The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-07-06
FRENCH SOLDIERS
NOT TOO Old AT
FORTY THEY SAY
Regiment of Bretons Has
Made Brilliant Record
Since War Began

Ism Is concerned there Is no QueS1Ou
of being too old at forty in the
French army This has been dem
onstrated time and again among the
veteran regiments of the territorial
army of France-the second reserve,
the youngest of whose men when
they were called to the colors in Aug
ust, 1914, had attained the age of 81,
while the remainder ranged between1
that age and Al. Many of them, es-
pecially among the younger classes,
have since been transferred at their
own request into the ranks of the ac-s
tive army, thus making the average
age of these regiments much higher,
while three years has been added to
the age of all the men since they
first put on their uniforms at their
countrys call ito arms
These territorial regiments, like
their older comrades of the territorial
army reserve-the tnid line-were not
at the beginning of hosti1ities expect
ed to go into the firing line with the
younger soldiers of the active army
and its first reserve. Since that time
many things have changed and they
have fought shoulder to- shoulder
with their more youthful comrades
and have proved themselves still> to
! possess sterling value as warriors
The record of one of these regi-
| ments. entirely composed of men
| from Brittany, will serve to demon
strate how great is the part these
soldiers OF mature age have taken In
the task Of repelling the invader. in
i spite of the natural supposition that
they had passed the period Of enthu-
siasn1 for deeds of valor.
This regiment was modified to-
gether with the rest of the French
/ forces on August 2, 1914. When
the troops of the active army left to
/ meet the invading Germans crossing
| neutral Belgium, this Breton territor-
ial regiment was sent from its depots
at Repnes and Saint Malo to organ
ize, garrison and possibly defend one
Of the sections of the entrenched
camp encirclng Paris. Four months
it spent there digging trenches. fixing
barbed wire entanglements, erecting
gun emplacements and doing all the
arduous labor connected with the es-
Ia Adjustment of strong military works.
When the Germans had been driv-
en- back in the battle Of the Marine,
they were placed in charge of front
isline sector to the northeast of Rheims.
Here they stayed for % months, con-
they dug a great system of trenches
both of defense and communication,
built blockhouses and concrete ma
chine-gun positions, excavated rife
and grenade pits and generally or
ganized the position
4 The greatest test of the soldierly
qualities of these tough old warriors
came when they were transferred to
Auberfye in March this year. They
were attached to the famous fighting
Foreign Legion and their duty was to
do the pick and spade work and keep
!. the DICTIONARIES supplied with ammu-
nition>and food during the French Of
fensive which began on April IT, and
, at the same time to hold line OF
trenches. When the Legion went
forward on its victorious attack the
Breton territorials were ordered tt
, follow them Up and extend the com.
rnunication trenches and tracks across
the conquered territory. They were
not content with simply doing this
, very perilous work always under fire
They also took part by the side o.
the DICTIONARIES in the capture of Au.
berive and a section of territorial
, grenadiers played a glorious role IL
| the reduction of the small field for
of Vaudesincourt.
Meeting a couple of these Breton.
coming back with a batch of German
: prisoners, a French staff officer in
| quired of them where they had take1
81 the captives and where they were go
) | ing and received only broad smil,
: in reply. He was astonished at thi
) apparent lack of discipline and wa
v about to demonstrate when a German
r prisoner stepped forward, and said
! | Excuse me, Sir, but these men d.
, not speak French. They are Bre
!. tons" He gave the officer the in
1 | formation asked for and the convo
5 marched on.
r This is not at all surprising, TO
3 although all Frenchmen learn F'rencl
s in school, the Bretons soon lose tn
habit of speaking it, as they at a.
times speak their Celtic tongue anon
. themselves. This is a close appreac
. to Welsh and has no relation wlateve
ii to French.
f Their gallant deeds at Auberfv
v brought the old territorials mentio
q in dispatches along with the Foreig
x Legion, while many OF the officer
Y ard men were decorated on the fiel
!. OK battle, including one of the ma
jors, who, although So years old, ha
e kept command of his battalion eve
a since war was declared and has ur
y = a