France SGA- memoire des hommes

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Hello:

someone on this forum (I believe it was Chris. Boonzair, many thanks) recommended/suggested www.memoiredeshommes.sga.defense.gouv.fr which contains the names of personnel who lost their lives for France in the several more recent conflicts.

While it does not lay claim to completeness. I have been somewhat successful in locating the names of several dead belonging to my former unit in the "French phase" of the war in Indochina (as some like to call the 1945 - 1954 conflict in Indochina). I stumbled across several entries which aere somewhat garbled in regards to locations and/or units which I was fortunate enough to decode . However here is one which has me stumped:

NGUYEN, Van Uc

DoB, Place of birth etc

DoD 14-09-1953 at Dong Anh (Tonkin)

Genre de mort ( nature of death) : " tue d un fait d un tiers "

I have only omitted the accent t'aigue in"tue" otherwise it is as I found it. I have no clue.

Any input and guess as to the possible meaning would be much appreciated.

I have also noted with much satisfaction that Indochinese members of the French Forces as well as personnel of the French Foreign Legion now have the attribute "Mort Pour la France" while their tombstones then listed "Mort Au Champ D'Honneur".

Bernhard H. Holst

[Chris Boonzaier]

Could it have been friendly artillery?

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Could it have been friendly artillery?

Hello and thanks, Chris.

This sounds plausble and would be expressed most likely as something like this (in my rusty french):

"tue d'un fait d'un tir d'artillerie amie..." Witnessed by this writer on some occasions and a very sad occurrence.

The expression "d'un fait" is used frequently in cases of accidental deaths incl. where the responsibilty lies.

Bernhard H. Holst

[Veteran]

I would rather think "tue du fait d'un tiers" is a moderate way of saying "victime of manslaugher" either intended or accidental. Littreally, "killed by a someone else" the "tiers" meaning an other party.

Could have been killed in a brawl, or fallen a victime to deliberate or accidental homicide. But not from ennemy action, which meant that his stature as a war victim would have been different than if he had been "mort au champ d'honneur", which means killed in combat, or "mort en service commande" which would mean killed in the line of duty.

The story with such a note would mean an inquest.

This is much as I can make out. The Forces simply stated that he died because he was killed, but because he was a soldier. No Army responsability.

Does this help at all?

Best regards

Veteran

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Hello Veteran.

Your version also makes some sense re. "du fait d un tiers" which would indeed imply a third party caused the death.

Thanks,

Bernhard H. Holst