Historical

  • French Army Research and Historicals
  • General French Army
  • French Army Manuals
  • Weaponry and Equipment
  • General Great War History
  • Maps
  • Places
  • Discussion Forums
  • Image Galleries
  • Literature
  • Miscellaneous


    French Army Campaign History and Unit Historicals

    Armées françaises dans la Grande Guerre
    The Official French Army History of the Great War:
    http://www.memoiredeshommes.sga.defense.gouv.fr

    Chtimiste
    French site dedicated to the French army of the Great War, including battle histories, regimental battle histories, photographs and soldiers journals:
    http://www.chtimiste.com/

    JMOs
    Marching and Operations Journals (JMO) of French formations (from army down to regiment), operated by the French Ministry of Defense:
    Large formations:
    http://www.memoiredeshommes.sga.defense.gouv.fr
    Small formations:
    http://www.memoiredeshommes.sga.defense.gouv.fr

    Regiment-to-Division Short Historicals
    French site where one can search for historicals of French divisions by regiment, division, place-name or battle:
    http://champagne1418.pagesperso-orange.fr/Recherche/Page Parcours.htm

    Regimental Historicals
    French site that with links to historicals of many regiments/battalions in the French army during the Great War:
    http://jeanluc.dron.free.fr/th/historiques.htm

    Regimental Historicals
    French site that features the historicals of many regiments/battalions in the French army during the Great War:
    http://www.ancestramil.fr

    Unit Historicals
    Brief History of the 42 DI at the Battle of Pierrepont, 22 August 1914:
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6528817g

    Unit Historicals
    Historical of the 151 RI prior to 1900:
    https://archive.org/details/historiqueduerg00schmgoog



    French Soldier Research

    Death Certificates
    Memoire des Hommes site where one can search for the death certificate of a French soldier who died in the Great War by name, place or unit (not a comprehensive listing):
    http://www.memoiredeshommes.sga.defense.gouv.fr

    Graves/Memorials
    Site operated by the French Ministry of Defense where one can search for the grave location of French soldiers who died in the Great War (including a search by unit):
    http://www.memorial-genweb.org

    Graves/Memorials
    Site operated by the French Ministry of Defense where one can search for the grave location of every (identified) French soldier who died in the Great War:
    http://www.memoiredeshommes.sga.defense.gouv.fr

    Graves/Memorials
    Site where one can search the war dead memorials and national cemeteries for the soldiers memorialized or interred at that location:
    http://www.memorialgenweb.org

    Serial No. (Matricule) Databases by Department
    Site where one can search the war dead memorials and national cemeteries for the soldiers memorialized or interred at that location:
    https://en.geneanet.org/explore/french-ancestors/post/4-online-departmental-archives/

    Legion of Honor Rolls
    Digital archive of the "Illustration" War Honors Table, featuring portrait photos of soldiers who received honorable mentions and a brief description of the merit:
    http://pvsamplersla6.immanens.com/fr/pvPage2.asp?skin=illus&puc=005973&pa=1&nu=19153001

    Site of the French Cultural Ministry with a database of all recipients Legion of Honor:
    http://www.culture.gouv.fr

    Legion of Honor Rolls
    French site featuring a table of every French soldier or officer who was cited in the orders of the army or the Legion of Honor, and those who received the Military Medal:
    http://jeanluc.dron.free.fr/th/THindex.htm

    POWs Database
    Database of POWs from the major belligerent nations in the Great War:
    http://grandeguerre.icrc.org



    General French Army

    French site dedicated to the French army of the Great War, including battle histories, regimental battle histories, photographs and soldiers journals:
    http://www.chtimiste.com/

    French site dedicated to the Séré de Rivières fortress system with diagrams of all forts:
    http://www.fortiffsere.fr

    French Army Order of Battle in 1914:
    http://home.comcast.net/~markconrad/FR1914.html

    French site where one can search for all units on a corps, division, brigade or regiment level based off a number of parameters, including geographic:
    http://www.memoiredelagrandeguerre.com/

    French site listing of all large formations, especially order of battle of divisions, taken from the official history of the French army, 1914-1918. Also see the abbreviations listing:
    http://toaw.free.fr/afgg

    French site about the French army at the Battle of Verdun:
    http://orkide.club.fr/index.htm

