Doug Bowser
member
ANOTHER INCIDENT AT AISNE MARNE
Doug Bowser
The 42nd Infantry Division was involved in this Battle, often called the 2nd Battle of the Marne. It took place on July 18 thru August 6, 1918. There were French Colonial Troops involved in this battle as well. The Colonial Troops my Father remembered well were the Moroccans. They were fierce soldiers and well versed in the use of edged weapons. Some of them were VERY black skinned. These men would strip naked and carry a large knife that had been painted black. You could not see them on a moonless night. They would venture into No-Man’s-Land and infiltrate the German trenches. They ruled the night when it was very dark. After sneaking over the trenches they would touch the top of the German helmets. The French helmet had a ridge on top and the British – US helmets were painted with a rough finish. The German helmets were smooth to the touch. When the Moroccan felt a smooth helmet, he cut the throat of the man wearing it. Our troops made sure their helmets were not worn smooth on the top. After killing the German, they would cut off their ears as a trophy.
My Father’s Unit was moved into an area that the Moroccans were holding. There was a bunker they took over from the Moroccans. When My Father entered the bunker, there was the sickening stench of Death. They looked for a body and found none. At the rear of the bunker there was a wire hung close to the ceiling. On the wire there were over 70 pairs of ears, from their incursions into the enemy trenches.
During the Battle of Ypres in 1915, French Colonial troops were gassed by the Germans with Chlorine Gas. It was one of the first poison gas attacks in WW1. They left their trenches and better equipped Canadian Troops re-fortified their positions. No-one blamed the Colonials, they had no gas masks and many died.
The Hague Convention of 1899 declared the use of poison gas and other weapons illegal in War. The Germans used Mustard Gas, Chlorine Gas and Phosgene Gas against the Convention Rules. The Germans and French each used 34,000 pounds of Phosgene Gas during WW1. Poison Gas killed 90,000 troops on all sides of the conflict.
Moroccan Troops from the 7th Regiment of Triralleurs
Doug Bowser
The 42nd Infantry Division was involved in this Battle, often called the 2nd Battle of the Marne. It took place on July 18 thru August 6, 1918. There were French Colonial Troops involved in this battle as well. The Colonial Troops my Father remembered well were the Moroccans. They were fierce soldiers and well versed in the use of edged weapons. Some of them were VERY black skinned. These men would strip naked and carry a large knife that had been painted black. You could not see them on a moonless night. They would venture into No-Man’s-Land and infiltrate the German trenches. They ruled the night when it was very dark. After sneaking over the trenches they would touch the top of the German helmets. The French helmet had a ridge on top and the British – US helmets were painted with a rough finish. The German helmets were smooth to the touch. When the Moroccan felt a smooth helmet, he cut the throat of the man wearing it. Our troops made sure their helmets were not worn smooth on the top. After killing the German, they would cut off their ears as a trophy.
My Father’s Unit was moved into an area that the Moroccans were holding. There was a bunker they took over from the Moroccans. When My Father entered the bunker, there was the sickening stench of Death. They looked for a body and found none. At the rear of the bunker there was a wire hung close to the ceiling. On the wire there were over 70 pairs of ears, from their incursions into the enemy trenches.
During the Battle of Ypres in 1915, French Colonial troops were gassed by the Germans with Chlorine Gas. It was one of the first poison gas attacks in WW1. They left their trenches and better equipped Canadian Troops re-fortified their positions. No-one blamed the Colonials, they had no gas masks and many died.
The Hague Convention of 1899 declared the use of poison gas and other weapons illegal in War. The Germans used Mustard Gas, Chlorine Gas and Phosgene Gas against the Convention Rules. The Germans and French each used 34,000 pounds of Phosgene Gas during WW1. Poison Gas killed 90,000 troops on all sides of the conflict.
Moroccan Troops from the 7th Regiment of Triralleurs
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