The Russian Legionnaire 1915

[Chris Boonzaier]

The 3rd Marche battalion of the 1ere REI was not an elite Battalion, it was a war raised battalon that was later disolved. Formed with Russian Expats in 1914, Wounded twice in Feb 1915

[Chris Liontas]

Oooo that is nice!!!!   Wow how rare is that Chris?   Any idea what happened to him?    Was he a Tsarist soldier or part of the monarchy? 

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

 

There are some more odds and sods papers not pictured here.

The 3rd Marche Battalion 1. RE was formed with many Russian Expats, mainly artisans etc. living in France at the outbreak of the war. Apparently it was a difficult birth... a battalion of relatively cultured men whose Cadre was the real grizzeled old soaks of the "old Legion" i.e. not the lively youth of the regular legion Battalions, but those crusty old bastards who had been left over

The dude in question stayed in France after the war.

Unfortunately the group was split up at some stage, There were more docs and medals but they are long gone... still, this is a rare little pile of paper...