Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Captain André Charles Decraene was French, born in Roubaix, Nord on 23rd December 1893.
He was doing his national service when World War I broke out, and was sent with his unit straight to the front. He incurred a very serious wound (bullet in the lung) in January 1915 and spent the rest of the war in hospital or convelescing. He came to London after the war where he met and married in 1923. Between the wars André carried on his own business acting as agent in importing and exporting between Britain and France, and during most of that time the family were living in Orpington, Kent.
After the fall of France the business came to an end, and in the Spring of 1941 the family moved to Leicestershire, first of all to Shepshed and sunbsequently to Kirby Muxloe and then Leicester Forest East
André was a founding member of the Kirby Muxloe Home Guard - or LDV as it was at first - although there was some bueaucracy to be overcome as he was not British. However, he was soon accepted. He carried on in the Home Guard until 1943 or 44 when he joined the Liaison Corps which was formed by the Free French army in Britain. The purpose of this was to get officers who spoke both French and English appointed to the British and American armies on their progress through France after the Normandy landings, in order to assist co-operation between the military and local authorities. André was was duly appointed to an American unit but did not stay very long in France, as his unit fought through Belgium and by Christmas 1944 was in Holland. André had said to his American colonel that perhaps he sould leave them as he didn't speak any Dutch, but his colonel wanted to keep him as he valued his advice.
Soon after New Year 1945 he was granted a week's leave in order to go to Paris and collect wine for the mess - his (French) driver had worked in Les Halles in the wholesale wine market. His daughter was serving at the time in the Free French Navy in London, but during the same week was in Paris staying with relatives and was able to meet with her father on this occasion. On the 8th January 1945 André set off back to rejoin his unit, but his truck met with an accident on the outskirts of Paris and he was killed outright, thought to be as a result of 'friendly fire' on the part of American forces.
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Submitted by André's daughter, A. Coomes, 2019