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Joseph Darnand, born in Coligny in 1897, served heroically in World War I and worked afterward in the Action française before joining Doriot's PPF in 1936. After brief imprisonment, he led irregular volunteers during the Phoney War of 1939-40, evaded becoming a prisoner of war and then served the Pétain regime in various paramilitary leadership positions before taking command of the Vichy Militia (Milice) on January 30, 1943. He and 10 other officers of the Milice became Waffen-SS officers in October 1943, Darnand receiving the rank of SS Major. He fled before the Liberation and joined the Vichy government in exile at Sigmaringen. After seeing further action against Italian partisans he was captured and tried. He was executed by firing squad on October 10, 1945.
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