2e Regiment d'Artillerie

[Tomb1302]

Hello everyone,

 

I realize this is a largely english-speaking forum, but, I wanted to know if anyone could inform me of the involvement and action of the '2e Regiment d'Artillerie (a Pied)' during the war.

 

A relative of mine told me that a Paul Dieras -- member of this regiment -- was captured in 1914, and saw out the war as a POW.

 

Where and when could he have been captured?

 

Thank you and Happy New Year

Edited 9 January , 2019 by Tomb1302

[Ron Clifton]

I can't help you with exact locations, I'm afraid, but in 1914 it was at Grenoble in 14e Artillery Brigade, 27e Division, XIV Corps d'Armee, part of the French I Armee on the right wing.

 

27e Division assembled at Lepanges on 9 August 1914 and immediately attacked the passes in the Vosges: the Col du Bonhomme and the Col du Sainte-Marie. After heavy fighting on the 13th and 16th, the division moved via the Saales to Schirmeck, fought at Salm and Vauquernous, and took up defensive positions on the Col de Praye and the Col de Han. The division came down from the mountains on 24 August and moved to the Meurthe, to redeploy for the battle of Mortagne. During the battle it fought at Raon-l'Etape and St Blaine-la-Roche and then moved back to the Meurthe to engage the Germans at Etival, St Remy, Nampatelize, Bourgonce, La Salle and Croix-Idoux. On 11 September it was involved in a two-day attack on Senones and Raon-l'Etape after which it was withdrawn and moved to Picardy.

 

As part of Second Army, it became involved in heavy fighting at Maucourt [24 September], Chaulnes, Lihons, and Vermandovillers in order to secure the Santerre and the approaches to Amiens. After the front stabilised it occupied a sector between Maucourt and Herleville where it counter-attacked on 17-20 December. The division remained in this area until 8 August 1915.

 

Source: Pour la France, by Michael Cox and Graham Watson.

 

Ron

 

 

 

 

Edited 9 January , 2019 by Ron Clifton

[sotonmate]

T1302

 

There is a POW record card in the International Red Cross index for a soldier of this name.

The card shows that he was "3me d'Artillerie a pied" and fought at Maubeuge where he was captured and was at MINDEN POW camp. His card ref is PF14183 and he is shown as "Marechal des Logis Res at Fort de Douzies sous Maubeuge. Disparu reddition de Maubeuge"

https://grandguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/3683089/6/2/

Edited 9 January , 2019 by sotonmate
added ICRC ref

[Ron Clifton]

Thanks Sotonmate.

 

Well, that was a waste of typing on my part! My post referred to 2e Regiment d;'Artillerie de Campagne. The same source says that 2e RAP was disbanded in May 1914 in order to form 3e Regiment d'Artillerie Lourde de Campagne, which ties in neatly with your post.

 

Ron

[Tomb1302]

6 minutes ago, sotonmate said:

T1302

 

There is a POW record card in the International Red Cross index for a soldier of this name.

The card shows that he was "3me d'Artillerie a pied" and fought at Maubeuge where he was captured and was at MINDEN POW camp. His card ref is PF14183 and he is shown as "Marechal des Logis Res at Fort de Douzies sous Maubeuge. Disparu reddition de Maubeuge"

https://grandguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/3683089/6/2/

Soton,

 

His records seem to indicate he was in the 2e regiment, but, I can't say I'm nearly experienced enough to doubt there were any changes or misunderstandings on my end.

 

Unfortunately, your link isn't working! Did it emphasize some of the information you were conveying?

1 minute ago, Ron Clifton said:

Thanks Sotonmate.

 

Well, that was a waste of typing on my part! My post referred to 2e Regiment d;'Artillerie de Campagne. The same source says that 2e RAP was disbanded in May 1914 in order to form 3e Regiment d'Artillerie Lourde de Campagne, which ties in neatly with your post.

 

Ron

Ron,

I'm sorry, I don't quite understand. What exactly happened to the regiment?

[Tomb1302]

The Siege of Maubeuse seems to be a very likely location for capture, as 32,000 French were taken there.

 

Would there be a list of the captured regiments and/or soldiers for that particular battle?

