Rockdoc Posted 18 October , 2012 Share Posted 18 October , 2012 In the AA Diaries I see frequent references to Group Langlois and, in a recent entry, to Group Entrenement. Does anyone know how such groups were organised? Are they the equivalent of a British Corps? Group Langlois seems to have been near the Vardar towards the front lines south of Guevgueli. I haven't worked out where the other one was. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian.sumner Posted 19 October , 2012 Share Posted 19 October , 2012 The Armée Française d'Orient was divided into two groupes de divisions d'infanterie from 1 January 1917. A groupe de divisions d'infanterie was just a number of divisions under a senior commander, without any extra supporting artillery, engineers, etc. But the successive commanders of GDI 1 were Generals Lebouc, Gérôme and d'Anselme; those of GDI 2 were Regnault and Patey. A third GDI was created in 1918 under General de Lobit. I can't find a general named Langlois nor one named Entrenement on the active list during the war. Artillery regiments were divided into groupes of two or three batteries, and were sometimes named after the senior officer. Could your groupes be artillery? Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockdoc Posted 19 October , 2012 Author Share Posted 19 October , 2012 Thanks for this, Ian. The groups could be absolutely anything because their function is never mentioned. They appear as the origin of aircraft-movement reports so the function is immaterial. French infantry divisions making reports are named as such. Group Entrenement has only appeared once so far, in April, 1917. Looking up the meaning on Google, the nearest suggestion is entrainement, training in English, which would sound to a British ear very much like the spelling in the Diary. A training group would make plenty of sense. Similarly, Langlois could easily be L'Anglois - the Englishmen of all things! - or something phonetically similar but you don't get parallel messages from an British unit so it's almost certainly some kind of French formation. The first mention of it is on 5th March, 1917, which might tie in to your reorganisation, perhaps being a result of a review after the upper echelons were changed. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartH Posted 19 October , 2012 Share Posted 19 October , 2012 Have you checked the French Official History online? Only one volume of the Orient campaign is online and two volume of the annexes. From the French site http://pages14-18.mesdiscussions.net/pages1418/forum-pages-histoire/francaises-grande-guerre-sujet_12217_1.htm#t94893 1° volume La campagne d'Orient, jusqu'à l'intervention de la Roumanie (février 1915-août 1916). Annexes, vol. 2. http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6331309t 3° volume La campagne d'Orient, du printemps de 1918 à la fin de la même année (avril 1918-décembre 1918). *Précis (1934), 544 p. http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k62759483 *Annexes, vol. 3. http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k62796845 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockdoc Posted 19 October , 2012 Author Share Posted 19 October , 2012 Unfortunately, the second volume would be the one I'd need. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartH Posted 19 October , 2012 Share Posted 19 October , 2012 Well they are adding them rapidly, I will post here when it becomes available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin spof Posted 19 October , 2012 Admin Share Posted 19 October , 2012 Keith Follow the link from Alain Dubois in post #9 here. The list gets updated with new volumes regularly. Glen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartH Posted 20 October , 2012 Share Posted 20 October , 2012 Alain Dubois link is to French Site that I already posted the link too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockdoc Posted 21 October , 2012 Author Share Posted 21 October , 2012 Thanks for the interest. I'll look forward to that second volume becoming available. Just hope my pidgin French will be up to it! Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartH Posted 28 January , 2013 Share Posted 28 January , 2013 Second one is now available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apwright Posted 11 February , 2013 Share Posted 11 February , 2013 Keith, Just stumbled across a mention of Groupe Langlois in the War Diary of the French Artillery command in an entry dated 6 May 1916 (the day after the Zep was shot down). It was a artillery formation of "long" 155mm guns, located somewhere in the vicinity of Pirnar at the time. The entry reads: Le Général, son Chef d'Etat-Major et un officier adjoint, sont en automobile inspecter les groupes Langlois (155 L.), Jouin (155 C.), Carnoy (120 L.) et les batteries de 100 de Marine du Pirnar. I've had a quick skim through the first 6 months of 1917, but haven't found any other mention of Langlois or of Entrainement. Hope this helps, though!! Adrian Edit: As of 9 May 1917, Groupe Langlois was attached to 122e Division d'Infanterie on the Vardar sector. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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