Garde Republicaine Mobile order of battle in late 1930s?

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Sid Guttridge
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Garde Republicaine Mobile order of battle in late 1930s?

#1

Post by Sid Guttridge » 07 Feb 2019, 13:29

Hi Guys,

I am trying to find a list of the bases or home departments of the mobile platoons (pelotons mobiles) of the paramilitary Garde Republicaine Mobile (GRM) in the second half of the 1930s. There were several hundred of them and they were usually written in the style PM183 (perhaps with the department name in brackets afterwards).

Any advice, links or other help would be gratefully received.

Many thanks in advance,

Sid.

archiveruk
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Re: Garde Republicaine Mobile order of battle in late 1930s?

#2

Post by archiveruk » 08 Feb 2019, 23:56

Do you have an exact date you are interested in?


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Loïc
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Re: Garde Republicaine Mobile order of battle in late 1930s?

#3

Post by Loïc » 09 Feb 2019, 01:51

hello Sid, glad to see you there Lee

the GRM was all but a paramilitary force, a fully military force belonging to the French Army, it is simply the name of our Mobile Gendarmerie between 1926 and 1954

there were 492 platoons (around 3 per company) and the trouble is they suffered several numberings, one introducing letters and a last with the fractional Legion number associated
the 1st company of 9e Légion de GRM had platoons "B1 D4 D5" (post-september 1939) renumbered PM 1/9, 2/9, 3/9 (post-february 1940 numbering system)
there was a platoon "K18" in Vitré and "M7" with 512 and 514 in Narbonne

the cas of Dept. of Moselle
http://garde.rep.mobile.57.free.fr/implantation.html
http://garde.rep.mobile.57.free.fr/repargrm39.htm

e.g. taken from the list of Gendarmerie companies recognized fighting units

4e Légion de GRM.
3e compagnie de Bruyères (puis 3e compagnie de la 20e GRM) :
PM 85, puis 5/20.
PM 87, puis 6/20.
PM 89, puis 7/20.

12e compagnie de Sarreguemines (puis 7e compagnie de la 20e GRM) :
PM 555, puis 18/20.
PM 557, puis 19/20.

8e compagnie de Strasbourg (puis 6e compagnie de la 20e GRM) :
PM 30, puis 14/20.
PM 35, puis 15/20.
PM 37, puis 16/20.
PM 552, puis 17/20.

6e Légion de GRM.
2e compagnie de Condé-sur-Escaut (puis 6e compagnie de la 1re GRM) :
PM 27, puis 17/1.
PM 159, puis 18/1.
PM 231, puis 19/1.

8e compagnie d'Abbeville (puis 7e compagnie de la 1re GRM) :
PM 201, puis 20/1.
PM 203, puis 21/1.
PM 205, puis 6/1 (3e compagnie de la 1re GRM).


10e compagnie de Stenay (puis 11e compagnie de la 1re GRM) :
PM 214, puis 31/1.
PM 216, puis 32/1.
PM 218, puis 33/1.

11e compagnie de Mézières-Charleville (puis 8e compagnie de la 1re GRM) :
PM 233, puis 22/1.
PM 235, puis 23/1.
PM 269, puis 24/1.

12e compagnie de Vouziers (puis 9e compagnie de la 1re GRM) :
PM 257, puis 25/1.
PM 259, puis 26/1.
PM 261, puis 27/1.

13e compagnie de Hirson (puis 10e compagnie de la 1re GRM) :
PM 295, puis 28/1.
PM 297, puis 29/1.
PM 299, puis 30/1

7e Légion de GRM.
1re compagnie de Thionville (puis 12e compagnie de la 1re GRM) :
PM 501, puis 34/1.
PM 503, puis 35/1.
PM 505, puis 36/1.

11e compagnie de Briey (puis 13e compagnie de la 1re GRM) :
PM 525, puis 37/1.
PM 527, puis 38/1.
PM 529, puis 39/1.
PM 531, puis 40/1.

2e compagnie de Bouzonville (puis 2e compagnie de la 4e GRM) :
PM 509, puis 9/4.
PM 515, puis 7/4.
PM 517, puis 8/4.

3e compagnie de Longeville-les-Saint-Avold (puis 14e compagnie de la 1re GRM) :
PM 519, puis 41/1.
PM 521, puis 42/1.
PM 523, puis 43/1.
8e légion de Gray.


5e compagnie de la 20e GRM :
PM 237, puis 11/20.
PM 239, puis 12/20.

4e compagnie de Dole (puis 9e compagnie de la 20e GRM) :
PM 211, puis 23/20.
PM 213, puis 24/20.
PM 215, puis 25/20.

Altkirch PM 350, puis 32/20.
Beaume-les-Dames PM 548, puis 13/20.

