Today on Gus’ Gear I present uniforms of France as well as a Belgian uniform, and one of an American soldier under French command. I am posting this a bit early as we are going to be with out interweb service for a few days and I thought it would be better to post it early rather than late.
When the war began in 1914, the standard French uniform had changed little since the time of Napoleon. This example has an M1884 Kepi, M1877 overcoat and M1867 Madder red trousers. The bright colors made the French soldiers stand out on the battlefield and was an important part of their Élan. The overcoat has buttons of the Légion Étrangére. The flaming bomb insignia on the collars are that of a Gendarme, but these buttons and insignia were on the coat when I acquired it, I have not changed them. The correct Légion Étrangére insignia would be a flaming bomb with the regimental number. The equipment consists of M1888 pouches on an M1845 belt with brass belt buckle, supported with M1892 “Y” straps. An M1877 one liter water bottle is on the right hip and an 1892 haversack on the left hip as well as an 1886 bayonet scabbard in an M1886 leather frog.
This represents a combat engineer, with an M1915 Adrian helmet bearing the helmet and cuirass badge. The M1915 horizon blue overcoat and the collar insignia of the 8th Genie Regiment. The equipment consists of M1916 pouches on an M1903 belt supported with M1892 “Y” straps. An M1877 two liter water bottle is on the right hip and an 1892 haversack on the left hip as well as an 1892 bayonet scabbard in an M1892 leather frog. The gas mask is worn in the ready position and is an M2 mask made of layers of fabric that would be soaked with chemicals to neutralize gas that would be encountered, the haversack for the mask is on the left hip. The breeches are M1914 with black piping for the engineers with wool wrap puttees over M1917 ankle boots..
This represents an automatic rifleman armed with an M1915 Chauchat assault rifle. It was the first selective fire assault rifle designed and fielded and changed the nature of the battlefield. It is chambered for the standard French 8x50mmR cartridges and utilized a 20 round half moon magazine. The magazine could be quickly changed by the gunner’s assistant and is open on the right side so the assistant can observe the number of rounds in the magazine. This weapon has a long recoil system that has the barrel, receiver and bolt all recoil fully back after firing and then the bolt is captured by the sear as the barrel and receiver return to battery when the sear is released, if automatic fire is selected. The weapon fires from an open bolt and because of that it is not particularly accurate, but as an assault rifle it is intended to create heavy fire that will cause the enemy to keep their heads down as the gunner and crew advance. The open sided magazine is cited as a flaw, and it is true that dirt in the magazines would cause stoppages, but there were no standard issue automatic weapons fielded during the Great War that did not have open magazines and dirt in actions was a universal problem. The French Army had extensive training for their gunners and teams and had great success with this weapon. The equipment consists of two (these are reproductions that are well marked to avoid being mistaken for originals, they will be replaced when I can find an original pair) M1916 pouches that hold two magazines each on an M1903 belt supported with M1892 “Y” straps. An M1877 two liter water bottle is on the right hip and an 1892 haversack on the left hip. The gas mask is an ARS 1917 (this example is a post war production and has a rubberized cloth face mask that is still pliable and displays well to show how the mask would be worn) the carrying canister is on the left hip. The helmet is an M1915 Adrian with the flaming bomb insignia of the infantry and the overcoat is an M1915 horizon blue example with the insignia of the 27th Infantry Regiment. The breeches are M1914 with yellow piping of the infantry. The wool wrap puttees are dark blue, which was the color of the Chasseurs.
The French Navy, at the outbreak of WWI was one of the smallest naval forces. Its main role was to service the French colonies. The Colonial Forces often incorporated an anchor in their insignia, to symbolize the importance of the Marine Nationale connecting the colonies to France. This Marine wears a coarse linen fatigue uniform, he has M1888 ammo pouches on an M1845 belt with an unadorned brass belt buckle supported by M1892 “Y” straps and has an M1886 bayonet scabbard on the left hip. These garments all bear markings of issue during the 1920s but are the same design as those worn during the war. His cap bears the tally of the Hussard, one of seven Spahi-Class Destroyers built for the French Navy before the war. It was launched in 1908 and removed from service in 1922.
The 369th Infantry Regiment of the 93rd Division of the United States Army consisted of American Negro Soldiers that were placed under French command in 1918. They wore the uniforms of the United States Army but were issued French equipment and weapons to make re-supply easier. The equipment consists of M1916 pouches on an M1903 belt supported with M1892 “Y” straps. An M1877 two liter water bottle is on the right hip and an 1892 haversack on the left hip. The gas mask is an ARS17 and canister for it is on the left hip. An 1886 bayonet scabbard in an M1886 leather frog is also carried on the left hip. The helmet is an M1915 Adrian with the flaming bomb insignia of the infantry. The 369th Regiment was the most decorated, with the most time in active sectors of any American Regiment. They became known as the Harlem Hellfighters and sadly returned home, not as the heroes they were, but to the nation wide apartheid established by the Wilson administration.
Belgium had most of their territory occupied by German forces early in the war. This example represents the late war period. The tunic is American made with the insignia of the Belgian Light Infantry. The helmet is a French M1915 Adrian with the Belgian Lion badge. The equipment is British Mills M1915 back pack and a Gomez ammo belt imported from Argentina. The gas mask is a captured German M1916 leather mask that has been modified to use the French ARS17 filters and is carried in a French made canister. The rifle is a Belgian M1889 Mauser carbine manufactured in Birmingham, England with tooling that was taken from Belgium before it could be captured by the Germans.
And lastly, a photo for Joe. I do not know if Sabine likes chickens or not.