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Landships II -> Landships WW1 Forum -> References -> Criticalpast Film to Identify.
Post Info TOPIC: Criticalpast Film to Identify.
James H


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Criticalpast Film to Identify.
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A curious film, entitled "French infantrymen escort captured Austrian prisoners in Italy, during World War I."

Problems:

As far as I can see, these prisoners are all Germans. After 35" one of the escorting troops appears. He is black and is wearing an Adrian and French-pattern webbing, but his tunic has breast pockets and he seems to be wearing lace-up leggings. That suggests to me that he's an American under French command, in which case this isn't Italy at all.

Anyone agree/disagree?

 



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Ironsides


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Hi james maybe their Tirailleurs some appear to wear a double breasted jacket which maybe could be mistaken for a jacket with pockets, unfortunatly the image I get is rather poor but are the first two guys wearing chechias?

After looking again its clear there is a breast pocket the rifle appears to be a Lebel and the two lead guards are wearing single breasted jackets...

 

Cheerssmile



-- Edited by Ironsides on Thursday 7th of July 2011 10:52:39 PM

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James H


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Definitely a couple of chechias there, so probably Tirailleurs of one sort or another. What particularly makes me think the black bloke is American is the leggings, which apparently were retained in the Colored Regiments under French command. I read somewhere that it was French policy to put German prisoners in the hands of black troops as an insult, on the grounds that it was humiliating to be ordered about by second-class human beings. On the other hand, most of the Germans in the clip seem to be in rather high spirits at being safely captured.

There are shockingly incorrect captions to some of the clips. One of the Kaiser and Archduke Ferdinand (both in Tyrolean outfits, which should be a giveaway) is labelled as "The Kaiser and Tsar Nicholas II".

This one, allegedly of Belgians doing all manner of things in 1914, contains German Infantry and Marines and Austrian Heavy Artillery but not a single Belgian.



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PDA


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James H wrote:
There are shockingly incorrect captions...

Maybe criticalpast is a division of wikipedia. After a suitable period, patriotfiles will copy it all, and it will become accepted fact.



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Ironsides


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Hi James Im not 100% convinced he is American as theres only the one the rest appear French with at  least two types of uniform, if he is hes a lonely man.. of course there could be a whole lot more further up the road...

PDAwink

Cheerssmile



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James H


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I was basing my thoughts on this gent and on photos in a discussion we had some time ago on the subject of the Colored Regiments. But you could be right - apparently the Tirailleurs did get khaki uniforms. It's the pale colour of the leggings that suggested he was American.

The 4 regiments (369-372 Infantry) formed the French 157th Divn. under Gen. Goybet. Been trying to find out where they served, but nothing very precise yet. I don't think any French Colonials served on the Italian Front.

Are we agreed that the prisoners aren't Austrians and that it isn't Italy?



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"Sometimes things that are not true are included in Wikipedia. While at first glance that may appear like a very great problem for Wikipedia, in reality is it not. In fact, it's a good thing." - Wikipedia.
Ironsides


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Hi James looked yet again at 36 sec in you can see the shape of the pocket clearly and its looks straight to me the secound guard with the checia seems to have something there as well but I cant tell what it is, as far as Im aware some Tirailleurs wore longer gaiters/leggings then normal infantry units (initially) but I wouldnt have expected to see them after the introduction of the adrian, with so many Germans I dought its Italy..

Anyway heres two rather poor images from a pdf copy of "Covered with Mud and Glory" the first clearly shows breast pockets, in the secound they appear to be wearing long gaiters and adrians these are colonial troops...

Just noticed the orientation of the first image is wrong so I flipped it...

 

Cheerswink



-- Edited by Ironsides on Saturday 9th of July 2011 09:10:43 PM

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