The French Army Thread

[Tomb1302]

Michael, these are all stunning. I must say that over the short course of 7 months, almost everything I've learnt about the French during the war I owe to photographs and postcards, receiving and documenting my own growing collection.

 

The photographs you've shown are beautifully detailed, and I hope to find some like them in the future, feel free to share more!

 

[charlie962]

 

I believe this to be taken 1917/18 and showing a man of the 7eme Regt d'Infanterie Coloniale.

The buttons are convex with a large grenade.

 

Does that look right and why the anchor on the lapels and on the kepi  ?

 

 

Thanks, Charlie

 

 

Edit- I think wiki answers my question and I believe the phot was taken in Bordeaux. Anyway I post it for the nice clear lapel badges!

 

Edited 12 November , 2019 by charlie962

[Sly]

Yes, this man was in the 7eme Regiment d'Infanterie coloniale. One of the Ruellan brothers (André Ruellan, killed on 26 May 1915) was in this regiment. The Ruellan was a family of eighteen children: ten brothers went to war and two sisters served in hospitals. Six of the Ruellan brothers were killed during the war, and two others died later from their wounds.

 

Sly

[Tomb1302]

2 minutes ago, Sly said:

Yes, this man was in the 7eme Regiment d'Infanterie coloniale. One of the Ruellan brothers (André Ruellan, killed on 26 May 1915) was in this regiment. The Ruellan was a family of eighteen children: ten brothers went to war and two sisters served in hospitals. Six of the Ruellan brothers were killed during the war, and two others died later from their wounds.

 

Sly

Sly, do you have a source of this remarkable story?

[Sly]

There are some publications about them, it was a family from Saint-Malo and it is known to be the "most affected" French family in the Great War.

 

https://www.editions-cristel.com/produit/les-dix-freres-ruellan-heros-et-martyrs-1914-1918/

 

There's a plaque on the house where they lived with the names of the six brothers:

 

https://www.parismatch.com/Actu/Societe/La-famille-Ruellan-entre-dans-l-Histoire-579619

 

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frères_Ruellan

 

 

 

[Tomb1302]

1 minute ago, Sly said:

There are some publications about them, it was a family from Saint-Malo and it is known to be the "most affected" French family in the Great War.

 

https://www.editions-cristel.com/produit/les-dix-freres-ruellan-heros-et-martyrs-1914-1918/

 

There's a plaque on the house where they lived with the names of the six brothers:

 

https://www.parismatch.com/Actu/Societe/La-famille-Ruellan-entre-dans-l-Histoire-579619

 

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frères_Ruellan

 

 

 

My goodness, Saint-Malo is my hometown. What a story.

[charlie962]

André Ruellan was actually killed on 16/5/15. I think this was probably due to the Germans exploding three mines.

 

There were attacks and counter attacks on the 15th and 16th.

 

Regimental history is here on BNFGallica

 

edit- I see the ParisMatch article actually says " Le 16 mai 1915, il charge à la tête de sa section. Une balle en plein front. "

 

Edited 12 November , 2019 by charlie962

[Tomb1302]

A terrible fate. Thanks for the link Charlie, I'll read more into it.

[charlie962]

Another mention of Ruellan at the back of the history: (courtesy BNF)

 

 

Charlie

[Fattyowls]

Merci Sly et Charlie.

 

Pete.

[charlie962]

I've tried to translate the ParisMatch article with the help of Deepl and a bit of tweeking. It needs to be read more widely.

 

 From Saint-Malo, seven brothers give their lives for their country and become the heroes of France

 

A dark silhouette runs along the granite wall that borders the street already plunged into darkness. In this wealthy district of Paramé, we can still hear the muffled whisper of the tide. No other noise. The shadowy figure checks that his black armband is in place, then hits the heavy oak door. A nurse, who has kept her white outfit on, opens the door and recognizes the visitor when he whispers: "Your brother Bernard died in the performance of his duty. Be brave. "

 

Madeleine Ruellan is 22 years old. She has been a volunteer nurse since her brothers were trapped in the trenches that devour the families of France. Seven brothers. On February 15, 1915, it was the first visit by the parish priest. Usually, it is the mayor who takes care of the sinister task, but the Ruellans are fervent Catholics, the mayor has delegated... Madeleine will open the door four times for the priest. Then, it is the postman that will bring her the letters lined with black. Bernard was 26 years old and had established himself as a breeder in Philippeville, Algeria. As soon as the war was declared on August 1, he took the boat to the metropolis and joined the 3rd Zouave Regiment. On February 12, 1915, a bullet hit him in the heart. He now rests, like 'the sleeper in the valley'. Madeleine will keep his last letter all her life: "I sacrifice my life by asking God to take me in preference to my married brothers. »