6e compagnie de Héricourt (puis 10e compagnie de la 20e GRM) :
PM 73, puis 26/20.
PM 227, puis 27/20.
PM 229, puis 28/20

7e compagnie de Neuf-Brisach (puis 11e compagnie de la 20e GRM) :
PM 228, puis 29/20.
PM 230, puis 30/20.
PM 264, puis 31/20.

10e compagnie de Troyes (puis 4e compagnie de la 20e GRM) :
PM 151, puis 8/20.
PM 153, puis 9/20.
PM 155, puis 10/20.

Sid Guttridge
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Re: Garde Republicaine Mobile order of battle in late 1930s?

#4

Post by Sid Guttridge » 09 Feb 2019, 13:19

Hi ArchiverUK and Loic,

I am actually trying to find which platoons of the GRM were rotated through Andorra over September 1936 to November 1940.

There were apparently usually three platoons, rotated in the autumn and spring, which presumably means some 24 were used in total.

I have a few of their numbers from 1937-38 and they appear to have come from as far away as northern France. None seem to have been horsed.

I was hoping to use a complete list of the GRM, such as the one Loic linked to for the Moselle GRM, to deduce more about them.

Anything else you have would be gratefully received.

Many thanks,

Sid.

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Loïc
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Re: Garde Republicaine Mobile order of battle in late 1930s?

#5

Post by Loïc » 09 Feb 2019, 17:23

hello

which platoons you have already identified?

Colonel René Baulard 27th june 1938
the Platoon 546 from Bellegarde entered in the Valleys last 15th april will be replaced by the Platoon 252 from Baccarat next 29th
the units maintining order in Andorra will be the Platoons 248 250 252 294 all from Baccarat under Captain Barès

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Re: Garde Republicaine Mobile order of battle in late 1930s?

#6

Post by Sid Guttridge » 11 Feb 2019, 08:02

Hi Loic,

Yes, those are some of the platoons I have.

The same source on different pages gives some others, which I will post next time.

There seems to be no account available in print on the GRM in Andorra over 1936-40, presumably because the German invasion focused attention elsewhere. However, Baulard did publish an account of his shorter, earlier presence in 1933.

Cheers,

Sid.

Sid Guttridge
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Re: Garde Republicaine Mobile order of battle in late 1930s?

#7

Post by Sid Guttridge » 11 Feb 2019, 14:27

Hi Loic,

What I think I have is as follows:

September 1936 - Spring(?) 1937 = PM182 and one other unidentified PM
Spring 1937 – Autumn 1937 = Unknown.
Autumn 1937 - Spring 1938 = PM176 (Mirande), PM178 (Mirande), PM538 (Castres).
Spring 1938 - Autumn 1938 = [“PM48-62”?], PM68 (all Baccarat?).
Autumn 1938 – Spring 1939 = PM171 (?), PM172 (?), PM174 (Cholet).
April 1938 (– July 1938?) = PM546 (Bellegarde) [as an extra fourth platoon] .
Spring 1938 – Autumn 1938 = PM248, PM250, PM252, PM294 (all Baccarat?).
Autumn 1938 – Spring 1939 = Unknown
Spring 1939 - Autumn 1939 = Unknown.
Autumn 1939 – Spring 1940 = Unknown.
Spring 1940 – Aurumn 1940 = Unknown.

I think two platoons were used on entry in 1936, plus some gendarmes and small army medical and motor workshop sections.

I think that from Spring 1937 (or possibly earlier) to April 1938 three GRM platoons were present.

During the summer of 1938 (and possibly the winter of 38-39 as well) four platoons may have been used.

After that I have no information.

The length of the winter garrison depended on when the snows in the Pyrenees melted enough for the road over the mountains to be used.

Anything additional would be much appreciated.

Cheers,

Sid

archiveruk
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Re: Garde Republicaine Mobile order of battle in late 1930s?

#8

Post by archiveruk » 12 Feb 2019, 23:59

Hello Sid,

I do not have any data on GRM units based in Andorra.

I do have the following on the GRM pelotons deployed to the border region and to guard Spanish refugees at the camps.

There was a relief of pelotons on 4 May 1939:

Camp de Barcarès - PM 274, PM 276 & PM 278 (Wittesheim), PM 75 & PM 77 (Beaune), PM 9 (Angouleme) & PM 246 (Niort) by PM 561, PM 563 & PM 565 (Mirande), PM 589 (Marmande), PM 13 (Le Havre) & PM 31 (Rouen)
Camp d'Argelès - PM 20, PM 25 & PM 554 (Périgueux) & PM 151 & PM 153 (Troyes) by PM 208 (Le Puy), PM 4 & PM 64 (Montbrison), PM 194 (Lyon) & PM 21 (Chaumont)
Camp de St-Cyprien - PM 40 (Limoges), PM 242 & PM 244 (Niort) by PM 42 & PM 46 (Ancencis) & PM 272 (Brest)
Perpignan - PM 56 (Limoges) & PM 165 (Parthenay) by PM 179 (Cherbourg) & PM 287 (St-Servan)

