ralstona

The gold pistol is Hitler's. The rest belonged to Goering. Title should be "serious"...android autocorrect is just ridiculous.

Was the 6th Truman's unit?

The first US shots of the war were fired with this cannon. Pershing personally authorized it's shipment to West Point. It has been there since 1920. More details in description from museum below. You can still see the French unit markings on the side.

French uniform from the beginning of the war. 51st infantry. West Point Museum.

No I just checked his docs. All his certificates from 1925-26 (including his Levant Medal cert.) lists his rank as Sgt.Mjr. Maybe it changed to chef in 1927 or 1928?

If you look back on the first page of this post, I attached the pages of his dossier. On the first page of it he lists his promotions. He has his 1923 promotion as Sergent-Major. Maybe a typo or a "local" term??? Not sure.

I am trying to work out the date of this document. I originally thought Aout 11, 1927 was the date of the decree but now I think it is the date of the amended law he was granted citizenship under. If that is true then it had to have been after 1927 and before 1929 when he made Adjutant 1st class. 1928 would make sense because that would be 10 years after his initial enlistment. Could the requirement have been 10 years back then? Another question... his naturalization doc lists his rank as Sergent-Chef. He does not list this in his dossier. In 1923 he made Sergent-Major and 1929 he made Adjutant 1st class. Is Sergent-Chef a true rank? Higher than Sargent-Major?

How long did you have to serve in the Legion until you got French citizenship? Is it the same today?

I've read that they were issued for Atlantic Wall defenses too.

I assumed it was a last name. Maybe brought back by a Polish Canadian or a Canadian in Poland?

Paul, still working on it Bernhard, you had to be present at two battles where the unit won its fouragere. The CdG TOE had been created in 1921 so this was an early unit award of this cross. My GGF earned a personal CdG TOE (with a bronze star) in Syria in 1925 in addition to the right to permanently wear the unit fourragere.

Right on the 45 part, I was thinking 44. Makes sense for a Germany pick up.

His naturalization certificate from 1927 when he became a French citizen. At the time he was Sergent-Chef in the 1er Regiment Etranger.

I.D. card from his time with the dockyard police in Oran, issued in 1939. He was chief of police until he resigned to join the 13th DBLE in 1940. After the war he continued with the police. He was on the last boat out of Algeria in 1962.

Award certificate for his wwi victory medal. With the 2nd rei at Saida, 1920.

Written confirmation of his fourregere a titre personnel. It states: "Sergent-Major Hauser, Ernest, Of the 8th/1st Etranger Has the right to wear the the fourregere individually in the colors of the croix de guerre T.O.E. for participation in the battles of: Messifre - 17 September 1925 Ressaz - 7 October 1925 Soueida - 25 April 1926

Somewhere in Algeria

The third pic shows the "N" on the barrel and receiver that was added when the chamber was re-cut to accept the ball-N machine gun ammo.

The date makes no sense, if that is the date he acquired it. 4-9-45 would be April 9th (at least in the US). April 45...Italy maybe?

I just picked this up at a recent gun show. It is a Berthier Rifle, model 1907-15/1916. It has matching serial numbers on the stock, barrel and trigger guard, which is unusual because these are usually thrown together from different parts. It was manufactured in 1918. It has the extended 5 round magazine and an upper hand guard (not on the 07-15). It is in overall nice condition with a nice bright bore. The neatest part is it is a WWII us vet bring back. It is carved on the stock "Canady 4-8-1945". (kind of an odd date??) It is also "duffle cut" about 6 inches from the end of the stock. It was modified in the 30s in a French arsenal to take the "ball N" level 8mm cartridge which makes sense for a battlefield pickup. It also makes it possible to fire now, but I doubt I ever will.

P.S. I've included two original postcards with the listing I picked up recently. both depict the battle of zuetina. casa barachi earned his medal for leading a bayonet charge. no way of proving it but he may be depicted in the postcards.

I have decided to sell this medal. I enjoy it but it is not really my main area of interest. Its a lot of value tied up in something I could put to better use elsewhere. It is currently listed on ebay.it

I want to add a bayonet (and maybe a rifle) to my growing display centered around my Al Valore Militare to the ix Eritrean battalion for Libya 1914. I figured since my man won it for leading a bayonet charge, it would be cool to display it with a bayonet. Would an ascari in 1914 have been armed with a Vetterli 1870/87 or a Carcano 1891? Whichever it was were the bayonets or rifles issued to African units marked in any special way?

Excellent! Thanks.

Claps might make sense. Seems to be a common Savoy name coming from nearby Les Claps mountains in Provence (France). I will put a close up of that section of the certificate later. I have looked at the order of battle for the Ethiopia War and it seems like the 3rd Battalion of Grenadiers was the only possibility but I can't be sure. Were there "granatiere" in other units? Art