Introduction Thanks to french army archives, it is relatively easy to follow the military history of our soldiers durind World War One (so called «poilus» due to their shaggy aspect); there are 3 types of documents: - first the «registres matricules militaires»: every french citizen is due to serve in the army; this conscription (or «service militaire») was mandatory since the french Revolution in 1789 until 1996, when Jacques Chirac decided to change it into a professional army; so, before 96, at the age of 20 years, we all have to undergo, in a recruiting centre, a medical examination and a knowledge control called «conseil de révision» for our future affectation; at the end of which an information form is established for every «conscrit» ou future soldier: we receive a registration number called «matricule», these forms are updated all along the soldier life (civil for the addresses and, of couse, military) and archived as «registres matricules» at the «département» level. As it is on line nowadays, we get it in one-click, we just have to know the recruiting centre and the «classe» of the soldier (we add 20 to the birth year, for me «classe 69», because I was born in 1949 so 49+20=69! easy isn t it). - All infantry regiments during WWI have published and archived an historic in which military feats were glorify for propaganda. - The JMO (journal des marches et operations): all units engaged in a conflict have to keep a written record of their marchs and operations highlights on a log book. These 3 types of documents allow us to know what our «poilus» have done during this terrible war! Please, see the following chronological trees below to see their kinship in our family. I took only 4 cases, otherwise this chronicle will be too long to read!
Family and W.W. One Some Family Soldiers ( poilus ) 2010 --- 2010 --- 1990 --- 1990 --- 1970 --- 1970 --- Lydie Toussaint (1905-1982 Jeannine Vallut (1923-) Roger Doucet (1926-1988) La Ve République(1958-) La IVe République(1946-1958) Lucien Parron (1879-1959) 1950 --- 1950 --- André Doucet (1902-1978) 1930 --- 1930 --- Vichy Didier Parron (1949-) Catherine Doucet (1951-) André Parron (1905-1976) Henriette Philippe (1910-1996) Henriette Arrault (1860-1944) La Grande Guerre (1914-1918) Charles Vallut (1892-1930) La Troisième République(1870-1940) 1910 --- 1910 --- Edmond (1886-?) 1890 --- 1890 --- Paul Henri Doucet (1883-1928) 1870 --- 1870 --- Louis Eugène Doucet (1858-1936) Second Empire (1852-1870) 1850 --- IIème République(1848-1852) 1850 --- Monarchie de Juillet (1830-1848) 1830 --- 1830 --- La Restauration (1815-1830) Louis Philippe (1881-1936) Antoine Arthaud (1814-1880) Emile Arthaud (1863-?) Emile Aimé Arthaud (1894-1916) Antoine Arthaud (1844-1890) Mélina Arthaud (1879-1958)
example of the Charles Vallut «registre matricule» 1
example of the Charles Vallut «registre matricule» 2
Charles Valut (1892-1930) My wife Catherine did not know her grand-father but she remembered one particular thing, his trench whistle used to trigger the assault from the trench! Unfortunately, it dissapeared somewhere in the schoolyard. Charles worked with his mother Maria and his stepfather Léon Bazin at the mother s butchery in Cravant (Yonne). He went on October 9, 1913 to the Auxerre recruitment centre and was declared medically fit for military service. So he stayed for training in Auxerre and joined the 152 e RI (Infantry Regiment) as a sargeant on April 7, 1916. According to the log book, the regiment is on the front of the Somme preparing the taking of Cléry. From August 26 to September 3, the rain renders trenches impracticable, mud recovers everything: «men prefer attack the enemy and risk their life rather than live in holes, in mud, among dead bodies, under an incessant shelling». The attack of the 3rd of September left 500 dead on the ground. After one month rest, they relieved the 150 e RI which was completely decimated in front of Sailly-Saillisel; the battlefied was covered with heaps of mangled corpses so when it was their turn to attack on the 15th of October, survivals lurked in shell holes during 11 days! The regiment lost 37 officers and 985 men. The regiment was reorganized in Alsace. Charles was transfered to the 360 e RI and sent to the «Chemin des Dames», ouest of Froidmont farm, on the front of Champagne. He was severely wounded on July 13,1917 in the right arm and thigh, causing his incapacity to serve on the front line. He was sent to an administrative unit and left the army on the first April 1919. He married Mathilde Lorin on October 27, 1919 and settled in his mother s butchery in Cravant. But, without doubt, because he inhaled poisonous gas in the trenches, he had difficulties breathing; this lungs suffering led him to suicide the 4th of August 1930.
