commune of Bourail and at the same time, was general councilor of New Caledonia from 1913 to 1925 and president of the General Council from 1922 to 1925. Because of his mandates, he benefited from reprieve and he was therefore not called upon to fight in the World War I. Alongside his political activities, he directed the daily newspaper La France Australe from 1920 to 1925.
After the armistice of 22 June 1940, refusing the defeat of France, he joined forces with Michel Vergès, Georges Dubois and Georges Baudoux to lead a major propaganda action in order to convince the authorities and the New Caledonian population to continue the war and to rally around General de Gaulle. He thus became one of the main architects of the rallying of New Caledonia to Free France on 19 September 1940, and welcomed with his comrades Henri Sautot who had just been appointed governor by de Gaulle. Subsequently, he participated in the organization of the gathering of volunteers who would be assigned to the Pacific Battalion under the orders of Félix Broche to fight with the Free French forces.[3]
His actions in favor of Free France led to him being sentenced to death by the Vichy regime, a judgment which was annulled in 1949, but also receiving, on 20 February 1942, the Cross of Liberation from the hands of the admiral d'Argenlieu, sent by General de Gaulle as Free French High Commissioner for the Pacific with full civil and military powers. Serious dissensions then broke out between d'Argenlieu and Sautot who was forced to leave despite the support of elected officials and the local population. Supporting Henri Saut against the admiral, Raymond Pognon led demonstrations in support of the governor and was arrested on the orders of Argenlieu in May 1942. Released shortly after, he then decided to cease all political activity.[4]
He leaves New Caledonia at an undetermined date to stay with his daughter in Australia. Raymond Pognon died on 19 May 1959 in Melbourne, where he was cremated.