French Uniforms and Equipment

[Fritz]

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The 1915 forage cap or "bonnet de police", usually not piped, this example has a dark blue piping associated with infantry, etc. With the piping and being of slightly finer quality, would have been for a junior officer or senior n.c.o. The cap is unlined, apart from a fine brown leather sweatband. Earlier examples had a white cotton lining.

Vareuse type 1915, horizon blue. Missing are the collar patches with the regimental number. This is probably a late war issue, as it has survived in reasonable condition.

Col droit, upstanding collar, general issue. Traces of insignia can be seen. Buttons were of pewter instead of previous brass. The collar has a black liner and some small round metal buttons for attaching a white collar liner if required. The collar patches were in matching horizon blue with dark blue applied numbers, at each outer edge was a double soutâche in thin dark blue braid.

Plain straight pocket flats without button. A repair had to be done to the side of the pocket, as it was torn. The cuffs seem to have been altered at some stage.

On the left rear is a small buttoned loop for supporting the belt

Rear view, 2 side pleats as always.

Liner of rough white cotton, staining. Various issue stamps and a property stamp of Traonouez, a major French film requisites company

Various issue stamps

Regimental stamp of 101e Régiment de Ligne

More issue or manufacturer stamps and a leather reinforcement for the belt loop

Soldiers of the 101e Régiment de Ligne, 1915

Photos, Musée de l'Armée, Paris

Some articles of equipment, 1893/14 type belt with bayonet frog, Y-straps and one of 3 cartridge pouches, 2 of which were worn front and one central rear, these hooked onto the wire attachments on the Y-straps. This was still standard in 1939/40, although new 2-pocket pouches were introduced. Two-prong brass buckle on belt, fittings were also made of iron as from 1915.
Ceinturon
Bretelles
Cartouchière / boîte à cartouche
Baionette Lebel Berthier avec fourreau
Gusset de Baionette

Standard M.1915 Adrien helmet with badge for Génie / Engineers. Original liner, coloured cloth edging missing, original chinstrap has been replaced by a two-piece strap, half remaining. The colour was changed from horizon blue to khaki around 1935, this has a greygreen overpaint for WW2, the horizon blue still visible in places.

 

A charger clip for 8mm Lebel-Berthier cartridges.

Lebel M.1886/93 8mm and Lebel-Berthier 1915 8mm (ex archive photo of my collection)

Centre: Berthier carbine 1916 for cavalry, artillery, etc. (ex archive photo of my collection)

Some items previously owned included this artillery steel helmet, a képi for a capitaine, 14e Régiment d' Hussards and 2 WW1 French bayonets (ex archive photo of my collection)

 

[Fritz]

Cartouchière Mod.1916, faint date 1938

[Fritz]

Musette -  sac à pain, could be WW1 or WW2
This is in fact, the 1892 pattern

[Fritz]

Insigne du col régimentaire, 172 e Régiment de Ligne, grand tenue

Boutons, vareuse 1914, 1939