    French site on French army losses, by period, region, class, etc.:
    http://vestiges.1914.1918.free.fr/Pertes.htm

    French site with a breakdown of the French Army Corps by division, brigade, regiment and region:
    http://iabem.free.fr/meet.html

    French site about tirailleurs, zouaves and colonials:
    http://vinny03.club.fr/1418.htm

    French site on the French military postal system, including the different types of postal stamps:
    http://www.cpfm1418.eu

    Excellent French site on the history of the 167 RI:
    http://167e.regiment.free.fr

    Website of the 151st R.I. Military Veterans Association:
    http://anciens-du-151-rancourt-verdun.perso.sfr.fr

    Historicals of the 9th Engineers Regiment, 6/3 and 6/53 Companies (assigned to the same division as the 151 RI):
    Historical of 9 Genie, 6/3 Cie. and Historical of 9 Genie, 6/53 Cie.



    French Army Manuals

    Infantry Manual for the Usage of NCOs and Officer-Candidates, Corporals and Lance-Corporals (1915 ed.):
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6518139c/f7.planchecontact.r=

    Infantry NCO Book: for the Usage of Corporals, Lance-Corporals, NCOs of Infantry and Engineers (1915 ed.):
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6514973x/f11.planchecontact.r=

    Manual of the Infantry Platoon Leader (1916 ed.):
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6556175q/f5.planchecontact.r=

    Manual of the Infantry Platoon Leader (1918 ed.):
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6556416w/f5.planchecontact.r=

    Infantry In One Volume: Military Instruction Manual for the Usage of Corporal-Candidates, NCOs, Reserve Officer-Candidates to Saint-Maixent or Saint-Cyr Schools (1915 ed.):
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k65673164/f1.planchecontact.r=

    Quarter-Master Guide, 1916-1917: for the Usage of Officers of All Arms and Services:
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6516897m/f5.planchecontact.r=

    Instruction on Field Works for the Usage of Troops of All Arms (December 1915):
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6529160c/f5.planchecontact.r=

    Field Works Manual for the Infantry Officer, (by Lieutenant C.L. Gatin):
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6526499b/f5.planchecontact.r=

    Provisional Instructions On the Automatic-Rifle M1915 CSRG (Chauchat):
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6550550d/f7.planchecontact

    Manual of Military Kitchens in the Field and on Maneuvers (May 1915 ed.):
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k64133591/f5.planchecontact.r=

    Manual of Military Kitchens in Garrison (October 1916 ed.):
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k62353945/f5.planchecontact.r=

    Bulletin on Mobile Field Bakeries (1910):
    https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k62353767

    Bulletin on Food at War-Time, including bakeries and bread (1914):
    https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6237012w/f1.double.r=

    Manual of Military Instruction: for the Usage of Lance-Corporals, NCOs, Officer-Candidates (1915 ed.):
    https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6237012w

    Instruction on Infantry (Rifle) Fire (31 August 1915):
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6564593p/f5.planchecontact.r=

    Conduct for the Instruction of the Skirmisher and Small Groups of Skirmishers (1916):
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6550542v/f1.planchecontact.r=

    Instruction on Offensive Combat of Small Units (1916):
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6550810x/f1.planchecontact

    Instruction on Offensive Combat of Small Units (1918):
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6551906p/f3.planchecontact

    Physical Training for the Combatant (1 September 1918):
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6545214s/f7.planchecontact.r=

    Provisional Instruction on the Model 1915 Automatic-Rifle (C.S.R.G.) (1 February 1916):
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6550550d/f5.planchecontact.r=

    Provisional Instruction on the Model 1915 Automatic-Rifle (C.S.R.G.) and its Assembly (11 Sept. 1916):
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6550538z/f1.planchecontact.r=

    Provisional Instruction on the Model 1915 Automatic-Rifle (C.S.R.G.) and its Assembly - Supplement (1917):
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6550539c/f3.planchecontact.r=

    Instruction on M1892 Musketoons, and M1890 and M1892/16 Carbines (27 March 1918):
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6551889m/f1.planchecontact.r=

    Instruction on the Nomenclature, Use, Disassembly and Training for the 7.65 mm Automatic Pistol (20 Jan. 1916):
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6552341c/f1.planchecontact.r=.langEN

