Which French Colonial troops have been autumn 1914 in France

[Tanzania]

Which French Colonial troops have been autumn 1914 in France?

Any idea which French units with Moroccans where in France at this time?
I am searching about Moroccan POW´s in autumn 1914 in France.
Many thanks in advance

Regards Holger Kotthaus

[Loïc]

hello

in autumn 1914 there were 3 regiments in France, Moroccan troops didn't belong stricto sensu to the Colonial Troops in the French Army

first because the men coming from the 3 North Africans territories were not considered as "colonial troops" and especially Moroccans because Morocco was only a French (and Spanish) Protectorate, so always a State, half-independant, controled by an other power (two here) but keeping its own chief-of-State, the Sultan and own armed forces, not like a colony

for that reason, as Morocco was not in war against Germany, the Moroccans sent to France were organized in an Infantry Brigade of 2 "Indigenous Chasseurs" Regiments (they received the name of "Moroccan Tirailleurs" after december 1914)

there was also a third mounted regiment with the same official semantic precaution the Régiment de marche de Chasseurs Indigènes à cheval (named after 1914 "Moroccan Spahis")



Regards
Loïc

[Tanzania]

Dear Loïc,

Many thanks for your quick and exact response. This will really help. I try to explain the background of my question in a short way.

Autumn 1914 among other, the following ten Moroccan soldiers: Saíd Muhammad, Hamajir Hamid, Muhammad Salim, `Umar`Ali,
`Abd el-Rahman Muhammad, Da´ad Dahman, `Umar Hassan, Laqder Bikassim, Muhammad `Abd al-Salam and Hasan `Ali, came
into German capture and were brought together with other Muslim Prisoners, to the POW `Halbmondlager´ Zossen near Potsdam.

As sample; another POW-camp in Thueringen:

Source:
http://www.lzt-thueringen.de/index.php? ... _004_2.jpg


The Turk Mehmet Âkif Ersoy, indirect member the Turkish Secret- and Guerilla-organization `Teşkilat-i Mahsusa´ visited
in November 1914 this (or another secret?) camp and convinced, the above mentioned soldiers `to switch the parties´.

Together with the Algerian Said El Baraka Hajj `Abd al-Quadir, close relative of the famous freedom fighter Haddschi Abd el-Kader,
the Moroccans were members of a secret-mission lead by the German explorer Leo Frobenius to Sudan and Ethiopia in Spring 1915.


One photo of this secret-mission exist with two of the above mentioned Moroccans soldiers (standing) and
two of the German Agents Friedrich Salomon Hall and Mario Passarge, end of April 1915 in Italian-Eritrea.

Source:
http://www.addis-abeba.diplo.de/content ... pl_bez.pdf


This is the background; I try to find more details about these 10 Moroccan Soldiers and their story. Encore, Merci beaucoup.
(Any other additional information is welcomed.)

Regards Holger Kotthaus

[tyskaorden]

There was the Corps d'Armee des Troupes Coloniales (Army Corps of the Colonial Troops) in 1915 split in to 1er and 2e Corps d'Armée Colonial.

In August 1914 it was organised in to two Divisions:

2e Division d'Infanterie Coloniale (2e DIC, 2nd Colonial Infantry Division) Commander General Paul Leblois.
Consisting of 4e Brigade d'Infanterie Coloniale (4th Colonial Infantry Brigade) with 4e and 8th Régiment d'Infanterie Coloniale (RIC = Colonial Infantry Regiment) and the 6e Brigade d'Infanterie Coloniale with 22e and 24e RIC.

9-13 August the Division concentrated at Vaubecourt. 13-22 August offensive operations direction Neufchâteau (Belgium), Jubécourt, Montfaucon, Stenay et Chauvency-le-Château. 22-24 August Battle of the Frontiers Rossignol, Termes, Frénois, Jamoigne, Valansart, Izel and Pin. 24 August - 6 September retreat to Meuse.

3e DIC Commander Brigadier-General Léon Raffenel KIA on 22 August 1914.
1er Brigade d'Infanterie Coloniale with 1er and 2e RIC.
3e Brigade d'Infanterie Coloniale with 3e and 7e RIC.
5e Brigade d'Infanterie Coloniale with 21e and 23e RIC.

The Division concentrated at Bar-le-Duc 9-11 August. During 11-22 August offensive operation direction Neufchâteau (Belgium), Rampont, Dun-sur-Meuse, Stenay, Chauvency-le-Château and Thonne-la-Long. 22-24 Battle of the Ardennes - Rossignol and Forest of Saint Vincent. 24 august - 6 Septemeber Retreat to Meuse.

The Artillerie de Corps (Corps Artillery) under Colonel Lenfant consisted of the 3e Regiment d'Artillerie Coloniale (RAC, Colonial Artillery Regiment). during august 1914 engaged in the Battles of the Frontiers.

NB These units mainly consisted of Frenchmen enlisted for services in the Colonies.

[Loïc]

hello
they were more than mainly Frenchmen, 100% Frenchmen, these troops were not raised for the colonies but for the defence of the metropolitan territory

This Army Corps was only the former Marine Infantry and Artillery regiments in garrison in metropolitan France under the Naval Dept/Ministry of Navy, when it was decided to give them to the War Ministry in 1901 they were renamed "Colonial Infantry and Artillery" instead of "Marine Infantry and Artillery"

the Colonial Corps was one of the metropolitan 21 Army Corps but didn't have a specific territorial district, having 3 Divisions, 1st in Paris and Lyon both military govts and first major cities of the country, 2nd in the Mediterranean sector, 3rd in the Atlantic coast

Regards
Loïc

[tyskaorden]

Well Loïc you are rigth about the Corps but there was Colonial Infantry and Artillery Regiments also stationed in the Colonies.

9e RIC was in Tonkin (Northern Vietnam).
10e RIC in Annam (Middle Vietnam).
11e RIC was in Saigon.
16e RIC not exactly in the Colonies but in China at Tien Tsin, Shanghai, Pékin and Tong Kou.

4e RAC (Regiment d'Artillerie Coloniale = Colonial Artillery Regiment) in Tonkin.
5e RAC in Chochinchine (Southern Vietnam).
6e RAC in West Africa at Dakar and Kati.
7e RAC in Madagascar.

And various Battalions and lesser units in Morocco, Madagascar, Reunion, Senegal, Antilles, Guyane and the Pacific (New Calledonia and Tahiti).

[Loïc]

Yes of course, there were some regiments more in the Colonies but they were disbanded before 1914, all these units like the others were also mainly Frenchmen, not indigenous, like the 12 Reserve regiments raised in august 1914
first mixed regiments were raised in Morocco (European/black Africans)

Regards
Loïc

[tyskaorden]

Well there where som Regiments disbanded before 1914 but those posted in my previous post where active in 1914.

12e RIC to 15e RIC where all disbanded in 1903, 17e RIC in 1908 and 18e RIC in 1902.

As for the Mixted Regiment these where known by several titles 1re to 6e Regiment mixte d'Infanterie Coloniale (RMIC), 1e-3e Regiment de Marche Coloniaux and 1re-3e Regiment de Marche Sénégalais or 1re-6e Regiment d'Infanterie Coloniale du Maroc or 1re-4e Regiment Mixte de Infanterie Coloniale de l'Afrique Occidental Française and 1re and 2e Regiment de Tirailleurs Sénegalais du Maroc. Do you know why they had so many designations?