WW1 French Army M1915 1st Infantry Regiment Montpellier EM Horizon Tunic 1917 For Sale

Very Rare WW1 French Army M1915 1st Infantry Regiment Montpellier EM Horizon Tunic 1917

Maker: Montpellier, Southern France

Year: 1917-1918

Unit: 1st Infantry Regiment with a post-war theatrical company ownership stamp

Third French Republic Army Uniform

At the outbreak of war the French Army retained the colourful traditional uniforms of the nineteenth century for active service wear. These included conspicuous features such as blue coats and red trousers for the infantry and cavalry. The French cuirassiers wore plumed helmets and breastplates almost unchanged from the Napoleonic period. From 1903 on several attempts had been made to introduce a more practical field dress but these had been opposed by conservative opinion both within the army and amongst the public at large. In particular, the red trousers worn by the infantry became a political debating point. Adolphe Messimy who was briefly Minister of War in 1911-1912 stated that "This stupid blind attachment to the most visible of colours will have cruel consequences"; however, in the following year, one of his successors, Eugène Étienne, declared "Abolish red trousers? Never!"

In order to appease traditionalists, a new cloth was devised woven from red, white and blue threads, known as "Tricolour cloth", resulting in a drab purple-brown colour. Unfortunately the red thread could only be produced with a dye made in Germany, so only the blue and white threads were used. The adoption of the blue-grey uniform (known as "horizon-blue" because it was thought to prevent soldiers from standing out against the skyline) had been approved by the French Chamber of Deputies on 10 July 1914 but new issues had not been possible before the outbreak of war a few weeks later.

The very heavy French losses during the Battle of the Frontiers could be attributed in part to the high visibility of the French uniforms, combined with peacetime training which placed emphasis on attacking in massed formations. The shortcomings of the uniforms were quickly realized and during the first quarter of 1915 general distribution of horizon-blue clothing in simplified patterns had been undertaken. The long established infantry practice of wearing greatcoats for field service, buttoned back when on the march, was continued in the trenches. British-style puttees were issued in place of leather gaiters from October 1914.

The first months of the conflict show that 77% of the wounds received by soldiers were head wounds and in 80% of cases these wounds were fatal. To limit these injuries, skull caps were distributed from December 1914 to be placed under the kepi. On 21 February 1915, the War Ministry decided to order steel helmets. In April 1915, Colonel Adrian proposed a helmet made of three pieces of rolled steel 7 mm thick. The helmet was ordered in June 1915 and distributed from September onwards. The French Army was the first to introduce steel helmets for protection against shrapnel, and by December 1915 more than three million "Adrian" helmets had been manufactured.

The horizon-blue uniform and Adrian helmet proved sufficiently practical to be retained unchanged for the remainder of the war, although khaki of a shade described as "mustard" was introduced after December 1914 for the troops of the (North African) 19th Military District serving in France.

The French bonnet de police of the French Revolutionary Wars was reintroduced for undress or fatigue wear in 1891. In 1915 the bonnet de police (or "calot") generally replaced the kepi for other ranks during the remainder of the First World War, because of its greater convenience when the Adrian steel helmet was issued. A black floppy beret, known in soldier slang as a "tarte", given its similarity in appearance, had been worn by the chasseurs alpins (mountain troops) since 1889. From early 1915 to 1916 it was also issued to other units, in the same colour as their tunics, but was not popular, with most men preferring their trusty calot. A similar garment, the General Service Cap, was introduced to the British Army in the Second World War, and similarly fell out of favour.

The 1st Infantry Regiment (French: 1er Régiment d'Infanterie) or 1er RI is an infantry regiment of the French Army, founded in 1479 as one of the oldest regiments in active service in the world. It is an offspring of the bande de Picardie under the Ancien Régime, and one of the five oldest regiments in France. It particularly distinguished itself, as the 1ère Demi-Brigade d'Infanterie de Ligne, during the French Revolutionary Wars at the Battles of Fleurus (1794), Messkirch (1800) and Biberach (1800). The regiment has been patroned by the city of Saint-Amand-Montrond since 12 April 2003.

The order of January 1 , 1791 made the various denominations disappear, and the infantry corps were henceforth only designated by the number of the rank they occupied among themselves. Thus, 101 regiments were renamed and the Colonel-General regiment became the 1st line infantry regiment . The regiments are however widely designated with the term ci-devant , such as 1st Infantry Regiment ci-devant Colonel- General.

1st Infantry Regiment during First World War

On the eve of the war the regiment was still quartered in Cambrai.

Assignment of 1st Infantry Regiment from August 1914 to November 1918

1914

21-23 August 1914: Advance on Charleroi

28-29 August 1914: Retreat on Guise

5-13 September 1914: Engaged in the Battle of the Marne

15-20 September 1914: Engaged as part of the race to the sea and in particular at Soupir then at Hill 108.

1915

9 January 1915: Offensives of Argonne and Champagne, with in particular the capture of Fortin de Beauséjour.

1916

1916: First engaged in the Battle of Verdun : Côte du Poivre then recapture of the forts of Douaumont and Vaux.

24 August 1916 : Engaged in the Battle of the Somme and participated in the capture of Maurepas , then of Combles at the end of September.

1917

16 April 1917: Engaged in the offensive against the Chemin des Dames then in that of Flanders , along the Yser (from July to October).

By order No.46 of the general commander in chief: dated

13 August 1917, the wearing of the fourragère in the colors of the Croix de Guerre 1914-1918 is granted to the 1st infantry Regiment

Battalion citation to the order of the army: the 2nd battalion (General order No.62 on 18 November 1917).

Citation of companies to the order of the army: 5 companies (General order No.91 of the 1st Division on 28 July 1917).

Section citation to the order of the army: 2nd section of the 3rd company (General order No.237 of the 5th Army on 1 June 1917).

1918

1918: Regiment was sent to the Oise and participates in the battle of Noyon (22-29 March 1918) then the Forest of Retz . Then in Champagne on the Ourcq . By the time of 11/11/1918 Armistice, regiment was advancing into Alsace.

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