Vietnam during WW1

[Myrtle]

As Vietnam was a French Colony at the time of WW1, did the French use Vietnamese soldiers?

[willy]

As Vietnam was a French Colony at the time of WW1, did the French use Vitnamese soldiers?

Well some were certainly used in the labour corps.

[Myrtle]

Well some were certainly used in the labour corps.

Willy

Thanks for that. Do you have the source for information?

[Paul Reed]

Indo-Chinese Labour Corps buried at St Omer.

[willy]

Willy

Thanks for that. Do you have the source for information?

confirmation in post 4!, paul beat me to it.

[willy]

There is a combined french and vietnamese memorial near the Perfume river, at Quoc Hoc.

There was one in Saigon also but that was destroyed as was the one in Hanoi.

[MartH]

I think the Brussels Army has a display featuring them, in the section showing uniforms of the Allies. They certainly have a section on the Thailand contribution, and I think it was next to that.

[CROONAERT]

Two battalions of Vietnamese combat soldiers served in France: the 7ème and the 21ème Bataillons de Marche Indochinois, RTIC.

The 7th Battalion was formed from the Indochinese in Tonkin on February 16, 1916 and landed at Marseilles in September and underwent training at Frejus until April 1917. On 10 April the 7th was assigned to the 19th Division but on attachment to the 12th Division:

1 Cie- attached to the 54^th Ri at Sept Monts

2 Cie – attached to the 67th RI at Ambrief;

3 Cie – to the 350^th RI at Sept Monts;

5 Cie - to 12^th Div depot at Rozic.

The 4th Cie, the HQ and the Machinegun Company remained under the command of the regimental commander (Dez) at Montramboeuf .

They first saw action with the 12th ID during the 2nd Battle of the Aisne on the Chemin des Dames on the 5^th - 7th May 1917 following up the attack of the regiments to which they are attached and were involved in resupplying the forward troops, consolidating trenches and in the organization of any captured territory.

In June 1918, the battalion was in the trenches in the area of Anould (Vosges) ,staying there until 22 June during which time they were involved in the repulse of a strong German attack. A short move to the trenches at Clové then followed where they were involved in two attacks between 29 and 30 October 1918. At the time of the armistice, they were stationed in Lorraine and left France at Marseilles on 15^th February 1919, arriving at Haiphong where the unit was dissolved.

The 21st Battalion was formed ,from Indochinese soldiers already serving in France, on 1 December 1916 at Camp St. Raphael (Var), its strength being 21 officers, 241 Europeans and 1,200 natives.

From April 5, 1917 the battalion was employed at Dand (Aisne) in road repair, care for airfields and drainage work on the battlefield.

From late May to late July it was serving in the frontline trenches of the Vosges , moving in August to the area of Reims.

Back in the Vosges it held the positions in the area of Montigny and was dissolved on April 18^th, 1919.

2 combat Battalions also served in Salonika (the1er and the 2ème).

Now for some figures (that don't actually really compliment each other!)...…

In 1915 4,631 Indo-Chinese labourers left Indochina for France

in 1916 26,098

in 1917 11,719

in 1918 5,806

in 1919 727 .

The total indigenous Indochinese sent to the combat zones were:

- 4800 belonging to the 4 Combat Battalions

- 24,212 belonging to the 15 transit Battalions

- 9,019 Colonial medical staff

- 48,981 Colonial labourers

In other words, a total of 92,411 Indo-Chinois men in the service of France!

Dave

[CROONAERT]

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[CROONAERT]

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[CROONAERT]

If interested, their war diaries can be read and downloaded here... Bataillons de tirailleurs indochinois (***edit*** ignore this link...use those in the next post instead)

dave

Edited 11 January , 2011 by CROONAERT

[CROONAERT]

For some reason, the link above just gives the generic website. however, this 'should' work ...

7th Bn

21st Bn (to July 1918)

21st Bn (from July 1918)

1st Bn

2nd Bn

[truthergw]

The people from Indo China were also known as Annamites. They figured strongly in rumours which spread through the French army at the time of the 1917 mutinies. They were supposed to have been used to fire upon workers in Paris and break up strikes.

[centurion]

The people from Indo China were also known as Annamites. They figured strongly in rumours which spread through the French army at the time of the 1917 mutinies. They were supposed to have been used to fire upon workers in Paris and break up strikes.

Whilst the majority of Vietnamese are Annamites not all Annamites are Vietnamese and not all Vietnamese are Annamites. They are to be found in parts of Laos and Cambodia. Certainly not all from Indo China were Annamites. Bit like saying the people from Britain are also known as English

[truthergw]

Whilst the majority of Vietnamese are Annamites not all Annamites are Vietnamese and not all Vietnamese are Annamites. They are to be found in parts of Laos and Cambodia. Certainly not all from Indo China were Annamites. Bit like saying the people from Britain are also known as English

Which, in Germany at the time of the great war, was true.

[Jim_Grundy]

And Ho Chi Min worked as a kitchen assistant in the Ritz, Paris, petitioning the 1919 Peace Conference for Vietnamese independence.

[Michael Johnson]

http://www.memorial-genweb.org/~memorial2/html/base1418/arme.php?arme=Infanterie

While the Memorial GENWeb lists aren'tt exhaustive, they give some indication of where units served.

[Myrtle]

Well Gentlemen, thank you all for the excellent information.

Croonaert, your photographs are very impressive. Are they from one source or have you been collecting?

While I am looking through the information in more detail would anyone know if the officers instructed their men in French or in the Vietnamese language?

[James A Pratt III]

Vietnamese troops also saw service on the Nacedonian front. i believe 3 of the 8 French divisions there were made up of Colonial troops. Also note the French in WW I issued their troops from the coloniaes khaki uniforms as shown in the color photos. See the Osprey book on the French Army 1914-18 for more information.

[CROONAERT]

Vietnamese troops also saw service on the Nacedonian front.

Other than at Gallipoli (where I'm unsure, but they may have), Vietnamese troops/labourers served practically everywhere that the French did. They only served in some form of combat capacity (outside of their home territories...some were used to help quell some of the numerous uprisings in Indochin that occured between 1914 and 1918) in France and Salonika/Macedonia though (the 4 bataillons previously mentioned). Had the war lasted longer, some of the other BTI's in the war zone's would undoubtedly also have seen action other than in labouring duties.

Dave

[CROONAERT]

would anyone know if the officers instructed their men in French or in the Vietnamese language?

European officers would use a bit of both, though French was the 'official' language (albeit often with the help of NCO/Officer translators - as seems apparant in a couple of the photos posted). Non-European officers would probably use the native tongue in all but 'public' capacities.

Dave

[Myrtle]

Thanks for your answer Dave.

[Heid the Ba]

Also Vietnam and Indochina are not synonyms; French Indochina included Cambodia and Laos as well.

[CROONAERT]

Also note the French in WW I issued their troops from the coloniaes khaki uniforms as shown in the color photos. See the Osprey book on the French Army 1914-18 for more information.

Only from 1917 can this be regarded as true. Prior to this (but after their own pre-war and hybrid uniforms) they were issued in standard Horizon Blue (with a mix and match of 'mustard' (not 'khaki') and Blue in between).

Here's a scan from a page showing Vietnamese troops in various garbs from 1916-18 which may be of use on this particular thread...

Dave

[Pete1052]

Some of Ho Chi Minh's writings from the period on Vietnamese independence are available by clicking here.