Chasseurs D'Afrique

[Bryanbowdell]

Does anyone have any images of Chasseurs D'Afrique in the later years of WW1, particularly in Palestine or colonies?

[former user]

The Osprey on WW1 shows them in Thessaloniki. Colonial uniform, taconnet with wrap for service dress.
Seen many pictures where they wear the chechia for everyday. Not aware of them being in Palestine, maybe later during the kilikian campaign? But they could have belonged to the intervention forces in Ukraine...

Artizan has a whole lot of them, quite acceptable if You ignore the neckcloth which makes them look ancient

[former user]

here is an original postcard

this is fom a manouver i would guess


and there was also a thread here
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=32068.30

[Bryanbowdell]

Thanks,
I've got the Osprey book, but have also seen a picture somewhere showing them in a khaki jacket similar in cut to the original blue jackets.

[former user]

khaki? You mean the prewar colonial sand khaki or the khaki moutarde?
I can't tell about the cavalry, but the original cut of the infantry tunic was simply copied for the other colours, though with simplified details

anyway, I took a closer look at my limited sources, and apart from certain details on the tunique/veste, my approach would be (as for the infantry)  the cut of the skirts. The back "a la soubise" was not done in khaki, but the skirts were slightly larger to accomodate the pockets, that were not there in the blue version. With officers, anything goes as usual.

[cdr]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:IWM_Q12324_Anebta_1918.jpeg

Some Light horse and Chasseurs d'afrique. Note the Adrian helmet

hope this helps

Carl

[Bryanbowdell]

The picture I saw was the sand khaki and looked almost the same cut as the blue jacket, worn with the chechia. 

[former user]

well, my approach is that midnight blue goes only without pockets and with "a la soubise", sand without "a la soubise" skirts and khaki (or horizon blue) with everything 
I am just leafing through the Osprey EH4, and there is a fascinating picture of french officers completely in british uniform and covered kepi on top....

[former user]

Some Light horse and Chasseurs d'afrique. Note the Adrian helmet

Great!
can anyone recommend a detailed account of the palestine campaign? I can get only bits of info about the french contribution. Until now it was only the armenian legion I knew about

[cdr]

General Bailoud was in charge of the Detachement Francais de Palestine et de Syrie (DFPS) It consisted
of 2 battalions of the Régiment mixte de tirailleurs, 4 Armenian battalins, a mixed cavalry regiment(parts
of 4th and 5th chasseurs d'afrique, 1st Algerian Spahi and 4th Tunesian Spahi), 3 artillery batteries engineers etc;

( in september 1918 the cavalry was part of 5th Light Horse brigade)

Allenby's war by David Bullock is a good book on this.

Carl

[former user]

oh THX
how about the books by Massey? are they any good?

here is what I also found thanks to Your hint
http://www.e-corpus.org/eng/notices/147025-Dossier-3-Ordre-de-bataille-du-Detachement-francais-de-Palestine-Syrie-.html
also this reference
http://cosmos.ucc.ie/cs1064/jabowen/IPSC/php/art.php?aid=145773

also this 2nd hand quotation:
"The french detachement was in Palestine since 1917 and commanded by Colonel P. de Piépape. In sept 1918 it was contituted for the main part by:
Infantry:
A Régiment de marche of Tirailleurs consisting of 7th Batt/1st Régiment de Tirailleur Algérien (RTA) & 9/2nd RTA.
The Légion d'Orient consisting of 1st and 2nd Bataillons Arméniens and 23th Compagnie syrienne.
5th Bataillon de Garnison du 115th Régiment Territorial.
3rd Bataillon de Légion d'Orient.
Cavalry:
1st March Regiment of Mixed Cavalry (RMCC)
Created on spring 1918 with four squad (15th & 16th Sqdn from 4th Regiment of Chasseurs d’Afrique (RCA) and 4th & 8th of 1st Spahis)
Artillery:
1st Battery (?)
14th Bat/5th Groupe d'Artillerie d'Afrique
30th Bat/2/nd Régiment d'Artillerie de Montagne
30th Section Mixte de Munitions.
With Signals, Engineers, MD and services it represent about 7000 soldiers by 1918."

apparently from
 "A brief record of the advance of the Egyptian Expeditionnary Force" July 1917 to October 1918 HM Stationnary office 1919,

[Bryanbowdell]

well, my approach is that midnight blue goes only without pockets and with "a la soubise", sand without "a la soubise" skirts and khaki (or horizon blue) with everything 

You will have to forgive my ignorance (and lack of French language skills!!)  what does "a la soubise" refer to?

[former user]

I apologize, I did not want to sound elitist.
I was sure it is common knowledge here, yet I did not know how to express it better:

it is a style to finish the skirt at the back that retains the old style uniform pocket flaps which are now perpendicular, like this
(at least I believe it means this  )

I got the term from the glossary in Funcken's napoleonic uniforms.
How is it called in english then?

the simple way to represent it is with double slits, like on the Renegade french chasseurs

[Over Open Sights]

Bryan, try this:
http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/A-History-Of-The-British-Cavalry-1816-1919-Volume-5-1914-1919/p/123/

Cheaper copies out there in second-hand land!

Can't remember the exetent to which the French cavalry are detailed in this book but I do remember reading that the Light Horse and Yeomanry were not impressed with the way the Chasseurs treated their mounts!

[Bryanbowdell]

I will have a look for the book, cheers. 

So short jackets with no "a la soubise" tails in sand khaki will pass muster then?