There was a relief of the pelotons on 12 May 1939:

Camp d'Argelès - PM 271 (Mamers), PM 33 (Alencon) & PM 169 (Pontivy) by PM 186, PM 188 & PM 190 (La-Roche-sur-Yon)
Camp de Barcarès - PM 39 (Chaumont), PM 48 & PM 68 (Baccarat) & PM 62 (Rambervillers) by PM 198, PM 200 & PM 202 (Bellac) & PM 532 (Chateauroux)
Camp de St-Cyprien - PM 414, PM 416 & PM 418 (Vaulx-en-Velin)
Camp de Bram - PM 250 & PM 252 (Baccarat), PM 207 (Pontivy) & PM 267 (Moulins) by PM 26 (Blois), PM 260 (Pithiviers), PM 538 (Castres) & PM 263 (Moulins)
Perpignan - PM 150 & PM 152 (Bernay), PM 284 (Besancon) & PM 420 (Vaulx-en-Velin) by PM 344, PM346 & PM 348 (Chauny) & PM 258 (Vendome)
Arles-sur-Tech - PM 93 (Remiremont) by PM 10 (St-Nazaire)
Port-Vendres - PM 256 (Besancon) by PM 214 (Stenay)

There was a relief of the pelotons on 19 May 1939:

Camp de Barcarès - PM 61, PM 63 & PM 285 (Lucon) by PM 237, PM 239 & PM 241 (Gray)
Camp d'Argelès - PM 155 (Toyes) & PM 161 (Moulins) by PM 181 (Lyon) & PM 410 (Saint-Amand Montrond)
Camp d'Adge - PM 5, PM 209 & PM 283 (Nantes) by PM 211 & PM 213 (Dole) & PM 536 (Adge)
Camp de Bram - PM 14 (Reims) bu PM 526 (Montargis)
Beziers - PM 79 (Beaune) by PM 514 (Narbonne)
Perpignan - PM 47 & PM 49 (Moulins) by PM 173 & PM 175 (Bourgoin)
Bourg-Madame - PM 248 (Baccarat) by PM 168 (St-Brieuc)
Latour de Carol - PM 295 (Baccarat) by PM 524 (St-Brieuc)


Lee

Sid Guttridge
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Re: Garde Republicaine Mobile order of battle in late 1930s?

#9

Post by Sid Guttridge » 13 Feb 2019, 08:19

Hi ArchiverUK,

Thanks.

I hadn't realized there was a much larger deployment of the GRM to the Spanish border.

All your dates are for after the fall of the Spanish Republic. Do you know if GRM deployments to the Spanish border began earlier, over 1936-38?

I notice that the lists include some GRM platoons that had previously been employed in Andorra.

Many thanks,

Sid.

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Loïc
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Re:

#10

Post by Loïc » 13 Feb 2019, 21:49

Hello

there was also a detachment from the 28th (Signals) Engineer Regiment (Montpellier), they appear in the right of the picture the 11th november 1936 and the following catalan-speaking website
No només nom, sinó també data exacta: va ser l’11 de novembre del 1936. Feia un mes i mig que els gardes mobiles del coronel Baulard –tres companyies: en total, 140 homes, més un destacament del 28è d’enginyers i una unitat sanitària
https://www.bondia.ad/cultura/vigneaux- ... de-la-182a

Image

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Re: Garde Republicaine Mobile order of battle in late 1930s?

#11

Post by Sid Guttridge » 14 Feb 2019, 19:08

Hi Loic,

Yes, and there was a section of 17º Genie to maintain vehicles. Do you know where this unit was based?

Do you know if there is a history of the GRM? I haven't found one for sale online yet.

Cheers,

Sid.

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Re: Garde Republicaine Mobile order of battle in late 1930s?

#12

Post by Loïc » 14 Feb 2019, 19:46

hello Sid

the 17e Génie c.1936? Bizarre, bizarre the regiment didn't exist at this time, disbanded since 1928, and was a Pontonnier and river ferries unit for the crossing of the Rhine between Strasbourg and Germany

the history of GRM is usually mixed with its arm, the Gendarmerie except when the GRM was separated from it between 1941 and 1944 and renamed only the Guard

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Re: Garde Republicaine Mobile order of battle in late 1930s?

#13

Post by Sid Guttridge » 14 Feb 2019, 20:25

Hi Loic,

Sorry, I think I should have posted 17º Train.

I am still looking for an order of battle down to platoon level for the GRM in the late 1930s. Have you any ideas where I might find one?

Many thanks,

Sid.

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