Robert Merle

Robert Merle was a French author known for his 1967 novel "The Day of the Dolphin" which was adapted into the 1973 Oscar-nominated film of the same name. Merle also served as an interpreter in the French Army during World War II, where he was captured by the Germans during the Dunkirk evacuation. He escaped from Stalag VID at Dortmund but was recaptured at Belgian customs. He was repatriated in July 1943, and after the war was awarded the Croix du Combattant.