    Instruction on Combat with the Grenade (7 April 1916):
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6550508t/f1.planchecontact.r=

    General Headquarters Regulations on Instruction (15 July 1916):
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6150327h/f1.planchecontact.r=

    General Headquarters Regulations on Instruction of Offensive Combat of Large Formations (26 January 1916):
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6545322p/f3.planchecontact.r=.langEN

    General Headquarters Regulations on Instruction of Offensive Combat of Small Formations (8 January 1916):
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6550810x/f1.planchecontact.r=

    Administration and Accounting of Troop Formations (1917 ed.):
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6235202k.r=

    Practical Instruction For the Signalers Service (1887 ed.):
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k61052955.r=

    Clothing and Camping: Verification of Materials and Articles (1912 ed.):
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6422697q/f3.planchecontact.r=


    Weaponry and Equipment

    French site featuring extensive uniform pages:
    http://www.lesfrancaisaverdun-1916.fr

    French site featuring detailed information, with many photos, on all French army fire-arms:
    http://armesfrancaises.free.fr/sommaire.html

    Site featuring photos, diagrams and basic descriptions of French grenades:
    http://members.lycos.nl/lexpev/hobbies0.html

    Another site featuring diagrams and basic descriptions of French grenades:
    http://militaria14-18.pagesperso-orange.fr/p3.htm#aasen

    French site featuring, among other things, information on the medals rewarded to French soldiers and civilians:
    http://www.memoiredelagrandeguerre.com/

    French site featuring information on the medals rewarded in the French army:
    http://medaille.decoration.free.fr/France/P_Medaille/Fourragere.htm

    Site about the Lebel 8 mm bullet (translation available on site):
    http://www.8lebel.org/

    French site about the Adrian helmet:
    http://salg71.free.fr/page2.html

    Another French site about the Adrian helmet:
    http://www.world-war-helmets.com

    French site covering all of the machine guns of the Great War:
    http://www.mitrailleuse.fr

    French site about the artillery canons of the Great War:
    http://87dit.canalblog.com

    French site about the artillery canons of the Great War:
    http://www.passioncompassion1418.com

    French sites with information on artillery shells used in the Great War:
    http://canonspgmww1guns.canalblog.com

    French site about the 75 mm canon:
    http://canonde75.free.fr

    French site featuring info on the tanks and armored cars of the French army:
    http://www.chars-francais.net/des-origines-a-1930.htm

    French site about the war of gas -- types of gas used, masks, etc.:
    http://www.guerredesgaz.fr/

    French site on the issued Instruction Handkerchiefs prodcued in the late 19th century:
    https://www.lecarredartiste.com/magazine/mouchoir-militaire


    General Great War History

    Comprehensive site on multiple facets of the Great War:
    www.worldwar1.com

    Site containing multiple articles on different facets of the Great War:
    http://www.greatwardifferent.com/Great_War/Copy_index.htm

    A nice French site on multiple facets of the Great War (Note: particularly check out the "Documents" section):
    http://www.grande-guerre.org

    The Western Front Association -- a UK organization dedicated to the study and to the memory of the Great War (Note: check out the "Map Room"): http://www.westernfront.co.uk/

    French site about POWs during the war:
    http://prisonniers-de-guerre-1914-1918.chez-alice.fr/

    Site dedicated to the memory of the Great War, focusing on recovered battlefield debris. Notable also is the grenade description section: http://www.passioncompassion1418.com

    French site that has, among other things, a listing of many smaller French villages and the nearest large town or city in relation to it. Also see the list of French military abbreviations:
    http://cecile_meunier.club.fr/divers.htm


    Maps

    A site featuring a clickable map of the Champagne front in 1915: http://perso.orange.fr/champagne1418/icone/gcarte.htm

    USMA site featuring operational maps of the Western Front from 1914-1918: http://www.westpoint.edu/history/SitePages/Our Atlases.aspx

    A maps site featuring, among other types of maps of France, military ordnance maps: http://www.geoportail.gouv.fr

    Site in English where you can search for maps of towns, cities, departments, and regions of France:
    http://www.map-france.com

    Digital topographical map of France operated by the Institut Geographique Nationale:
    http://tab.geoportail.fr


