charlotte cardoen-descamps Posted 24 July , 2003 Share Posted 24 July , 2003 Hello, I wonder whether there is someone who is able to tell me how I can find the grave of a French soldier. I have welcomed 2 French ladies one hour ago, and they are desperately trying to find the grave of one of their grandfathers. They do have the name and regiment of that soldier and the date and place he was killed Is there a site similar to the CWGC for French soldiers??? Their relative was killed in the first battle of Ypres Any help would be most appreciated. Charlotte Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 24 July , 2003 Share Posted 24 July , 2003 The best organisation to contact is Ministère des anciens Combattants et Victimes de Guerre, Délégation à la Mémoire et à l'Information Historique, 37, rue de Bellechasse, 75007 Paris, France I do not know of an online resource. There must be a chance that the soldier is buried at St Charles de Potyze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 24 July , 2003 Share Posted 24 July , 2003 The address is as Chris states - and a typical reply will take 3+ months; there is no on-line resource; France is the only major WW1 combattant nation not to have its war dead on the net, sadly. Again as Chris suggests, St Charles de Potijze is a possibility, but if he was missing or grave later lost, then there will be nothing. It was also possible from French families to claim back a loved one, and bury them in their local cemetery... just to complicate it further! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 24 July , 2003 Share Posted 24 July , 2003 Charlotte, try the site of the 'In Flanders Fields' Museum. They claim to have a database online of all the fallen French soldiers in Flanders... Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Posted 24 July , 2003 Share Posted 24 July , 2003 Hello , here the direct link to flanders fields data base French and memorial web good luck Patrick memorial web Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicolas G. Posted 24 July , 2003 Share Posted 24 July , 2003 Goodnight, I am French and five years ago wanted to locate my step-grandfather grave, result : MIA... The adress is the one I used, in the letter must give all the informations you have about the soldier so things are going faster. I receive the result a couple of weeks after by post and more than it : they phoned at my home and gave me explanations ! It was the local agency of the Anciens Combattants in Bray-sur-Somme. Was it a miracle ? They also wonder why I wrote directly in Paris. When I had to locate the ossuary, I phone to the East section and they explained me things nicely. Sure it's a pity and quiet a shame (and what about my taxes ?) no to have an online database - which is on building as far as I know. But there is a reason few know : in France individual documents can't be display after 100 or 150 years to protect privacy. That may be sometime consider as stupid but it's the law. So when I wanted to acces the little doc. about my step grand father time in the army I had to give copies of official family documents etc. That's all for the French touch - Nicolas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john w. Posted 24 July , 2003 Share Posted 24 July , 2003 May I just add, and totally off thread here.... Disaster at Varlet Farm averted!!! Welcome back to the Forum Charlotte.. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 25 July , 2003 Share Posted 25 July , 2003 Thanks for that explanation Nicholas - does the office in Bray have the complete database, or just a list of those who fell on the Somme? I take your point about the French privacy laws, but I didn't think it applied to the basic details of the war dead... just their service records? Good news if an on-line resource is on its way, but let us hope it won't be 'toujours demain'... ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicolas G. Posted 25 July , 2003 Share Posted 25 July , 2003 Hello Paul (hey, saw you on tv !) I almost sure they only have a database about men who were Somme inhabitants before joining the army (or a larger area don't know if that agency match with the departement). If sb need I may have somewhere ad. & phone. You're right, I presume privacy laws are only about service records not burial place. Some people are searching for soldiers on village memorial this way I believe. For the database, may be it's a "serpent de mer" ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 25 July , 2003 Share Posted 25 July , 2003 Hello Paul (hey, saw you on tv !) Was that France 3? I did a bit of filming with them a few weeks ago; they asked some strange questions! I don't suppose you taped it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicolas G. Posted 25 July , 2003 Share Posted 25 July , 2003 Yes it was France 3 Amiens and was in the news at c. 1930. The report was about Somme battlefields visitors (you : lochnagar crater, quiet quick you just said the Somme was for British like Verdun for the French + shots of tourists, uk schoolgirls, 2 germans bodies found and tle main memorial + historial, other interviews the head of that museum + sb from cwgc). No don't taped it, there is a chance to be again broadcast tomorrow at 1200 or 1900. Try if you receive FR3-Amiens ! Could you tell what were those some strange questions ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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