French Army Rank 1914

[Richard Stanbery]

Can somebody take a look at the link and tell me if the rank insignia was a sewn on patch, as it looks like here, or was the rank emblems sewn on, as in the American army?
http://www.oldmagazinearticles.com/p...Rank-Chart.pdf

In this little movie clip, there is only one enlisted man that I can see the rank of. He is walking beside the officer (Gene Hackman) as the unit detrains and marches out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=582dUJQPuqU

This is on the bottom of the sleeve, not on the shoulder as in the American army. The single gold bar at a 30 degree slope denotes him as a sergeant. Is this where the rank was at that time, on the bottom of the sleeve? Its sometimes hard to get good info on details so old. Im sure that it might have changed since then. Gerrard...help me please?

[Gerard.]

Originally Posted by Richard Stanbery

Gerard...help me please?

Well, having been an officier in 65-76, I remember something for sure. At this point in time I just can say the pdf link is a subset of what I knew. I will do my best to help.

[Richard Stanbery]

Its good to have Gerrard around to help us understand all things French.

So, Gerrard, was the rank insignia of the enlisted men worn on the bottom of the sleeve near the hand?

[Gerard.]

Originally Posted by Richard Stanbery

was the rank insignia of the enlisted men worn on the bottom of the sleeve near the hand?

I think so.

[Pedro]

I don't know if this of any use to you Richard, but at least it shows the uniforms of the time period you specified. This illustration comes from the book Uniforms of the French Foreign Legion 1831-1981. I got it at a garage sale for a dollar. Boy was I happy. Until I got home and found the first 45 pages had been hacked out with dull scissors. So it goes. What I get from the book is that uniform regulations changed with alarming frequency and due to shortage of materials most troops couldn't keep up with the constantly changing regulations and just 'made do'. This might excuse any lack of decorum in your character. I'm just thinking out loud here. Mostly because I find your project so fascinating . Seems I forgot to drive a steak through the heart of the wanna-be-novelist I buried a long time ago and he keeps popping up. Keep us informed of your progress. It is all so interesting.

[Belisarius]

Your link depicts French rank insignia as displayed on jacket or coat sleeve 'cuffs'. The insignia was sewn on, Officers had 'metallic' lace, other ranks coloured.
The British army had a similar system for officers in 1914, but by 1918 the fashion had changed to shoulder tabs as being less distinctive. Hope that helps.

[Richard Stanbery]

What a puzzle! Some of the rank bands are long, some short, some on collars. This is even less uniform than the Confederate army! Who would have thought that the finest army in the world in its day would have so confusing a rank system?
I think that the fellow on the right ( in the pic above) is a sergeant with the two green bars. I dont know what branch the green denotes. The fellow in the middle must be an officer, and the one on the left is a private of artillery? (single red bar)...Is this correct?

The better historian that I become, the more I laugh at myself and what I thought that I knew!

Thanks guys for all your help. It is appreciated!

[Belisarius]

Originally Posted by Richard Stanbery

What a puzzle! Some of the rank bands are long, some short, some on collars. This is even less uniform than the Confederate army! Who would have thought that the finest army in the world in its day would have so confusing a rank system?
I think that the fellow on the right ( in the pic above) is a sergeant with the two green bars. I dont know what branch the green denotes. The fellow in the middle must be an officer, and the one on the left is a private of artillery? (single red bar)...Is this correct?

The better historian that I become, the more I laugh at myself and what I thought that I knew!

Thanks guys for all your help. It is appreciated!

Actually it's quite simple. The confusion caused by the picture is that it depicts 'composites' of uniforms worn at the start of the war and the change over to horizon blue/khaki uniforms in 1915. N.C.O.s wore diagonal strips on the cuff or lower sleeve as per your rank chart link, Officers horizontal. In the 1914 uniform these stripes were red (at least they were in the Foreign Legion!) and changed to dark blue for the 1915 uniform, except in the Foreign Legion which had green stripes. S.N.C.O.s and Officers continued to wear silver and gold stripes as specified. The shoulder straps were called 'brides' and were for fixing fringed epaulettes for ceremonial occasions (the fixing button is not depicted on the picture as it's hidden by the shoulder belt. Arm of service insignia and regimental identification was worn on collar patches.

Later in the war, and to confuse matters further, the French reintroduced "length of service in the trenches" chevrons which were worn higher up on the sleeve (where in British and American armies N.C.O.s wear their stripes). These merely depicted time served at the front and distinguished 'veterans' from 'newbies'. They served no other function.

[PADDYBOY]

Originally Posted by Richard Stanbery

The better historian that I become, the more I laugh at myself and what I thought that I knew!

Excellent !

[Gerard.]

Originally Posted by Belisarius

Later in the war, and to confuse matters further, the French reintroduced "length of service in the trenches" chevrons which were worn higher up on the sleeve .

A chevron is an inverted V. They were called brisque. Soldiers with experience are still called briscard. (in the drama series Law and Order, the "old" detective's name was Lenny Briscoe). A brisque was also worn on the right arm for each wound.
http://www.grande-guerre.org/document.php?num=134