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Remembered Today:

French Uniform


Romagne1918

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Can anyone enlighten me on this WWI French tunic? Not sure what branch it is or the rank. Buttons are plain leather football type. Thanks

July 5, 2019 075.JPG

July 5, 2019 073.JPG

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Hello!

I think it´s a Corporal from 3rd Inf.Rgt. (from Hyére-Dignes, 58th Brigade, 29th Division, XV. Corps)

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I don't think this is infantry, The blue and green piped collar denotes another branch of the French Army. Perhaps transportation?

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Hello!

Yes, that´s infantry patches on the blue-horizon uniform

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I had a look at Mirouze's book on the French Army and it would appear that green braid on a dark blue collar tab is the Chasseurs a Cheval (cavalry).

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46 minutes ago, Romagne1918 said:

I had a look at Mirouze's book on the French Army and it would appear that green braid on a dark blue collar tab is the Chasseurs a Cheval (cavalry).

 

Yes, I think that you are correct, the enclosed insignia is also for a Chasseurs a Cheval officer.

EF5780A4-5475-4E13-9432-05800934C28D.jpeg

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Just now, FROGSMILE said:

Thank you very much for your message, and the photo.

 

Yes, I think that you are correct, the enclosed insignia is also for a Chasseurs a Cheval officer.

EF5780A4-5475-4E13-9432-05800934C28D.jpeg

 

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8 minutes ago, Romagne1918 said:

 

 

There seem to be a lot of images online of Chasseurs a Cheval in the 1914 uniform with its red collar, but very few in the slightly later Horizon Bleu.

720C45AB-BAC3-47DA-93C8-7344E81C002D.jpeg

6A03BD4C-3D2B-4BDA-9F6B-8615333C70CF.jpeg

0AE412B9-B66A-4816-A88B-D5534EE5F7BB.jpeg

Edited by FROGSMILE
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7 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

There seem to be a lot of images online of Chasseurs a Cheval in the 1914 uniform with its red collar, but very few in the slightly later Horizon Bleu

I have this very faded photo of them.

French.jpg

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A very evocative photo, Jules.  It will be great it a portrait of an individual can be found showing the collar.

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8 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

A very evocative photo, Jules.  It will be great it a portrait of an individual can be found showing the collar.

I wonder if French Troops wore their smarter pre-war uniforms when doing studio portraits.

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9 minutes ago, Jools mckenna said:

I wonder if French Troops wore their smarter pre-war uniforms when doing studio portraits.

 

A good question.  I doubt it, I think that they were most likely seen rather like the British full dress was and probably withdrawn.  The photos available all seem to relate to 1914.

Edited by FROGSMILE
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Beautiful item. Sorry I can't offer much in regards to it, but it's in very nice condition.

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I show the white flag... You´re right. My fault.

Dark blue collars with green soutaches are Chasseurs à cheval.

The 3rd regiment was from Moulins (10th light cavalry brigade, 10th division, XIII. Corps)

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  • 1 year later...
On 11/07/2019 at 00:03, The Prussian said:

I show the white flag... You´re right. My fault.

Dark blue collars with green soutaches are Chasseurs à cheval.

The 3rd regiment was from Moulins (10th light cavalry brigade, 10th division, XIII. Corps)

Many thanks. Do you know where they served in the Great War?

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Doubtless that it's a genuine (and great! :thumbsup: ) tunic of the 1915- 1920s period, but my only concern would be as to whether it has it actually been badged up correctly in regards to the grade?

 

It would appear to me to be a high-quality, privately purchased officer's mle.1915 'new pattern' tunic - complete with officer's collar tabs (not officially authorised for wear by any rank under that of adjudant (warrant officer)) - but is badged to a soldier ranked as low as a brigadier (corporal)... ... NCO's could wear metallic numerals (but a caporal/brigadier isn't actually an NCO) on 'other ranks' tabs and adjudants wore officer's wire woven (or metal) numerals and tabs. I wonder (if the grade insignia actually is contemporary) whether it was utilised as some sort of 'walking out' dress uniform?

 

Edited by OM4619
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Unknown brigadier of the 3e régiment de chasseurs à cheval in a studio portrait circa 1915/16 ...

 

(Note the buttons on his 1st type mle.1914 horizon blue tunic (veste) - pattern originally adopted in December 1914 ... standard silvered half-ball buttons. Collar patches of the pattern adopted in April 1915)

Capture.JPG

 

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  • 2 months later...

Chasseur a cheval without doubt. 

Concerning the rank, i fully agree with OM 4619 :

Considering the  bad state of the jacket , I think you have to check one point

-if the rank stripes are of wool : of duty tunic (private fantaisy ) career brigadier

-if blacked (oxyded) silver stripes : Marechal des logis chef ( professional NCO). 

the second suggestion is more coherent with the hight officer style collar and metalic numeral.

Last point : there is no link, except close color,  between light cavalery uniform ( hussars, chasseurs a cheval,...) adopted before  the begining of 1900 and " bleu horizon" adopted end of 1914.... but for the NCO and CO it gave an opportunity to pursue the use of prewar fantaisy uniforms. 

Best regards,

Gabelou

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