Help finding figures for Vichy French in Syria

[cdr]

Indeed, the Tirailleurs Algériens, Marocain & Senegalais were quite similar and shared largely the same uniform as the Marins and Métropolites.

Judging by this photo of Circassians from Damascus in 1941, they too dressed very much like the ordinary Spahis, but with their own headwear.

This is apparently a picture of a group of Free French Tcherkesses serving as escort for generals Catroux and Le Gentilhomme (1DFL) taken in front of the train station in Damascus

Carl

[pacofeanor]

well, a few is at least a start

I find this one especially interesting...


is this some sort of physical exercise?

Very interresting photo ! realy

i wonder who are those yong men ? franch army? or political youth association ?
i thought that the french army never use the nazi salut ? the army soldiers in the back ground don't make nazi salut (even those who  don't have guns ....)a new  mistery ....

the general visiting them is Gal Huntziger, formal comander of 4° army group in 1940, the one wich received the german's attack in may 1940 .the soldiers wore the new 1941 sport suit .


Cdr, you are right , the militaria HS N°50 is a very good base, but just one photo of prisonners in real combat dress .....but very nice on tanks, armoured cars or british troops and FFF ! but very poor (except prewar photos of course!) on Vichy troops!
regards
paco

[former user]

no, I don't think the saluters are soldiers, they must be some political organization. And the soldiers in the background are germans in disguise (to not appear suspicious in propaganda pictures) who are forcing them to do the faschist salute...

Yes, I think the french story is maybe symptomatic for Europe's attitude before it got simple to claim the right allegiance.
But this ecpad site is very interesting because it has a lot of photo collections - unfortunately my french is not good enough to search

[Arlequín]

The Milice used that salute (although I have seen photos of them using normal military salutes too!), as did a few other French right-wing organisations of the time. The Milice are perhaps the most likely to feature in a military parade though and obviously you can't see what other units are present off camera... these might just be 'demonstrating' a mode of dress and there could be a fully uniformed group to their left.  

I cannot see them being 'army' though either, as is the case with those men in the rear of the photo. I suppose they might also be something like the Compagnons de France or even older members of Scoutisme Français, but I don't see them using non-French salutes. The military of Vichy France was no less proud of its traditions than that of pre-War France, so I can only see a unit using that salute if it was somehow associated with the Fascists in a political sense.  

[Etranger]

Video this time http://www.ecpad.fr/le-cinema-de-larmee-de-vichy-1941-1942

[lou passejaire]

Very interresting photo ! realy

i wonder who are those yong men ? franch army? or political youth association ?
i thought that the french army never use the nazi salut ? the army soldiers in the back ground don't make nazi salut (even those who  don't have guns ....)a new  mistery ....

the general visiting them is Gal Huntziger, formal comander of 4° army group in 1940, the one wich received the german's attack in may 1940 .the soldiers wore the new 1941 sport suit .


Cdr, you are right , the militaria HS N°50 is a very good base, but just one photo of prisonners in real combat dress .....but very nice on tanks, armoured cars or british troops and FFF ! but very poor (except prewar photos of course!) on Vichy troops!
regards
paco

prestation de serment ( i'm not sure of the english translation , but "swearing" may be correct ) au maréchal Petain, ?

anybody working for vichy governement  has to swear an oath of alliegence to Petain .

[Rob_bresnen]

As an alternative theory- an it might be silly- but what if isn't a salute, but rather they are doing some kind of physical training or drill?

[Arlequín]

prestation de serment ( i'm not sure of the english translation , but "swearing" may be correct ) au maréchal Petain, ?

anybody working for vichy governement  has to swear an oath of alliegence to Petain .

'Swearing-in', 'swearing an oath', 'taking an oath', all work as well... 'swearing' is right too, but can be somewhat ambiguous.  

You would know better, but do the French not raise the hand with palm facing forwards?  

As an alternative theory- an it might be silly- but what if isn't a salute, but rather they are doing some kind of physical training or drill?

Doubtful, but I'd never call any suggestion silly where there is some doubt.  

What really puzzles me is that they are all 'saluting', usually it would be just the senior man in the unit who would salute (as in the background), while the rest just stand at attention... which makes me think more that they aren't regular military.

[Arthur]

'Swearing-in', 'swearing an oath', 'taking an oath', all work as well... 'swearing' is right too, but can be somewhat ambiguous.  

You would know better, but do the French not raise the hand with palm facing forwards?  

Doubtful, but I'd never call any suggestion silly where there is some doubt.  

What really puzzles me is that they are all 'saluting', usually it would be just the senior man in the unit who would salute (as in the background), while the rest just stand at attention... which makes me think more that they aren't regular military.

'Oath of allegiance' is the best translation in this case.

[former user]

not 100% related, these two interesting sites
http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/India/EAfrica/index.html#contents
http://www.1dfl.fr/

and also some circassians in french uniforms

[lou passejaire]

very usefull website with the whole units of the "armée du levant", OOB, equipement, uniforms, weapons, ... including local cavalry ... and some exotic vehicles ...
i have discovered that there were at least 40 White Armoured cars 

with some laffly80

along with some custom build Dodge armoured cars ...
a lot of Renault R35 et Renault FT17
it's in french but with a translator 

it's here : histoire de l'armée libanaise

[carlos marighela]

Actually it's just a group of French football fans giving a choreographed demonstration of how tall Mathieu Valbuena actually is.

 I think they might be exaggerating by a foot or two.

[former user]

very nice site, THX.

I always wonder why french sources always seem to completely omit the french involvement or rather pursuit of the goal of establishing an Armenian state in Cilicia and the monstrous blunder that was it's outcome.

I would really like to read more about the Armenian Legion...

[lou passejaire]

very nice site, THX.

I always wonder why french sources always seem to completely omit the french involvement or rather pursuit of the goal of establishing an Armenian state in Cilicia and the monstrous blunder that was it's outcome.

I would really like to read more about the Armenian Legion...

wich one ?
the one organized in 1916 or the Armenische Legion ?

for the 1st one , you can give a look at :
La Légion arménienne, une force supplétive encombrante pour la politique française en Méditerranée orientale
Le mandat français en Cilicie, la Légion arménienne, les accords franco-turcs et l'évacuation des Arméniens
and follow some links 

[former user]

merci beaucoup!

well, in the context of this thread, the first one naturally