French Foreign Legion: Arms Contexts

[Jim McDougall]

In keeping with what has just been noted, the questions I have concerning the Foreign Legion are, it seems the concept began with the Chasseurs d'Afrique in 1831, which was essentially a colonial contingent of the French Army.

Since foreigners were not allowed to join the French Army, they arranged a special type unit which was comprised of foreign nationals. This evolved into units into a larger contingent which it seems to have coincided. Here things get conflicting for me, as in the book (realizing of course it is faction) "Under Two Flags" (by Ouida) has an English noble escaping scandal enter the Chausseurs d'Afrique, under assumed name of course.

There were apparently other cavalry as auxiliary forces known as 'Spahi' (from the Ottoman light cavalry) made up of numerous tribal groups. This is where much of the connection between native and French arms come in.

I have also not found examples of weapons with regimental or 'rack' markings directly aligned with Foreign Legion units, and it would be pretty exciting to see an example of a native weapon with such marks!

[Edster]

Jim,

Not what you are looking for BUT...The Douk-Douk pocket knife is French-made and was used by the Foreign Legion and it's enemies.

"It was carried by the French Foreign Legion and other Colonial troops and reached, with troops reassignment, the middle-east through Lebanon, and South-East Asia through Indochina. In 1939 it became “the national pocket knife” of Algeria." quote from link.

Here's a link to the knife's checkered history and global expansion. Still available. I have one.

https://knives-of-france-blog.com/douk-douk-history/

Best,
Ed

[Jim McDougall]

Thank you Ed, and actually this topic area covers wide scope colonially, and historically over a long period extending past our chronological parameters, so this is indeed a fascinating example of how wide these traditions and edged weapons spread.

I had never heard of this knife until now, and seems to have been created c. 1929 by a family in France drawing on traditions from Melanesia. This is a great example of how colonialism, in this case of France, diffused cultural elements so widely. The colonial activity of France in Algeria carried into the 60s, and apparently these knives were popularly used by Algerian rebels notoriously.
While much later than the periods we are focused on, the traditions of the knives as used in native tribal manner simply conveyed to more modern examples of older types of knives.

The folding knife element of course brings to mind the navaja, which though typically regarded as Spanish, had prevalent examples that were French as well.

[Jim McDougall]

One of the key edged weapon examples I think of sometimes mounted with bayonet blades would be the Moroccan s'boula. While native makers were entirely capable of making blades, with bayonet blades around, why not use them?

The sboula with red cord has a blade from what appears a Mannlicher-Berthier 1892 bayonet; the bayonet form.
Then a Chassepot 1874 bayonet sometimes found in the s'boula worn by Berber tribesmen in Morocco.
While the Foreign Legion was situated primarily in Algerian regions, the borders were of course diaphanous, and eventually the Legion did establish an outpost in Oudja, near that border but in Morocco.

[Jim McDougall]

The s'boula of Morocco, which is a sort of dirk, seems to have a variety of forms, with this H shaped hilt being one of the most frequently seen. Others, as previously shown have hilts of kouumya form and likely others. It does seem the blade is typically straight, and as often the case, old bayonet blades.

These weapons appear to have diffused notably out of Morocco via the networks of trade routes, especially those trans Saharan routes with those making the Pilgrimage to Mecca. These people often carried weapons and commerce to trade along the way to finance their travels. As the route reached the far east, there was interaction with traders from Ethiopia (then Abyssinia) and these s'boula seem to have been in enough number that they were often regarded by some writers to have been Ethiopian weapons.

This was carried further by the fact that several examples were known with Geez script etched on blades. The Falasha's, armorers to the Amharic rulers apparently added this to some of these s'boula.

To complicate proper identification further, Burton (1884) perpetuated an identification of these as 'Zanzibar' swords (alongside an Omani 'kattara') which was clearly taken from Demmin (1877). These s'boula had clearly made it into the African interior where Omani traders took them back to the Sultanate in Zanzibar. Charles Buttin (1933) noted this situation (pages shown).

Though digressing from the tribal arms and Foreign Legion context, this simply illustrates how widespread weapons forms were in North Africa via the dynamic conduits of the trade networks.

[David R]

An interesting thread, to which I attach my contribution, a silver mounted Gras Musketoon, (artillery not cavalry) adapted by the "Riffs"!... And the appropriate bayonet for the model. The gun appears to be a converted Chassepot.

[Jim McDougall]

Wow! David, that is EXACTLY what Ive been hoping for.....these kinds of hybrid French weapons adopted into tribal contexts!
Love the furniture brass studs, just like seen on Native American rifles.

It would be great to know more on the provenance and history on this rifle.

Thank you so much David, brilliant entry,
All the best,
Jim

[Jim McDougall]

David,

So in my crash course on these French rifles, am I correct in assuming this is a Gras conversion or upgraded version of the Gendarmes M1866 Chassepot musketoon? These seem to have been modified in 1874 for metallic cartridges. When you mention the 'riffs', does this refer to the Berber tribes in Morocco?
While the Foreign Legion was not officially situated in Morocco, they certainly had occasions for forays into these areas, and actually occupied Oudja, near the border.
It seems Berber tribesmen often had captured rifles, many of course Spanish Mausers, but also French weapons.
As always said, weapons transcend geographic borders, as well as cultural.

Thank you again!
Jim