French Uniform

[Joe Walsh]

I saw this photo at my grandmother's house. It is of her mother and her uncle and aunts. Her uncle is in uniform.

 

From the uniform can any one tell me anything about him? We don't know anything of what he would have done in the war.

[Waddell]

The numerals on his collars refer to the 247th Infantry regiment and his tunic appears to be that of an officer. Just some observations until someone knowledgeable on French soldiers comes along.

 

Scott

[angelab]

Strangely, the women all seem to be wearing identical clothes to one another.

[Martin Bennitt]

History of the regiment here. Appears to be of Breton origin:

 

http://www.chtimiste.com/batailles1418/divers/historique247.htm

 

The dresses look identical but could for example be different colours. 

 

Might have been run up by someone in the family from the same pattern or by a local dressmaker.

 

Cheers Martin B

[Waddell]

If you have his name you could try for his service records. Not sure how you apply for French records, but that seems like the way to go.

 

Or try here-

 

http://www.culture.fr/eng/grandmemorial/resultats?lastname=FLAMANT&exactLastname=1&firstname=Paul+Auguste+Henri&exactFirstname=1&database[]=yvelines?lastname=FLAMANT&exactLastname=1&firstname=Paul+Auguste+Henri&exactFirstname=1&database[]=yvelines

 

Scott

Edited 3 January , 2019 by Waddell
Added more.

[Keith_history_buff]

Very useful to know! Merci beaucoup!
http://www.culture.fr/eng/Genealogie/Grand-Memorial

Note to self: useful post on the French matricules militaires in each Departement

https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/221116-researching-french-soldiers/

[Joe Walsh]

Thanks to everyone here. With the help given by the links I was able to find a link to his war record.

 

I wonder whether anyone with better French than mine could tell me the essential details?

 

http://recherche.archives.somme.fr/ark:/58483/a011041395001w7M4yQ

Edited 5 January , 2019 by Joe Walsh

[JulianR]

This is what I could understand, but have difficulty with the script.

Dufour, André Léon Alphonse, born 12 avril 1896 at Harbonnières (Somme), classe 1916, matricule n° 416, Bureau de recrutement de Péronne (Recruitment office) profession photographer, son of ? Alphonse Ernest and ? Marie Claire, not wounded but has other medical problems.  I think he went 47, 62 and 72 Regiments of infantry whilst in the Active Army, then whilst in the Reserves went 67, 51, 117 Regts, called up to 47? in April, 1915, POW on 21st May, 1918 on Chemins des Dames, imprisoned at Newhamer repatriated 22nd Jan, 1919, seems to stay in Army in 1919 and is at Calais at some stage.  Various notes about reserve service, In Jan 1940 it appears to say his mobilisation class has been downgraded as he is the father of three children.

 

His service reckons from 11 April, 1915 to 12 June, 1919.  The second page has various addresses for him in 1923 and 1937.  Some of the change of regiments is because he was captured and then in the reserves because he moved.

Cote : 1R1110

• 
   

[Joe Walsh]

Wow thankk you. That is great.

 

I think its POW  27th May - the first day of the 3rd Battle of Aisne. I managed to find his Red Cross record, which has him 62 IR CHR. That is all it states.

 

Any idea what CHR is?

[battle of loos]

Good evening,

 

This picture was taken during the return from captivity.
in view of its military path and the history of the fouragere.
the fouragere has been reintroduced from February 1918.
implemented gradually during summer 1918.

 

very nice family memory.

 

do you know the address of or he was born at Harbonnières?

 

Kind regards

 

michel

[Joe Walsh]

Thanks for the reply Michel.

 

I don't know the address but it was in the countryside near a place called Vauvillieres (if I have spelt it correctly). My grandmother visited it last year, still some family in Amiens.

 

Would you be able to tell me with certainty he was an officer? And are these regiments standard line infantry type?

 

And thank you so much for the information. My grandmother will be delighted to have a context for it.

[Keith_history_buff]

It would appear that although under peacetime rules he would have been liable for compulsory peacetime military service in 1916, owing to <<la patrie en danger>>, this was brought forward a year. He reported to the 49th Infantry Regiment, with effect from 9 April 1915, and was mustered with the regiment as a Soldat de 2ème Classe with effect from 11 April 1915. He was transferred to the 62e Régiment d'Infanterie on 8 December 1915. Although his record notes that he transfers to the reserve on 10 April 1918, there is no change of unit, and he is duly taken prisoner, during the spring offensive, on 21 May 1918. Following his repatriation, he is granted 30 days leave, which is reported to take place at Rue St Leu, Amiens.

What is very peculiar is that there is no reference to the 247e Régiment d'Infanterie, so tying this record to the person in the photo is problematic.

[Joe Walsh]

Its definitely him, Keith. Andre Leon Alphonse Dufour, son of Ulysses Dufour and Claire Senechal, from Harbonnieres.