 

Three months later, the priest returns. For André, 29 years old. A farmer in Montevideo, he could have just sold meat to the armies. He takes the first liner to Bordeaux. On May 16, 1915, he took over as head of his section. A bullet to the forehead. At the beginning of the Battle of Verdun - which would take 137,000 Frenchmen - Henri, the 23-year-old gunner, was buried alive on 17 February 1916 in his casemate in the forest of Hesse. He was the closest to Madeleine, only a year apart. Louis also, the fourth, had survived all the first great battles until that evening in November 1916. This time, the priest said nothing when Madeleine opened the door: she saw a ghost. The priest couldn't say a word. She knows the formula by heart: death in the performance of her duty. Louis and his wife, Marguerite Denoix de Saint- Marc, have five children. Captain Louis Ruellan will never take their sixth child in his arms. The killing left six more children orphaned.
A MONTH BEFORE THE ARMISTICE, IT WAS JULIUS, WHO BECAME A PRIEST, WHO FELL AT THE HEAD OF HIS COMPANY

For a while, Madeleine thinks she's done with the carnage. It was she, despite her young age, who became the pivot of the family after the parents' death. She married, settled in the pretty seaside resort of Saint-Cast, 40 kilometres west of Paramé, and passed not happy days but calmer times. Seemingly. But she has a new appointment with death, that of Jean-Berchmans, the alpine hunter who fights near Ypres, because the mountain people protect the low plains. On 31 May 1918, when the fighting seemed to be turning in favour of the Allies, his company came under machine-gun fire. John ordered his men to take cover, then stood up to spot the deadly nest. He dies standing up, shot in the head.

 

A few days before the armistice, another funeral message. Jules, whom everyone calls Julius, was a military chaplain, but after giving so many absolutions and blessing so many coffins, he decided to fight in the front line in a Chasseur Alpin battalion, like Jean.On 1 October 1918, he attacked at the head of the 1st Company of the 23rd Battalion, while the Germans were retreating everywhere. Victory is near. He will not know "La Marseillaise" from the Armistice. A bullet deprived him of his dream. The seventh Ruellan brother will take twelve years to die from the atrocious consequences of a mustard gas bombardment. As for the six previous deaths, Madeleine pins the red ribbon of the Legion of Honour on her uniform, in front of the last of the Ruellans.

 

Madeleine then decided to record the history. She brings together the survivors. They confide in each other, telling the incredible story of this family's destiny. It is to us that she finally addresses herself, because her notebooks were found in a cupboard buried in an attic... in 2011! The Archives of Saint-Malo have collected this exceptional testimony. "Heroes and martyrs", as Marc Jean's book* says, that's right. But these brothers show us above all that hope lives...whilst there are such men.

 

 « Les dix frères Ruellan. Héros et martyrs, 1914-1918 », de Marc Jean, éd. Cristel.

Edited 13 November , 2019 by charlie962

[Sly]

 

The plaque on the house where they lived, in Saint-Malo (Paramé). The house still exists, it's a library.

And some information about the six brothers killed:

 

Jean Berckmans Ruellan, born on 21/08/1880

In 1914 he was a brigadier (sergeant) in a cavalry unit (29ème Dragons), at his own request he was transferred in the infantry after the death of his brothers. Awarded the Legion d’Honneur (chevalier) and the Croix de Guerre. Lieutenant in the 22ème Bataillon de chasseurs alpins, he was killed in Dickebush (Belgium) on 31 May 1918.

Buried in Poperinge, Lijssenthoek cemetery, plot (French) 33, Row 4, grave 20.

 

Jules Marie Ruellan, (nick name « l’abbé Julius »), born on 5 January 1874

Captain in the 93ème Regiment d’Infanterie. Wounded at Sainte-Marie-à-Py (Marne), died from his wounds on 1st October 1918. Age 44. Buried at Sainte-Menehould French cemetery, grave 5245, next to his brothers Henri and André.

 

Louis Alexandre Ruellan, born on 13 August 1878

Captain in the 308ème Regiment d’Infanterie, killed in action at Ablaincourt (Somme) on 22 November 1916. No known grave ?

 

André Marie Ruellan, born on 13 October 1885

Sergeant in the 7ème Regiment d’Infanterie Coloniale, killed on 16/5/15 at Ville sur Tourbe (Marne). As Charlie mentioned this was probably due to the Germans exploding underground mines. Buried at Sainte-Menehould French cemetery, grave 5246, next to his brothers Jules Marie and Henri.

 

Bernard Joseph Ruellan, born on 16 March 1888.

Adjudant-chef in the 3rd Regiment de Zouaves, killed in action at Frévent (Pas-de-Calais) on 17 February 1915. Buried at Frevent cemetery (military plot), row 1, grave 9.

