Army and Navy Uniforms and Insignia / How to Know Rank, Corps and Service in the Military and Naval Forces of the United States and Foreign Countries

by Dion Williams

Uniforms of the French Army

Up to within a few years the uniform of the troops of the Line of the French Army consisted of a dark blue coat and red trousers, with caps of the kepi design and white gaiters or short leggings. This uniform was decorated with gold and silver ornamentation and rank insignia and as a variation in the headdress the cavalry wore helmets with plumes.

At the time of the Boer War in South Africa the question of a less conspicuous uniform was agitated with the result that a coat of mignonette green (or reseda as it was called in France) was adopted although the red trousers were retained. With this uniform a helmet of the same color as the coat was adopted. Some of the troops still retained the dark blue coats however and discussion as to the uniform to be finally adopted continued.

In 1912 a single-breasted sack coat of a light gray-blue color was tried with the blue and red kepi, and red trousers which were worn tight around the calves of the legs. The wrap puttee was also worn to some extent.

Shortly after the beginning of the present war it was demonstrated by service in the field that the red trousers and gold trimmings were too conspicuous for modern field service, and as a result a uniform of the light gray-blue color, known as “horizon blue,” was adopted for both officers and enlisted men on field service, but the old dress uniforms were not abolished though not worn during war. In this uniform simplicity was sought and all bright buttons, insignia and trimmings were reduced to a minimum with the object of securing a serviceable and inconspicuous uniform.

The officers’ service uniform consists of a single-breasted sack coat with a standing turn-down collar, shoulder straps and four outside patch pockets similar to the service coat of United States Army officers; breeches; tan leather strap puttees and shoes, or tan leather boots, and a cap (kepi) of the same color as the coat and trousers. The color of this uniform is a light blue-gray. The buttons are of silver-bronze.

The cap, or kepi, has a sloping visor of black patent leather with a band covered with gold lace for general officers and of distinctive colored cloth with narrow gold stripes indicating rank for other officers, and the top of the crown is slightly less in diameter than the band. In the case of general officers the visor is ornamented with gold decorations.

In the trenches when under fire a steel helmet is worn as a protection against long range rifle bullets and pieces of shrapnel. This helmet is of the same color as the service uniform and it has a distinctive corps insignia on the front in metal of the same color.

Photo. Harris & Ewing, Washington, D. C.

French Army. Officers’ service uniform

French Army.
Officers’ sleeve decorations indicating rank and service

All of the stripes are gold, except in the case of Lieutenant Colonel, where the second and fourth are silver

1. Marshal of France	2. General	3. General of Division
4. General of Brigade	5. Colonel	6. Lieutenant Colonel
7. Major	8. Captain	9. First Lieutenant
10. Second Lieutenant  11. War service chevron

When on duty away from the actual battle front the dress cap of red or blue (according to the corps) is frequently worn.

The rank of officers in the French Army was formerly indicated by stars on the cuffs for General officers and by gold or silver stripes around the cuffs of the coats for other officers, the widths, number and arrangement of the stripes being practically the same as those worn by officers of the same relative rank in the navy. These stripes proved too conspicuous for field service and a small section of the stripes showing on the front of the sleeve only was adopted for the service coats. These short stripes or galons are of dull gold or silver depending on the rank and are as shown in the accompanying illustration.

The insignia for the different grades of rank are as follows:

Marshal of France	Seven stars on each cuff, arranged in three vertical rows, the center row having three stars and the outer rows having two stars each.
General	Four stars on each cuff, two placed horizontally in the center and one above and one below.
General of Division	Three stars on each cuff arranged in a triangle with the point up.
General of Brigade	Two stars placed on each cuff horizontally.
Colonel	Five gold stripes, or galons, on each cuff.
Lieutenant Colonel	The same as for Colonel except that the second and fourth stripes are of silver.
Major	Four gold stripes.
Captain	Three gold stripes.
Lieutenant	Two gold stripes.
Second Lieutenant	One gold stripe.

