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Maude Williams, Souvenirs 1893–1958, French History, Volume 29, Issue 3, September 2015, Pages 407–408, https://doi.org/10.1093/fh/crv038
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Extract
Throughout this book, Raoul Banet-Rivet conveys his fascinating and eventful life to the reader. He begins with the story of his childhood and sketches a complete picture of a young life shared between the city and the coast, which would create a great fascination with the latter. Following his studies in law and his entry into the Seine prefecture, the First World War marked a hiatus in his career. Once civilian life was resumed, he quickly began to climb the ladder, owing in part to his encounter with Mr Dautry. He joined the Réseau de l’Etat, the French state-owned railway company, then, through his connections, in 1932, he became part of the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, known as the French Line in English. In this role, he would be involved in the construction of the SS Normandie . When the Second World War broke out, he was attached to the Ministry of Munitions, where Dautry was in charge at the time. Under the Vichy government, Banet-Rivet became the head of the Merchant Navy in Marseille before leaving for Algiers. During the Liberation, he obtained the post of General Inspector of Maritime Transport, then went on to run the Compagnie Chérifienne de Navigation (Moroccan Shipping Company) in Morocco.