[Martin Bennitt]

You would probably get more information from one of the French forums like http://www.1914-1918.fr/

or pages14-18.mesdiscussions.net

 

Cheers Martin B

 

 

 

[Tomb1302]

2 minutes ago, Martin Bennitt said:

You would probably get more information from one of the French forums like http://www.1914-1918.fr/

or pages14-18.mesdiscussions.net

 

Cheers Martin B

 

 

 

Martin,

 

I'm familiar with the forum (thank you!), and am a member. Despite being French, my time in the States has shifted English to my first and most comfortable language, and thus, I try my luck here before there. Thank you.

[sotonmate]

T1302

 

Sorry about the link,it is accurately added as seen. You could try to find it by logging on to

https://grandguerre.icrc.org

and selecting the French and Belgian section.

There are some more refs there which I couldn't find a search pattern for, but you have the best of the info from PF14183.

Note: that doesn't seem to work either ! You could try just typing grandguerre. That works !!

Edited 9 January , 2019 by sotonmate

[Tomb1302]

3 minutes ago, sotonmate said:

T1302

 

Sorry about the link,it is accurately added as seen. You could try to find it by logging on to

https://grandguerre.icrc.org

and selecting the French and Belgian section.

There are some more refs there which I couldn't find a search pattern for, but you have the best of the info from PF14183.

Note: that doesn't seem to work either ! You could try just typing grandguerre.icrc.

Soton,

 

Funny thing, I have tried this source before. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find a Paul Dieras. Am I doing something wrong, or just stupid haha?

Edited 9 January , 2019 by Tomb1302

[sotonmate]

I found that when I entered his name the wrong alpha section came up. You need to check earlier sections for the search with DIEs being hidden from the title !!

[Tomb1302]

1 minute ago, sotonmate said:

I found that when I entered his name the wrong alpha section came up. You need to check earlier sections for the search with DIEs being hidden from the title !!

I'm sorry, what do you mean?

[sotonmate]

There are alpha lists on the left side of the search pages of the ICRC site. After you have entered his name you need to scroll down to the section DEVILERS,C - DONZEL and find a page headed DIEPPEDALE(74). Part way into that list you will find 2 cards for this soldier.

[Tomb1302]

23 minutes ago, sotonmate said:

There are alpha lists on the left side of the search pages of the ICRC site. After you have entered his name you need to scroll down to the section DEVILERS,C - DONZEL and find a page headed DIEPPEDALE(74). Part way into that list you will find 2 cards for this soldier.

Oh my goodnes, you found him! - I don't know if you can read French, but it mentions the 3e Regiment d'Artillerie (you seemed to say that's the regiment he was a part of), and mentions a family name [Massart].

 

Edit: An earlier post of yours suggests you understood the content of the card; My apologies.

 

Thanks a million soton!

Edited 9 January , 2019 by Tomb1302

[Tomb1302]

This confirms he was captured during the Siege of Maubeuge. Wow.

Edited 9 January , 2019 by Tomb1302

[sotonmate]

Your question about other captures around the time of your 32000 will have lists of names and units in the same place and you may be able to find them but I suspect it will take much work as I doubt they are all in the same place. It might be a start to find which POW camps took French prisioners in 1914 and work from there in finding possible ledger lists in grandguerre website.

For interest MINDEN had a capacity for 18000 POWs. I have read that there were many Non-Commissioned Officers of several nationalities housed there. Your man's title of Marechal seems to be the equivalent of a Corporal or Sergeant who in the Artillery would have been in charge of a gun and crew, though his other phrase of "des logis" puts him in the field of accommodation.

Edited 10 January , 2019 by sotonmate

[Tomb1302]

3 hours ago, sotonmate said:

Your question about other captures around the time of your 32000 will have lists of names and units in the same place and you may be able to find them but I suspect it will take much work as I doubt they are all in the same place. It might be a start to find which POW camps took French prisioners in 1914 and work from there in finding possible ledger lists in grandguerre website.

For interest MINDEN had a capacity for 18000 POWs. I have read that there were many Non-Commissioned Officers of several nationalities housed there. Your man's title of Marechal seems to be the equivalent of a Corporal or Sergeant who in the Artillery would have been in charge of a gun and crew, though his other phrase of "des logis" puts him in the field of accommodation.

Soton,

 

It does seem as though 'Marechal des Logis' would have been in charge of anywhere from 6 - 20 men, something I hadn't yet thought of.

 

Thank you Soton, I will continue my research from there!

[Ron Clifton]

Marechal des logis was, and is, the equivalent of sergeant in the French cavalry and other mounted arms.

 

Ron