french soldier's war british souvenirs
 

hello

i would like to share with you my last addition to my war souvenirs collection

a frame made in the 30's by a french soldier's family. On the back of this frame there is an engraved inscription that says:
british souvenirs and "croix du combattant" (combatant cross) of Georges Degroote died in the field of honor on 25 february 1916 in Douaumont at the age of 23

Douamont is an emblematic place of the battle of Verdun
After some research, it appears that G Degroote was in 110th line infantry regiment stationed in Dunkirk in 1914, unfortunatly he died in the first days of the battle of Verdun

thoses badges were either sent to his family before 1916 by the soldier himself, either sent after his death with his personal belongings by the french army. They were framed probably in the beginning of the 30's when the soldier received the "croix du combattant" posthumously


Among those badges there are some strangeness at least for me

first
a royal welsh fusiliers 3rd VB cap or collar badge i do not know
this kind of badge were issued during WW1 ????

two
a white metal die cast east lancashire badge

three
a very strange middlesex regiment cap badge. Strange because its quality is very poor ,,before removing it from the frame i thought it was a sand cast badge! Actually it is a die struck territorial one with the "south africa " scroll which has been covered with an "albuhera" scroll !!!

all comments are welcome

thank in advance
regards
christophe

Badge frame
 

Certainly a nice framed collection of souvenirs, a few strange items amongst them, the Fleur de Lys looks like a Boy Scout's badge to me, the Royal Scots Fusiliers has the flames missing and the TF Royal Fusiliers title is only half of what it should be with the "T/grenade and CITY" absent.

As for the East Lancs, I am unable to comment as to it's originality, but the Middlesex with an over struck scroll is a badge I have had, probably made by the makers due to needs for Regular Btns.

Rob

Thanks for sharing, Christophe. A very moving tribute.

Regards - Lawrence

Hello Christophe,
That is a truly superb frame, a really nice, untouched thing to actually find these days.
What is the large fleur de lis on the right of the cross, can we see a photograph of it please?

I have been the ossuary on Douaumont ridge, as well as the Voie Sacree from Bar Le Duc, I do remember Erize La Grande, but, to be quite honest, I was really far too young to understand it's true significance, as I would later go on to do, appalling certainly, but, a lasting reminder to French courage.
Again, a fantastic frame, I like it very much.
Regards Frank

hello
thank for your comment
yes there are some damaged items RSF badge was probably recovered as well by the soldier
a very well worn badge

another interesting item , a badly cut RF title

thanks

hello

don't know about fleur de lis ,civilian? scouts ? pretty sure that this is a british or commonwealth made. There is a number" REGD 53953 ...."
hight :4.5cm

Does anyone know what the fleur de lis, pictured in the last post, actually is?

It is just possible that it is Boy Scouts.

Boy Scout volunteers served on the Western Front in the early days of the war. They were with the Friends Ambulance Unit (FAU). The FAU looked after French and Belgian wounded as well as British.

There are, or used to be, photos of these "Boy Scouts" with their records in the Quaker Library in the Euston Road, London.

From what I remember they looked easily old enough to have lied about their age and joined the army.

Hello Christophe
As stated Middlesex is a good badge, I’ve a few like this, just using old stock of the TF ones for more regulars as far as I’m aware.

Gerard

"The FAU looked after French and Belgian wounded as well as British."

it's possible regiment of G Degroote was in Belgium in august 1914
Thanks for information

Regarding the Boy Scouts badge, see here:-

http://www.sallysbadges.com/viewphot...h=56402&phqu=3

regards

neither do i
may be own by the french soldier before 1914 and added with others by the family after the war

thanks for confirmation, i am suprised by the low quality of the badge