    Discussion Forums

    Pages 14-18 -- An excellent French forum on all things Great War, with particular attention paid to the French army:
    http://pages14-18.mesdiscussions.net

    Histoirémilitaria14-18 -- Another excellent French forum on all things Great War, with particular attention paid to the French army:
    https://lagrandeguerre.1fr1.net


    Places

    French site solely on the Battle of Verdun:
    http://www.xs4all.nl/~verdun/

    An English site solely on the Battle of Verdun:
    http://www.war1418.com/battleverdun/

    French site on the butte of Vauquois, in the Argonne:
    http://www.webmatters.net/france/ww1_vauquois.htm

    "The Friends of Vauquois" organization which maintains the site:
    http://perso.wanadoo.fr/vauquois.guerre.14.18

    French site dedicated to the town of Bétheny, France in the Great War:
    http://betheny1418.free.fr

    French site about the caverns and mines excavated by the armies during the war:
    http://souterrains.vestiges.free.fr


    Image Galleries

    Vallois Collection of place locations in the Great War:
    https://argonnaute.parisnanterre.fr/search/home
    https://argonnaute.parisnanterre.fr/search?query="albums valois"&search-query=1&adv[0][type]=_all&adv[0][value][0]=&view=list

    A wonderful gallery of stereotypes from the Great War:
    http://grandeguerre3d.blogspot.com

    A fantastic gallery of original Great War artwork of the French army (on homepage page, click on 'Chercher'):
    http://www.dessins1418.fr

    Another gallery of original Great War artwork of the French army:
    http://www.greatwardifferent.com/Great_War/index.htm

    Artwork of Alphonse Robine:
    https://transcribathon.com/en/documents/id-10265/item-119112

    An excellent gallery of Great War photographs of the French army:
    http://bac.d.free.fr/guerre_14_18/

    A gallery of color photographs from the Great War:
    http://www.tournassoud.org/photo/militaire.php

    Another gallery of color photographs from the Great War:
    http://www.crdp-strasbourg.fr/alsaGuerre/HR_1917/index.php

    A great gallery of French sepia photographs from the Great War:
    http://perso.orange.fr/kah/encadres.htm

    Multiple galleries of photographs of the French army from ECPAD's archives:
    https://imagesdefense.gouv.fr/fr/nos-collections/chronologie/premiere-guerre-mondiale.html

    An exhibition of war photographs taken by Captain F. Hurley (AIF):
    http://acms.sl.nsw.gov.au


    Literature

    (In English)

    A huge listing of links to war-time literature (letters, diaries, manuals) of all nationalities (in various languages):
    http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi

    University of Pennsylvania online books listing of French first-hand narratives (both in French and English):
    http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu

    Online Library of French soldier testimonies of the Great War (Témoignages de 1914-1918):
    http://www.crid1418.org

    Gallica's online listing and repository of French army trench newspapers:
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/html/und/histoire/journaux-de-tranchees

    Online repository of the French periodical "L'Illustration":
    https://hetarchief.be/en/zoeken/illustration

    Gallica repository of the French periodical "Le Miroir":
    https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb34419118b/date.item

    Link to La Baionette trench paper on Gallica:
    http://gallica.bnf.fr

    An online listing and repository of French army trench newspapers and units they correspond to:
    http://www.bdic.fr/journaux_tranchees_titres.html

    A digital scan of Roger Campana's "Les Enfants de la Grande Revanche" -- his memoirs of his service with the 151 RI in 1915-16:
    http://digital.wlb-stuttgart.de/sammlungen/sammlungsliste/werksansicht/?id=6&no_cache=1&tx_dlf[id]=4836&tx_dlf[page]=1

    A digital version of Raymond Jubert's "Verdun: mars -avril - mai 1916" -- his memoirs of his service with the 151 RI in 1916 at Verdun:
    https://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/Verdun_(mars-mai_1916)

    Vive le France by American war correspondent E. Alexander Powell (1916):
    http://archive.org/details/vivelafrance00powe

    Under the German Shells by Emmanuel Bourcier (1918) :
    http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/000447094

    My .75: Reminiscences of a Gunner of a 75mm battery in 1914 by Paul Lintier (1917)
    http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/000486402

