French Uniform

[aengland]

I purchased this painting some time ago in France.... now I am not an expert in any way shape or form on French uniforms but I was intrigued by this one. Is he a member of the 'Chasseurs Alpins'? I would be extremely grateful of any information that could be uncovered about the soldier.....

Thanks very much in advance of any information a kind soul can supply

Andrew

[ian.sumner]

He's a captain in the 12th chasseurs alpins.

According to http://www.chtimiste.com/ , its peacetime garrison was Embrun. It was mobilised as part of 54 Brigade, 27 Division, XIV Corps. The battalion transferred to 66 Division in October 1914, then to 47 Div in December 1914, and it stayed there for the rest of the war. Foght mostly in Alsace in 1914-15; on the Somme in 1916; around Reims and Craonne in 1917; transferred to the Italian front in 1917, returning to Flanders in March 1918. There's a digitised version of the battalion history at http://www.pages14-18.com/B_PAGES_HISTOIRE/HISTORIQUES_FRANCAIS/BAT.CHASSEURS/BCA_12_Histo.pdf

Hope this helps

Ian

[aengland]

Hi Ian

Thanks very much indeed, greatly appreciate your help..... the battalion history is a great find (just need to get a translation!)

Can you identify the medal on his left breast?

Andrew

[FROGSMILE]

Hi Ian

Thanks very much indeed, greatly appreciate your help..... the battalion history is a great find (just need to get a translation!)

Can you identify the medal on his left breast?

Andrew

I am no expert but it looks very much like the Croix De Guerre with two stars.

[ian.sumner]

Hi Ian

Thanks very much indeed, greatly appreciate your help..... the battalion history is a great find (just need to get a translation!)

Can you identify the medal on his left breast?

Andrew

Frogsmile's right - Croix de Guerre with two stars

Ian

[aengland]

Thanks very much Ian and Frogsmile

So we have a Captain in the 12th Chasseurs Alpins who was awarded the Croix de Guerre with two stars. How possible is it to identify likely candidates?

Andrew

[ian.sumner]

Thanks very much Ian and Frogsmile

So we have a Captain in the 12th Chasseurs Alpins who was awarded the Croix de Guerre with two stars. How possible is it to identify likely candidates?

Andrew

I'm not an expert on medals, but I don't think that any central register of CdG awards was kept - there were about two million awards. A bronze star was awarded for being mentioned in regimental or brigade dispatches; silver in division orders; silver-gilt in corps orders; and gilt in army orders. See http://www.cheminsdememoire.gouv.fr/page/affichepage.php?idLang=en&idPage=4186

You could plough through the battalion war diaries at http://www.memoiredeshommes.sga.defense.gouv.fr/jmo/results.html?base=ead&name=ead-default&linkBack=true&n-start=0&cop1=AND&champ1=fulltext&champh1=hfulltext&query1=22e+chasseurs&op1=AND&cop2=AND&champ2=unitid&query2=&op2=OR&cop3=AND&champ3=fmetaindexjmo&query3=&op3=OR

Hope I'm wrong about the absence of lists!

Best wishes

Ian