Obituary: Pierre Billotte

Pierre Billotte, army officer and politician, died 29 June, aged 86. Represented Free France in Moscow in the early years of the Second World War before becoming General Charles de Gaulle's military chief of staff based in London in 1942. French Military representiative to the United Nations 1946-50. Served as Defence Minister in the government of Edgar Faure in 1955. Member of the National Assembly 1951-88, and mayor of the Paris suburb of Creteil 1965-77. Minister of Overseas Territories in the government of Georges Pompidou 1966-68. Author of several books on de Gaulle, including Thirty Years of Humour with de Gaulle (1979).