    Neath Verdun: August-October 1914 by Maurice Genevoix (1916)
    http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/006065160

    Covered with Mud and Glory by Georges Lafond (1918)
    http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009568059

    Territoriaux de France ("French Territorials") by Francisque Vial (1918)
    https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112052742423

    Vie des Martyres: 1914-1916 ("Life of Martyrs") by Georges Duhamel (1919)
    https://archive.org/details/viedesmartyrs19100duhauoft

    Diary of a French Army Chaplain (1915), diary of Félix Klein:
    http://www.archive.org/download/diaryoffrencharm00klei/diaryoffrencharm00klei.pdf

    Journal of Herbert Ward, an Enlishman who served in the British Ambulance Committee in the French army:
    http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/memoir/MrPoilu/Ward1.htm

    Narrative of Henry Sheahan, an American who served in the American Ambulance Corps in the French army:
    http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/memoir/Sheahan/Sheahan1.htm

    The letters of the American poet, Alan Seeger, who fought in the French army with Foreign Legion:
    http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/memoir/Seeger/Alan1.htm

    A translation of Henri Barbusse's, Under Fire: The Story of a Squad:
    http://www.ibiblio.org/eldritch/wwone/underfire.html#toc

    (In French)

    Gallica's online collection of digitized Trench Newspapers written and edited by the troops themselves:
    http://gallica.bnf.fr/html/presse-et-revues/feuilles-de-linfanterie

    Website of Joseph Lesage, soldier, artist, and trench newspaper editor of Le Mouchoir:
    http://josephlesage.com

    Dictionary of French Soldier Slang (L'Argot des Poilus) published in 1918:
    http://archive.org/details/largotdespoilusd00dcuoft

    Journal Charles Bordinat, a soldier in the 151st RI:
    http://www.chtimiste.com/carnets/Bordinat/Bordinat.htm

    Journal and narrative of Joseph Sourdaine, a soldier in the 94th RI which was in the same division (42nd) as the 151st RI and has repeated references to it:
    http://sourdaine.org/03JS_ap.htm

    Journal of Sgt. Bernier Clovis of the 94th RI, which was in the same division (42nd) as the 151st RI and has repeated references to it:
    http://www.chtimiste.com/carnets/bernier.htm

    French site on the 99th RI, which includes multiple journals and letters of the soldiers:
    http://perso.orange.fr/neuf-neuf

    Journal of a Volunteer Solider (not conscripted), who became a Chauchat gunner:
    http://www.muad.com

    Online copy of Mon Régiment : dans la Fournaise de Verdun et dans la Bataille de la Somme by Paul Dubrulle:
    http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.$b743642
    https://archive.org/details/monrgimentdansla00dubr

    "Froc et Epée": Narrative of the French Chaplain R.P. Joseph Raymond:
    http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/memoir/Raymond/froc1.htm

    Narrative of the artillerist, Georges Grousilleau in PDF:
    http://ludovicfournier.free.fr/download/14-18.pdf

    Narrative of Pierre Hammes who was a telephonist in the artillery:
    http://genhames.free.fr/carnet.htm

    A glossary of poilu slang:
    http://dtriaudmuchart.free.fr/vocabulaire_poilu.htm

    Narrative of Pierre Hammes who was a telephonist in the artillery:
    http://genhames.free.fr/carnet.htm

    Michelin Guide of Soissons:
    https://www.bibliotheques-clermontmetropole.eu/overnia//media-dam/CLERCO/grandegu/PDF/Apres_guerre_185714_I_26.pdf


    Miscellaneous

    Article on historic flash lights:
    https://www.reconstit.fr/2018/12/01/les-lampes-de-poche-en-reconstitution-historique

    Listing of Great War period songs, including lyrics and MP3s:
    http://dutempsdescerisesauxfeuillesmortes.net

    Online language dictionary:
    http://www.wordreference.com

    Dictionary of French phrases:
    http://www.linguee.fr

    Online language dictionary, which provides the phonetical pronunciation of words:
    http://www.ultralingua.com/onlinedictionary

    Another on-line language dictionary, which includes rarer entries often found in poilu slang:
    http://www.languefrancaise.net

    Site to perform French verb conjugation:
    http://machaut.uchicago.edu/conjugator