Honorary Major General Baron Gilbert Thibaut de Maisières gained legendary status during the Second World War as a ‘serial escapee’.
Born on 27 January 1914 in Liège, he was admitted to the Royal Military Academy in 1933.
He was taken prisoner in May 1940 as company commander of the 2nd Grenadier Regiment and spent much of the war in German camps, including Colditz.
His 28 escape attempts were characterised by both ingenuity and perseverance.
He eventually managed to escape from the camps five times.
He wrote about his experiences in the book Tourisme clandestin, in which he recounts his illegal “journeys” through occupied territory with a certain sense of humour and understatement.
For his courageous behaviour in May 1940 at Kanne and for his escape attempts, he received congratulations from the Minister of Defence and was awarded the Order of Leopold with palm and the War Cross 1940 with palm by decree of the Regent on 21 July 1946.
In 1949, he transferred from the infantry to the cavalry, first with the 1st Regiment of Chasseurs à Cheval, then with the 1st Regiment of Guides.
In 1950, he became aide-de-camp to the Regent, and in 1953 he was seconded to the King's military household.
On 21 September 1960, he was appointed aide-de-camp to Prince Albert, a position he held until 2 February 1971, when he was appointed chief of the household of the Princes of Liège. He held this position until 1980.
From 2 July 1962 to 27 July 1963, Lieutenant Colonel Thibaut de Maisières was commander of the 1st Regiment of Guides.
In 1984, he was awarded the personal title of baron, which was extended in 1986 to a transferable title for his firstborn child.
Honorary Major General Baron Thibaut de Maisières passed away in Uccle on 4 November 2001.
Photo taken during his daughter's wedding in the uniform from my collection.
In the photo, the general is wearing his Belgian orders and medals and the Grand Cross of the Order of the Sacred Treasure of Japan, awarded in 1971, and his Commander of the Royal Victoria Order, awarded during Queen Elizabeth's state visit to Belgium in 1966.
The uniform ribbons show the Belgian decorations, as well as his Commander of the Order of the Oak Crown of Luxembourg (1960), Commander of the House Order of Orange (1961), Order of the Liberator of Argentina (1960) and his Commander of the Order of St. Gregory the Great of the Vatican (1959).
Photo taken during the State Visit of Queen Elisabeth, behind the Queen, colonel Thibaut.
Photo taken during the National Parade on 21 July 1971, Prince – now King – Philip, General Thibaut, Princess Astrid and Prince Laurent.
The general's kepi, with the Guides' band, is particularly noteworthy.
