French Pre-War Infantry Sergeant Major's M1897 Tunic

French Pre-War Infantry Sergeant Major's M1897 Tunic

Enlisted black wool M1897 tunic has madder red wool cuff patches and standing collar with red embroidered unit designation "12" on black patches.  Sleeves have Sergeant Major rank bullion insignia, and the coat closes with seven flaming bomb Infantry buttons.  Interior has white cotton quilted partial lining, with damaged stitching along the interior lower edge of the collar.  Complete with epaulettes.  Has a few small holes, but very nice overall.

Before World War I, the 12th Infantry Regiment was stationed at Reims, forming part of the 6th Infantry Brigade within the 3rd Infantry Division of the 6th Army Corps. As one of France’s historic line regiments with roots tracing back to the ancien régime, it maintained a long tradition of discipline and professionalism in peacetime training and garrison life. Mobilized in August 1914, the regiment advanced into Belgium with the 6th Army and engaged in the early battles of the Sambre and Guise before participating in the First Battle of the Marne. After the front stabilized, the 12th held positions along the Aisne during the first winter of trench warfare. In 1915, it fought in the Champagne offensive, suffering heavy casualties in assaults near Perthes and Beauséjour. The regiment later saw service at Verdun in 1916, notably around the Mort-Homme sector, and endured continuous action on the Chemin des Dames and in the Ailette valley through 1917. During the Allied counteroffensives of 1918, the 12th Infantry Regiment advanced through the Soissons and Oise sectors, taking part in the pursuit operations that carried the French armies to victory by November. Its wartime record reflected steadfast endurance across some of the Western Front’s most demanding engagements.

$200 - $300