Charles Valut (1892-1930): front of the Somme 2 1 From L Illustration
Charles Valut (1892-1930): front of Champagne From L Illustration
Charles Valut (1892-1930)
Paul Henri Doucet (1883-1928) Paul Henri is the eldest brother of the Catherine s grand-father; he is mason in Fontaines (Yonne) and he has been married for 6 years. He joined the 82 e RI in Montargis (Loiret) as a corporal. With the 4 e RI it forms the 17 e brigade and with the 18 e brigade they form the 9 e DI (Infantry Division). At a lower scale, a regiment counts 4 batallions of 960 soldiers each, and one batallion comprises 4 companies of 240 men each. Paul joined his regiment the 11th September 1914 on the front of the Marne near Clermont en Argonne; after an important attack, Germans retreated to the Aisne and north of Vauquois. The 82 e RI. launched deadly attacks from 15 to 18th September: Paul was wounded by shrapnels in his left leg. According to the JMO, the regiment had 100 dead, 400 wounded and 200 missing. After a little rest, the 82 e penetrated in the Argonne forest on the first and second October up to the ravine des Meurissons and attacked south of the Vauquois Hill on October 28, 1914. As the front was stabilized, the poilus held the ground in this sector. At the beginning of the First World War, it was a conflict of movement with charges with a madder-red trousers, peaked caps, bayonets and mobile cannons like the very efficient french «canon de 75». From JM Gazagne, éd. De Borée
Paul Henri Doucet (1883-1928)
Paul Henri Doucet (1883-1928) Paul Henri stayed until January 1915 digging trenches and wiring new defence lines: it was the beginning of the war of position. Paul Henri was transferred to the 405 e RI which was in the Neuville Saint Vaast sector (Pas de Calais). The French Army has launched a great offensive against the Germans who kept the Artois hills; they have strengthened Neuville with 4 defence lines and all houses were transformed in blockhaus; the french attack was successful on June 15, 1915 but cost thousands of deads; Paul Henri was wounded for the second time 2 days after when the trench collapsed near La Targette. He was evacuated to the hospital of Vannes in Britany. He returned to the front in Argonne on August 24, 1915 with the 131 e RI until September 1916. From this date to August 18, 1918, he was in an instruction batallion for youngest soldiers, then, with the 344 e RI, he was back to the front of the Marne to reject the enemy outside of France borders; he was wounded for the third time. He was demobilized on March 1st, 1919 ; he was granted 3 medals: the «Croix de Guerre» for one regiment citation, the «Interalliée» for at least 3 month presence at war, and the «commémorative française de la Grande Guerre» for the presence at war from August 2, 1914 to November 11, 1918. Croix de Guerre Médaille Interalliée
Paul Henri Doucet (1883-1928) Assault at Notre Dame de Lorette From L Illustration
Louis Philippe (1881-1936) Louis is my grand father on my mother side; he was hairdresser in Paris and lived in Arcueil-Cachan with his wife Berthe, my grand mother. Before the First World War, Russia did appreciate the french fashion and style, so, Louis was invited in January 1909 to do ladies hair at the court of the Czar Nicolas II in Saint Petersburg. With his spouse Berthe, is stayed until July 1910 and, then, resumed his hairderesser for women job in Paris until his mobilization which occurred on December 12, 1914 at the age of 33 years. He joined the 31 e RI which was fighting in Argonne and has suffered heavy casualties due to the explosion of 10 landmines under our first trench. On February 12, 1915, the 31 e was sent to the Vauquois sector which was famous for its mine warfare! Then, Louis joined the 276 e RI in the Verdun area; many infantry and artillery regiments were preparing the attack on the fort of Douaumont lost in February, the battlefield looked like the lunar surface; finally the fort is taken on October 24, 1916. My grand father wrote to his wife: «we are in a circle of fire and we wont get out of this hell!». The 276e had fought in all Verdun sectors: Vauquois, Avocourt, Hill 304, Louvemont, Douaumont, Haraumont, and many lives were lost! Following a new army organization, Louis was attached to the 12 e RI which was going to the front of Picardie. Louis was wounded at Marest sur Matz on June 12, 1918, hit by a shrapnel in his right shoulder after crossing his helmet. He was sent to the hospital of Paray le Monial until September 1918; he joined the reserve of the 101 e RI in the Aisne; he was demobilized on March 3, 1919 and then, went to home in Arcueil-Cachan.
Louis Philippe (1881-1936) Vauquois at the present time (M. Bernard, éd.perrin)
Louis Philippe (1881-1936)
Louis Philippe (1881-1936) JMO of the 12 e RI (13 th of June 1918) Louis Philippe s «Registre Matricule»
Louis Philippe (1881-1936) Attack of the fort of Douaumont by the RICM (troops from Morocco ) October 24, 1916 (L Illustration)
Louis Philippe (1881-1936) Occupation of an ex-german trench after the taking of the fort of Douaumont on October 24, 1916 (L Illustration)
Louis Philippe (1881-1936)
Emile Aimé Arthaud (1894-1916) Emile Aimé is a cousin of my grand mother Melina; he was born in Saint Julien en Quint (Drôme) where he grew up and became farmer. He was 20 years old at the declaration of war; he joined the 11 e BC (bataillon de chasseurs or Rifle batallion) created to fight in mountainous terrain. Generally, men were small and agile, they wore a large beret. After harsh combats in Belgium, the 11 e moved to the Vosges mountains. On February 18, 1915, it crossed the border with Germany (in 1914 Alsace was german) at the «col de la Schlucht» and the day after, began a very violent battle to take the Braunkopf which was occupied by the 11 e BC in June. Further south, Germans attacked at the Barrenkopf, the Lingekopf and the Harmannswillerkopf (or Vieil Armand): the death toll was huge as it can be seen at the Necropolis presently. The 11 e moved to the front of the Somme on August 12, 1916 in the Maurepas sector; on the 19th August 1916, the liaison officer Emile Aimé was shot dead near Curlu
Emile Aimé Arthaud (1894-1916)
Emile Aimé Arthaud (1894-1916) The taking of the Braunkopf in June 1915 by the 11 e BC ( L Illustration)
Emile Aimé Arthaud (1894-1916) The Hartmannswillerkopf necropolis
Did the First World War propaganda work? «The envy» : the propaganda height L Illustration