 

Henri Marie Ruellan, born on 17 October 1892

Brigadier (Sergeant) in the 7ème Regiment d’artillerie. Killed in action near Vauquois (Meuse) on 27 February 1916. Buried at Sainte-Menehould French cemetery, grave 5247, next to his brothers Jules Marie and André.

 

Sly

 

 

[charlie962]

Sly,

I didn't thank you for those various links in post 205 ! The poster that was put up in all French schools in 1938 was remarkable. As you said, very well known in France but I suspect unknown in Britain ?

 

Charlie

[Marilyne]

Thanks for these stories!!

I'll make sure to visit at least one of the Ruellan Brothers next time I'm in Lijssenthoek!!

 

M.

[Fattyowls]

31 minutes ago, Marilyne said:

I'll make sure to visit at least one of the Ruellan Brothers next time I'm in Lijssenthoek!!

 

Me too, although I think you will be there before me.......

 

Just a question for the francophones - in the Wilkipedia entry on the brothers it states that  Xavier died in 1930 as a result of gas exposure and Auguste died in 1938 - the entry uses the phrase " est réformé en 1917". Can you translate the sense of réformé please? Merci.

 

Pete.

[Sly]

Pete,

I think the closest translation would be "he was discharged in 1917"; that could be for medical reason, injury, disease, shell shock...

To be clear you are "réformé" if the army thinks that you are not able to serve, whatever the reason is.

Sly

Edited 14 November , 2019 by Sly

[Fattyowls]

9 minutes ago, Sly said:

Pete,

I think the closest translation would be "he was discharged in 1917"; that could be for medical reason, injury, disease, shell shock...

To be clear you are "réformé" if the army thinks that you are not able to serve, whatever the reason is.

Sly

 

Merci Sly; chaque jour est un jour d'école.......

 

Pete.

[charlie962]

44 minutes ago, Fattyowls said:

the entry uses the phrase " est réformé en 1917". Can you translate the sense of réformé please? Merci

When my sheep are reformé its the abattoir !

[Jools mckenna]

One of the photos I bought at Verdun

[charlie962]

Quite a variety of dress, Jools.

 

Here is photo of a man of the 54th RI who was wounded (multiple fracture left radius) on 23/6/16 at Damloup (Verdun of course) aged 22. He was invalided and trf'd to the Reserve in 1917.  I presume photo was taken whilst recovering back home.

 

Can anyone tell me please what uniform he is wearing ? Why are the numerals 54 only on his right collar ?

 

Thanks, Charlie

Edited 15 November , 2019 by charlie962

[Tomb1302]

On 12/11/2019 at 13:07, charlie962 said:

 

I believe this to be taken 1917/18 and showing a man of the 7eme Regt d'Infanterie Coloniale.

The buttons are convex with a large grenade.

 

Does that look right and why the anchor on the lapels and on the kepi  ?

 

 

Thanks, Charlie

 

 

Edit- I think wiki answers my question and I believe the phot was taken in Bordeaux. Anyway I post it for the nice clear lapel badges!

 

Charlie, I am curious. What do the anchors mean?

 

Here they are again:

Edited 16 November , 2019 by Tomb1302

[charlie962]

I presumed the anchor denotes the Regiment's original title of Infanterie de Marine.

 

Charlie

Edited 16 November , 2019 by charlie962

[Tomb1302]

1 minute ago, charlie962 said:

I presumed the anchor denotes the Regimants original title of Infanterie de Marine.

 

Charlie

This was my guess as well. Shame my photo doesn't display a regimental number.

[Keith_history_buff]

These make for a good primer:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troupes_coloniales

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troupes_de_marine

When you see photos of men of a Régiment d'Infanterie Coloniale in photos, you can usually see the anchor on the plate of their Adrian helmet.
 

[battle of loos]

good evening,

 

there is 2 button find in artois :

 

Régiment d'Infanterie Coloniale du Maroc (152ème Division d'Infanterie - 9ème Corps d'Armée)

Loos area (double crassiers) from October to December 1915 :

 

 

Régiment de Spahis (for "sous officier")

find near the 

Tranchées de Meknes Cemetery is a military cemetery in Aix-Noulette, located on Angres' No. 1, carbonnière site. It has an area of 1,894 square s.

This cemetery is so named after the Moroccan Expeditionary Force (and the city of Mekinez). (131 graves). The cemetery was opened by French troops in May 1915, and then used by British units from February 1916. It was successively named after pioneer point, Mechanics Trench and Corons d'Aix. There are also the tombs of 171 French and 2 Germans.

 

https://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/62402/Tranchee de Mecknes Cemetery, Aix-Noulette

 

 

regards

 

michel