France How did this poor bugger die?

[Tony]

Hello,

Can someone tell me how this soldier died? All I can make out (I think) is that he was an artillery soldier in Belgium who died in an accident on 15 Feb. 1915. Any translation help is greatly appreciated.

Also, was one of his ID tags sent to his family with his belongings or did French soldiers only have one tag and were they buried without it?

Thanks

Tony

Or is his date of death 13 February 1915?

Edited November 23, 2008 by Tony

[Christophe]

Hi Tony,

The date of death is effectively 13 February 1915. He died in an "accident"; in fact it appears he drowned himself, after being injected a vaccin against fever (!!). Maybe a mistake in dosing ? We'll never know for sure... He has been considered as dead "in service".

About the ID tag; I'm far from being an expert, and will let other Members answer.

Hope this helps.

Cheers.

Ch.

[Tony]

Hello Christophe,

Thanks very much for the translation.

I wonder what it was they injected him with, sounds like it could have been something like LSD. Whatever it was the side effect was very bad, I wonder if anyone else in the French army suffered similar after being vaccinated. Something we'll never know.

Cheers

Tony

[Christophe]

Hi Tony,

In fact we don't know what exactly happened. The document is only saying he drowned himself, and apprently has been added after : after a being vaccinated. No real detail... Maybe just he did not know how to swim...

Cheers.

Ch.

[Michael Johnson]

Looks like he had a fever (not unknown after vaccinations). He may have been trying to cool himself off.

[Guest Rick Research]

Or just stumbled out in the rain and drowned in an inch deep puddle with his nostrils submerged.

Poor guy! What a waste!

[Veteran]

Extensive vaccination against typho?d fever was conducted in 1915 among all troups, mostly during rest periods (bivouac, in French). A small number of cases of intolerance to the vaccin were reported, some with extreme agitation. This man may have been one of the cases that went delirious and got out of hand, running out of the infirmary and drowning in a near by pond or river.

A sad end for a "poilu" who certanily did not do anything deliberately wrong, since his death report mention that he died for France (Mort pour la France).

The Memorial website is a wonderful research tool.

Regards

Veteran

Edited November 25, 2008 by Veteran

[Tony]

Extensive vaccination against typho?d fever was conducted in 1915 among all troups, mostly during rest periods (bivouac, in French). A small number of cases of intolerance to the vaccin were reported, some with extreme agitation. This man may have been one of the cases that went delirious and got out of hand, running out of the infirmary and drowning in a near by pond or river.

A sad end for a "poilu" who certanily did not do anything deliberately wrong, since his death report mention that he died for France (Mort pour la France).

The Memorial website is a wonderful research tool.

Regards

Veteran

Thanks for the info, that's very interesting.

Tony

[Christophe]

Extensive vaccination against typho?d fever was conducted in 1915 among all troups, mostly during rest periods (bivouac, in French). A small number of cases of intolerance to the vaccin were reported, some with extreme agitation. This man may have been one of the cases that went delirious and got out of hand, running out of the infirmary and drowning in a near by pond or river.

A sad end for a "poilu" who certanily did not do anything deliberately wrong, since his death report mention that he died for France (Mort pour la France).

The Memorial website is a wonderful research tool.

Regards

Veteran

Thanks Veteran for these enlightments !!!

Cheers.

Ch.