France Hard as nails...

[Chris Boonzaier]

Most of you will have seen this document

http://www.kaiserscross.com/183501/183564.html

This group may be even a bit better.

Lannes (I assume) joined the bat as an Officer...

This guy seems to have worked his way up the hard way, getting a commission in the end....

1912 in the 3rd BILA

[Chris Boonzaier]

1916 in the 5th BILA at Gabes

[Chris Boonzaier]

1918 in the 3e Bat de Marche of the BILA (The Battalion de Marche were especially formed for Service on the Western Front)

[Chris Boonzaier]

A nice early one from the outbreak of the RIF war, see the link above for the 1st BILA in Maroc...

[Chris Boonzaier]

Then a LdH in 1921 as a Lt in the 1st BILA

[Veteran]

Hello Chris

You are quite right, this man seems to have made his carreer with the Bat'd'Af and wound up as an officer.

The NCOs and officers were naturally not drawn from the men who were serving their military obilgations with the Batd'Afs. They either volonteered from other units or were assigned to such commands. Generally speaking, they were picked because they were strict disciplinarians and had proven their capacity to handle tough caracters.

A very unusual and significant group of scarce documents. The carreer of this officer could probably be traced from the Service Historique de l'Arm?e at Vincennes, near Paris..... once they will have recovered from moving from one side of the yard to their new location and will have had the time to find their bearings there.

Congratulations and thanks for sharing

Veteran

Edited March 19, 2009 by Veteran

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi Veteran,

any idea of how to approach the Service Historique?

Does one have to contact a researcher first?

Thanks

Chris

[Veteran]

Hi Chris

I am sorry to say that I have no knowledge of professionnal researchers working at the Service Historique de l'Armée. This is far from being as well established in France as it is with our British friends.

Best regards

Paul

[Michael Johnson]

I did some research for a lady whose grandfather was with the 3e BILA. He'd enlisted in the Navy, was convicted of theft, sentenced to five years in the BILA, deserted, married in England, and then during the First War surrendered himself to the French consul. He was returned to the 3e BILA, and was killed with them at Prosnes in 1917.

[Chris Boonzaier]

I did some research for a lady whose grandfather was with the 3e BILA. He'd enlisted in the Navy, was convicted of theft, sentenced to five years in the BILA, deserted, married in England, and then during the First War surrendered himself to the French consul. He was returned to the 3e BILA, and was killed with them at Prosnes in 1917.

Hi,

I was reading an article somewhere about descisions of French military courts in the 1900... some of the cases were pretty heavy. Guy took a few drinks from the officers mess... landed up in a disciplinary battalion for 5 years etc. etc.

Best

Chris

[Chris Boonzaier]

Here is an original print, numbered 51/100 and signed by the artist Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen. Steinlen did a series on the war and he died in 1923.

This one is from a soldier of the Bat d'af... I suppose it is a stereotype as he has his loot with him...

[Chris Boonzaier]

I read somewhere that the citations for the Legion d'honneur can be looked up online... does anyone know if this is true?

Thanks

Chris