France A photo of a distinguished old Legionnaire

[tjnier]

Sometimes one can derive considerable information about a veteran by studying his photograph. Attached is a portrait of such a French Army veteran, with a close-up of his medals. He wears the Legion of Honor, Chevalier, and the Medaille Militaire, both Third Republic models. Next is a colonial medal with two rectangular clasps. The fourth medal on his top row appears to be the 1870-71 War Medal. The bottom row shows what looks to be the Italie 1859 medal, followed by the 5th class badge of the Tunisian Order of Nichan Iftikhar.

His left shoulder sleeve insignia has the three chevrons of a Sergent-Chef, or Senior Sergeant. Using a hand lens,a crossed pair of single blade axes is visible right below the chevrons. So this soldier had served in one of the elite Sapper units of the French Army. Their hazardous duty won them the privileges of having a full beard, wearing a leather apron & gloves, and carrying the axe instead of a rifle.when on parade. The wide light band around this veteran's waist is his leather apron.

Additional study of this veteran's upper sleeve next to the jacket seam, revealed enough letters to identify the shoulder tag "LEGION ETRANGERE". So this man was a veteran of a Sapper unit of the Foreign Legion. His photo had to have taken sometime after 1911, the year of institution of the 1870-71 medal.

Assuming he served in the Italie 1859 campaign at the age of 18, his birth year would be 1841. Thus he would have been about age 70 when he sat for his photograph by 1911.

[Hendrik]

... The bottom row shows what looks to be the Italie 1859 medal,...

...Assuming he served in the Italie 1859 campaign at the age of 18, his birth year would be 1841. Thus he would have been about age 70 when he sat for his photograph by 1911. ...

Not necessarily, I would say. The Medal for the War of Independence and Italian Unity spans campaigns from 1859 till 1870. If your veteran took part in the last of these campaigns, it would make him 11 years younger

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

is it possible he was in the Legion and the Regular French Chasseur at some time before or after? Veeeery nice photo!!

[tjnier]

Hendrik: Thanks for your insight about the "Italie 1859" medal possibly being the Italian Independence Wars medal. However, the Independence medal is usualy observed with one or more dated clasps which indicated the veteran's specific campaign(s). I can't detect any clasps on this man's medal.

Chris: This veteran may well have served in another unit of the French Army. I take it that the posthorn insignia visible at his left elbow implies that he had served in the Chasseurs a pied ou monte?

[Hendrik]

Had a closer look at the Italie 1859 medal and its ribbon indeed indicates the French medal and not the Italian one I was thinking of - my mistake.

No longer of any importance here but I seem to recall reading the bars on the Italian independence medal were added to the campaign medal's ribbon in case of participation in actual combat.

[Veteran]

Hello tjnier

The hunting horn (cor de chasse) worn on the sleeve was rather for marksmanship (prix de tir). It also was the badge worn by the Chasseurs à pied and Chasseurs alpins, but it was then worn on the collar.

The uniform with its very short waist coat and the turbaln looks more like a tirailleur, the belt being a length of woollen fabric, probably red in this case (a blue woollen belt is still part of the Foreign Legion parade uniform); what made you think of the Foreign Legion in this case ?

The three stipes on the upper part of the sleeves look more like re-enlistment chevrons (possibly 20 years with the Forces). His rank is hard to establish since it is the lower chevron which gives it away, and it looks incomplete.

I'm not much of an uniformologist, but I feel reasonnably sure about the facts I just mentionned.

Best regards

Veteran

Edited June 17, 2013 by Veteran

[tjnier]

Hello Veteran:

Many thanks for your analysis of this interesting photograph, especially the identification of the hunting horn at the elbow of his sleeve as a marksmanship badge. I re-examined the three stripes under a hand lens. They all have the same dimensions, herringbone weave, and shade of gray (which suggests the same color). Would this indicate a sergeant's rank, or were re-enlistment stripes identical to rank stripes in size and color??

In the bend of the bottom chevron is a flaming bomb, and immediately below it is a crossed pair of single blade axes. The axes should confirm his status as a Sapper, which is reflected in his full beard and what appears to be his leather apron around his waist.

The weakest evidence is what appears to be a shoulder tag along the upper seam of his sleeve with the jacket. Under a hand lens, a few letters appear to my eye which fall into the legend "legion etrangere". But my eye may be deceiving me. I would gladly mail this photograph to a GMIC member who is an expert on French Army uniforms, for an independent opinion. Can anyone recommend such an expert??

[Veteran]

Hello tjnier

To be honest, this man never was a legionnaire. He was a "Turco" which was the affectionate nickname given to the Tirailleurs. The medals he wears suggest he served in the Italian campaign against Austria, in the Franco-Prussian war 1870-71, as well as in Tunisia and other french colonies. He was a non-com. (Medaille militaire) and had a distinguished carreer, being a chevalier in the Legion of honor, a scarce award to non-coms.

The colonial medal he also wears shows that he was serving later than 1892;

His beard was probably allowed in his regiment. The Foreign Legion "sapeurs" who also wear a beard are an exception to-day. In the late 1800's it was worn by a large proportion of the male popullation.

The flaming grenade you spotted (I had missed it) probably means he belonged to the company of "grenadiers" of his regiment. They were considered to be the best men in an infantry unit.

I hope I am not abrupt about this. In fact, your man is far more interesting than would have been a contemporary legionnaire. It's a marvellous picture.

Congratulations

Vereran