Senegalese experience of World War I

[Ken S.]

This is simply a remark made, supposedly, by one French colonel to an American journalist and recorded in a book published during the war. It does not states when, where, how often, nor the number of prisoners taken.

The American war correspondent Maude Radford Warren, writing for the Saturday Evening Post, interviewed a French colonel who told her that the Germans would often surrender without a fight when facing Africans. They would happily march unaccompanied by guards into captivity, smiling and relieved at having avoided combat with Africans.

[Tom W.]

This is simply a remark made, supposedly, by one French colonel to an American journalist and recorded in a book published during the war. It does not states when, where, how often, nor the number of prisoners taken.

Thanks for explaining that to me. When I read the remark, I thought it covered all the statistics regarding when, where, how often, and the number of prisoners taken, for the entire war. Now I know better.

[Ken S.]

Nothing in your response really addressed the question that I asked. Had I requested anecdotal examples of German soldiers supposedly being bungling cowards I can assure you that your answer would have been most appreciated.

Thanks for explaining that to me. When I read the remark, I thought it covered all the statistics regarding when, where, how often, and the number of prisoners taken, for the entire war. Now I know better.

[Tom W.]

Nothing in your response really addressed the question that I asked. Had I requested anecdotal examples of German soldiers supposedly being bungling cowards I can assure you that your answer would have been most appreciated.

You asked about casualties, not prisoners. I told you that I can't say anything about casualty numbers, but I explained how the French did not train the Africans properly, which would mean that they weren't as effective as they may have been and therefore may not have inflicted as many casualties on the Germans as they could have.

To balance that notion, I mentioned that the Africans were credited by some historians with breaking the resistance at Douaumont. I also provided two anecdotes about the German fear of the Senegalese, which could indicate either that Germans swallowed the French and their own propaganda and had a terror all out of proportion to the actual African fighting ability and often surrendered before the Africans could even inflict casualties on them, or it could mean that the Germans had learned through experience that Africans were actually capable of inflicting tremendous damage.

I offered all of this in the spirit of the conversation that had been taking place until you decided to partake and change the tone by injecting your unique brand of meandering belligerence. I wasted my time engaging you and assuming you have the ability to do work things out for yourself. I won't make that mistake again.

[egbert]

Excerpt from the text version of this 1917 French book on the Vosges mountain warfare , where a French participant describes the following in a letter:

.....The Germans are doing their best to spread terror among

Parisians. On the other hand, I have a sad thing to tell you.

There came yesterday to our hospital, straight from the front

a Senagalese sharpshooter, a peculiar looking negro, with pointed

cranium, who began right away with confidences. '^I broken

arm, but soon will go back to kill Boches. I already eaten

seven Boche's ears. Boche's ears very good ; melt in the mouth

like sugar — I always carry Boche*s ears in my bag." I believe

if we had a few gentlemen of this type on the front we would

lose forever our moral superiority over our dear neighbors and

invaders. Don't be scared, however, you know my digestive

organs are rather delicate. I shall not disgrace my family

in this way.

[egbert]

Same source, letter from hospital, 12 April 1915:

.....The victims of the great war at this hospital are getting

along so well that every evening they give terrible concerts.

Two violins, two accordions, one mouth harmonica and a tin

flute are brought into play. A certain censorship is exercised

over the performance by le Sidi, a Kabyl, from a regiment of

Spahis. He knows hardly any French, but has definite ideas

on the kind of noise he wants to hear. His speeches are lim-

ited to "Y'a bon* or **Y'a pas hon!' He is a terrible rascal,

to my mind. He looks like a hyena, and I should tremble

for France's fair name if many like him ever penetrated into

Germany and got away from their officers......

[egbert]

another excerpt from the same hospitalization:

......Brahim was very

polite and unobtrusive, very difiFerent from a Kabyle soldier —

Sidi, as they are all called — ^who blew into the hospital in a spec-

tacular fashion, arms, back and abdomen wounded. First

conversation to the assembled multitude, "I brave, I killed many

Boches. I eaten Boches's ears when still hot, very good with

sugar." The chap very rapidly grew unpopular ..........

He was finally

taken to a hospital for Africans. G>millon took him there in a

car. Sidi felt injured, did not want to go. Cornillon — always

kindly — tried to make him forget his grievances by making him

admire the scenery, but Sidi would not be fooled. His last

words were — "No comrades here! No comrades here."