on the duties of a fighting naval officer, with a special authorisation of his religious superiors because of the small number of Navy officers in the Free French Naval Forces. He was made chief of staff in July. He attempted to convince the Vichy French governor of Dakar to join De Gaulle and was severely wounded when he was fired upon in his small and unarmed craft on 23 September, during the Battle of Dakar. In November, he directed successful operations in Gabon. D'Argenlieu was made a capitaine de vaisseau, and chancellor of the newly created Ordre de la Libération. In 1941, he rose to counter admiral; he undertook several missions to administer French colonies loyal to Free France. In 1943, he was made commanding officer for the naval forces in Great Britain On 14 June 1944, he ferried de Gaulle to France aboard the destroyer , and entered Paris with him on 25 August. First Indochina War After the defeat of Japan, d'Argenlieu arrived in French Indochina on 31 October 1945. As High Commissioner of the French Far East Expeditionary Corps, his task was to restore the French colonial administration. In 1946, he was promoted to vice-amiral d'escadre, and soon later to admiral. As High Commissioner in Indochina, he installed a puppet Autonomous Republic of Cochinchina in violation of the March 6 Ho–Sainteny agreement whilst the Viet Minh leadership was in negotiations in France, effectively beginning the First Indochina War. Starting the war, he ordered the French forces in Haiphong on November 23rd 1946 to "Use all the means at your disposal to make yourself complete master of Haiphong", resulting in the Haiphong Massacre, in which about 6,000 Viatnamese civilians were killed. During the war, his actions grew more and more controversial, and in March 1947, he was replaced by Émile Bollaert. Back in France, he was made inspector general of the Naval Forces before retiring to a monastery. Later life In 1958, sick, d'Argenlieu resigned his position of chancellor of the Ordre de la Libération and withdrew to monastery life again. He died on 7 September 1964 in Brest and was buried in Avrechy. Honours Grand Cross of the Légion d'Honneur Compagnon de la Libération Médaille Militaire Croix de Guerre 39–45 with 3 palms Croix de Guerre des Théâtres d'Opérations Extérieures (TOE) with palm Médaille de la Résistance avec rosette Insigne des blessés militaires Médaille du Sauvetage Médaille