@hildreth_roger @sommecourt @Brynley_H @PeterHart1915 A thread on the Battle of the Frontiers, 22/08/14, also a Saturday, un samedi sanglant.

A series of 15 linked battles, 10 in Belgium, 5 in France between the French 4th and 3rd Armies and German 4th and 5th Armies

The recent books by Simon House and Jean-Claude Delhez in particular, cover the details well so I’ll just pick out a few individuals who were there: a chasseur d’Afrique; a captain in the 23e RIC and a simple soldat

Firstly.Gabriel Feunette was a wayward lad and his father, a former brigadier maréchal-ferrant in the18e Chasseurs à cheval thought a military career would sought him out. Born in Lorraine, he enlisted in the local 8e Dragons, based in Luneville, in Feb 1913

Being the local garrison, it didn’t curtail his behaviour too much so his father pulled a few strings and in Feb 1914 got him a transfer to the elite 3e Chasseurs d’Afrique, garrisoned at Constantine and Setif in N Africa

This did the trick, from his letters home it is clear he really enjoyed the more disciplined life and camaraderie with the chasseurs…..but 6 months later he would return to mainland France, on mobilisation the 3e RCA would be attached to the Colonial Corps as their main cavalry

They arrived in Sete on 5 Aug, almost exactly to the day that they had done in 1870, then were sent N towards the Belgian border, again as in 1870, did another Sedan await them ? Gabriel, like the rest of France was keen to see the rest of Alsace-Lorraine returned to the homeland

On 22/08 the Colonial Corps was to advance in 2 columns to Neufchateau. No enemy contact was expected until after the great Foret de Chiny had been crossed. Instead of using his premier cavalry unit in advance, Gen Lefevre sent the recently attached 6e Dragons de Reserve

On 21/08 night the 3eRCA was at Valansart, nr Jamoigne., riding out at dawn to rendezvous with the column at Rossignol. There, as ordered, they waited for the 3eDIC, led by the reservists on requisitioned farm horses, who could hardly keep up with the quick marching marsouins.

By the time they took their place in the main column the avant-garde had run into the German 12ID, who were then joined by the 11ID from the E and the calamitous battle had begun. Gabriel was one of 365 Chassuers d’Afrique to be KIA that day.

It wasn’t the only tragedy to befall the famille Feunette. His father, Paul, was particularly devastated, blaming himself and after the war visited the battlefield annually in August, presiding over a committee to raise funds for a monument to the dead

That monument to the Colonial Corps was inaugurated by Gen Gouraud in the presence of Paul Feunette in August 1927 and has been the seen of commemoration by the Colonial Corps ( @troupesdemarine) each year since (WW2 excepting)

Paul Feunette also returned in 1928 but this time he walked into the forest behind and committed suicide by cutting his own throat, still suffering from the mental anguish from the loss of Gabriel....