Introduction
Already some years ago I acquired a photo album of very likely a French officer who served in the French Foreign Legion in the period between 1900 to 1910.
In the album someone wrote using a pencil : Lt Bernard Son album ?
In this album is this studio photograph of a lieutenant of the 2e Etranger.
The composer of the album wrote the name of the lieutenant in the caption below the image : Gindre.
Fortunately a surname that could made an identification feasible.
[ Coll NLL, Album Lt Bernard p.09-6 ]
Research
My currently most frequently used source starting such an investigation is “Gallica”.
I entered the name “Gindre” together with the keyword “Etranger” in advanced search options.
The first result was this announcement of a transfer in 1903 of an officier named Gindre from the 31e au 2e étranger. Encouraging thought due to absence of further details not very useful.
Within the results was, however, also this page of the “Annuaire de l’Armée française” from the 15th of februari 1904.
Under number 5385 we see a GINDRE (Georges Jean Francois) of the 2e étranger.
I now went to my other thrusted source Filae.com and learned that Georges GINDRE had received the Legion d’Honneur. Besides documents concerning the award of this decoration, files, in most cases also, contain the service record of the awarded person. Also in this case.
Services Positions Diverses
From this service record entries at “Services Positions Diverses”
we learn that Georges GINDRE was assigned as lieutenant to the 2e Régiment etranger on the 12th of July 1903.
At this time he was stationed in Algeria as the overview of his Campagnes show.
He took part in two mission into the Regions Sahariennnes.
On the 18th of October 1905 he was sent to Tonkin.
On the 5th of May 1908 he was assigned to the 1er Régiment etranger 4e Bon formant Corps.
Not completely aligned with the registrations in his service record is this information published in the “Annuaire général de l’Indo-Chine Indochine in 1907, indicating that lieutenant Georges GINDRE served with the 3e Bataillon de Marche du 2e Régiment Étranger.
On the 30th of September 1909 Georges Gindre was back in Algeria.
He left the French Foreign Legion and was transferred to the 32e regiment artillerie.
Overall a nice identification of this officier of the French Foreign Legion.