algerian

More photos of them, all shot at train stations: www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/tags/algerian/

My grandpa could be among them. ;)

me to my friend

Yep, my grand father talked about the battle of Verdun as something that changed his life. Omar, maybe yours was at Verdun as well, you never know; they could have been buddies in some forsaken trench, ducking from German snippers and waiting for that dreaded whistle to charge ahead only to be met with mustard gas and machine guns.

My grandfather, (mon grandpere) was a French officer who was raised in Algeria and led French Algerian troops at Verdun. They fought there 3 times.

Not such strict Muslims then. "Hommes 40, chevaux 8"

these are probably on their way to the battle of the Marne (which runs through Champigny), some of the only fresh troops France could bring to the battle of the Marne to finally stop the German advance. Probably take in the last week of August or the first week of Sept ,1914.

Cool

From en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armee_d%27_Afrique "At the outbreak of war in August 1914, the Army of Africa in Algeria and Tunisia comprised nine regiments of Algerian Tirailleurs, four of Zouaves, six of Chasseurs d'Afrique, four of Spahis and two of the Foreign Legion. In Morocco nineteen battalions of Tirailleurs and nine of Zouaves were on active service, along with elements of the Foreign Legion and the African Light Infantry. Large numbers of these troops were sent immediately to serve in France, mainly drawn from the peacetime garrisons of Algeria and Tunisia."

He could be a Tirailleur Senegalais or from Mali.

Doen't looks like algerian to me, neither the uniform !! This is a Senegalese Tirailleurs in a Senegalese Tirailleurs uniform ! Website you can visit: cartespostales1914.over-blog.com/article-les-tirailleurs-...

Thanks so much mad frog1, for the link to this great site. The uniform worn by the infantrymen in the post cards is a closer match to the one in this photo, including the embroidered piece on the front of the jacket, than the Office of War Information photo that we have in our catalog: www.loc.gov/pictures/item/owi2001046305/PP/. Thanks also to swanq, for providing information about their involvement in the war. We'll clarify the information in the record the next time we update.