The corps or branch of the service is indicated in the French Army by distinctive insignia or color patches worn on the collar at the front on both sides of the neck opening.

A distinctive feature of the French Army uniforms for both the officers and enlisted men is the “war service chevrons” worn on the right sleeve between the elbow and the shoulder with the point of the chevron up. A chevron of one stripe shows that the wearer has had one year’s active service at the front during the present war and an additional stripe is added to the chevron for each additional period of six months service at the front. These service chevrons are of dull gold.

Officers of the Algerian Corps and of the Colonial Infanterie wear winter service uniforms of khaki-colored cloth and hot weather uniforms of khaki cotton material; the design of the garments being the same as for those of the home troops except that the Algerians wear very loose baggy trousers cut after the “Zouave” style.

Officers in the Aviation service also wear khaki-colored uniforms.

The officers’ overcoat is single-breasted reaching to about three inches below the knees, closed with a single row of bronze buttons down the center of the front, buttoning to the neck, with a wide falling collar, and a large pocket on each side. Like the enlisted men’s overcoat it is fitted to have the fronts of the skirt button back to permit freedom of the legs in marching. The same stripes indicating rank are worn upon the sleeves as upon the service coat.

In the French Army there is a rank called “Adjutant” which corresponds to that of Warrant officer in the United States Navy and Marine Corps but for which there is no corresponding rank in the United States Army. His service uniform is similar to that worn by commissioned officers; his cap bears no rank stripes, and his rank is indicated by a narrow gold cuff stripe broken with sections of black.

The sword belt for officers is of tan leather with a cross strap over the right shoulder and diagonally to the left side above the hip, very similar to the British “Sam Browne” belt. It is worn by officers at all times when on duty in service uniform.

The enlisted men of the French Army have service uniforms of the same color as those for officers. The uniform consists of a single-breasted sack coat, with standing collar and a patch pocket with buttoned flap on each side below the waist, cut to fit easily; breeches cut full above and close fitting below the knees; wrap puttees of cloth of the same color as the coat and breeches; tan leather shoes; and a plain cap of the kepi pattern with sloping visor.

The Algerian troops wear uniforms of the same design but of khaki-colored cloth and very loose “Zouave” style breeches.

The Colonial Infantry wear service uniforms of the same design as those for the home troops but of khaki-colored material.

Mounted troops and field artillery wear tan leather boots or tan leather leggings and shoes.

The overcoat for enlisted men is single-breasted, reaching a little below the knee, with side pockets, and fitted to have the skirts buttoned back from the front so as not to interfere with the freedom of the legs in marching. The overcoats are of the light blue-gray cloth.

The rank of noncommissioned officers is indicated by short stripes of cloth worn diagonally across the outer side of the coat sleeves between the elbow and the lower edge, as follows:

Sergeant Major	Three stripes of dull gold braid.
Sergeant	Two stripes of dull gold braid.
Corporal	Two stripes of cloth of the distinctive color of the arm of the service.
First class private	One stripe of cloth of the distinctive color of the arm of the service.

The arm of the service to which an enlisted man belongs is shown by color patches upon the collar on both sides of the front opening. These patches are of yellow for infantry, blue for cavalry, red for artillery and black for engineers, and have the number of the regiment upon them in black figures for infantry, white for cavalry and artillery, and red for engineers. Aviators wear an insignia consisting of two eagle’s wings upon each side of the collar.

The belts, belt suspender straps and cartridge boxes are of tan leather, though webbing is also in use. The water bottle (canteen) is covered with cloth of the same color as the uniform.

The buttons worn by enlisted men upon the service uniform coat and overcoat are plain and of the same color as the material of the coats.

In some special corps of the French service there are variations from the standard uniform above described, thus the Chasseurs Alpin wear a uniform of dark blue cloth with a dark blue beret, a full-crowned visorless hat something after the style of the tam-o-shanter, and the Algerian troops wear a round turban of khaki-colored cloth with a tassel in the center, after the style of the fez.