Introduction
Whilst doing some general historical research using Gallica about the French Foreign Legion during the First World War I came across following obituary published in the French news paper, Journal de la Meurthe.
The obituary indicates that Monsieur Pierre-Henri FRANCOIS, capitaine of the 2e rég Etranger, Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur. Decorated with the médaille coloniale, the médaille commemorative du Maroc and the Officier du Nicham-el-Anouar, was heavily wounded and passed away in the dressing station Saint Louis on the 11th of mai 1915 at the age of 35.
A temporary funeral has taken place at a cementry of which the location, because of the actual circumstances could not be mentioned.
![](https://nllegioen.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Journal_de_la_Meurthe__bpt6k7483440d_2-717x1024.jpg)
In the database of Memoire des Hommes of the French soldiers that died during World War One I could find the registration form of capitaine FRANCOIS’s dead. Note that his first names are written in reverse order, Henri Pierre.
![](https://nllegioen.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/FRANCOIS-Henri-Pierre-636x1024.png)
In this we can find his date and place of birth 13 novembre 1879 at Nancy.
Further the place of dead is indicated Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise.
![](https://nllegioen.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise.jpg)
With this additional information a further registration was found dating from 1906 indicating he served as an officer of the 94e de ligne.
Naissance En 1879, Nancy, Meurthe-et-Moselle
Recensement En 1906, Bar-le-Duc, Meuse
![](https://nllegioen.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/FRANCOIS-Pierre-Henri-1906-1024x411.png)
What I personally found so interresting finding the name of capitaine Pierre-Henri FRANCOIS was that I previously had not come across his name as an officer of the French Foreign Legion that had died in the First World War.
I could now add him to the list I collated of these officiers.