I have found several references to an individual who was associated with the 3rd BCA (Battalion Chasseurs Alpines).  However, I can find no good references to the 3rd BCA.  Did such an organisation exist in the French Army during the Great War?  Was it independently organised, or would it have been part of an Alpine Regiment (e.g. 3rd BCA of the xth RCA-- in which case there might have been several 3rd BCAs)?  I can find an Italian 3rd BCA which fought in the Dolomites, but I cannot find any good battle histories of any French 3rd BCA during the war.  Can anyone help?  Thanks in advance.  Doc

Bonsoir Doc
 
Pardonnez ma réponse en français mais ma pratique de l'anglais est trop mauvaise.
Pendant la grande guerre, il n'existe pas un 3e BCA (bataillon de chasseurs alpins) dans l'armée française mais un 3e BCP (bataillon de chasseurs à pied). Celui-ci, mis sur pied à Saint-Dié dans les Vosges, appartient d'abord à la 43e DI (division d'infanterie) puis, à la fin décembre 1916, il est affecté à la 170e DI et y reste jusqu'à la fin de la guerre.
Les bataillons de chasseurs (alpins ou à pied) étaient des unités indépendantes et autonomes ne faisant pas partie d'un régiment.
 
Pour suivre le parcours de guerre du 3e BCP vous pouvez vous reporter :
- à son JMO (journal de marche et d'opérations) :
   • 10 juillet 1914-4 janvier 1915 • 26 N 816/1 - http://www.memoiredeshommes.sga.de [...] iewer.html
   • 12 mai 1915-1er février 1916 • 26 N 816/2 - http://www.memoiredeshommes.sga.de [...] iewer.html
   • 2 février-31 décembre 1916 • 26 N 816/3 - http://www.memoiredeshommes.sga.de [...] iewer.html
   • 1er janvier-31 décembre 1917 • 26 N 816/4 - http://www.memoiredeshommes.sga.de [...] iewer.html
   • 1er janvier-31 décembre 1918 • 26 N 816/5 - http://www.memoiredeshommes.sga.de [...] iewer.html
- ou à son historique sommaire - http://www.bataillonsdechasseurs.f [...] CP-003.pdf
 
Vous pouvez aussi consulter les parcours de guerre des deux divisions auxquelles il a appartenu :

• la 43e DI - http://sacarcheo.nuxit.net/regiment/43eDI.PDF
• la 170e DI - http://sacarcheo.nuxit.net/regiment/170eDI.PDF

Les JMO de ces divisions sont en ligne sur le site mémoire des hommes : http://www.memoiredeshommes.sga.de [...] _GR_26_N_I
 
Cordialement
Eric
 
 
 

Bonjour, Eric, et merci pour la réponse.  J'apprecie votre assistance.  Merci.
 
Good day, Eric, and thanks for your response.  I appreciate your assistance.  Thanks.
 
Doc

Hello Doc
 
I have a photo of the 3rd Bataillon de Chasseurs, text on the back of the print is dated july 17 1916 and point that the view was taken before that date in a town called Langres at time of the departure of the young soldiers photographied (seems to be new young recruits just ready for the front after instruction time).
 
Here is a part of this photo I suppose the woman could be Marie MARVINGT  
 

 
Best Regards
 
Yannick

Hi,
 
I have sent a private message to Doc on an other forum for to say as information your messages on the French forum.
Greetings.

Thanks, Yannickckck-- a most interesting photo.  However, I have over 100 photos of Marvingt, and this does not appear to me to be her.  However, if you would be willing to share a high resolution copy of that photograph you posted, I would love to have it to compare with other photos of her.  By the way, I know of no evidence that Marvingt was associated with the 3BCP-- All the references I have say 3BCA, and research seems to imply that this was the 3rd BCA of the Italian Army.  And, there is a photo of her in a uniform which has been confirmed to me by Italian military specialists to be that of an Italian Alpini unit-- very possibly the 3BCA of the Italian Army.
 
Bobrah, thanks for the PM alerting me to the new updates of these old strings, which I have not been following closely.  I appreciate your assistance.  
 
Doc

Good evening to you all,
 
Doc, as far as French forces are concerned, no 3rd BCA ever existed in WW1, since the 3rd battalion was a foot battalion. Was there a 3rd alpine battalion in the Italian Army? I don't have the slightest idea about it, I must admit. In any case, I do reiterate the above statement, no such unit entered the composition of the French Army.
 
Best regards,
Eric Mansuy

Hello all,
 
Thanks Bobrah for alerting Doc  
Marvingt is said to have been with a 3rd bataillon alpine, and this must be the Italian one as the 3rd French chasseur bataillon is an "on foot" one not an alpine, but we now have a pic of a woman with a group of soldiers of this 3rd french chasseurs on foot bataillon, so we have now quite a few questions :
are both Marvingt ? this don't seems to be the case at first look on the photos
anyway in case yes we have to find what she was doing with this group of this unit ?
if not who is this other woman and what was she doing with this group in 1916 with the same uniform of the soldiers including strap to hold cartridge box ?  
In both case this is wonderful story to research for  
 
Best regards
Yannick  
 

Eric, yes there was a 3rd BCA in the Italian Army, and there exists at least one photo of Marvingt in an Alpini uniform, which has been identified by Italian experts as being from the Italian Chasseurs Alpines.  So, I suspect it is the 3rd BCA of the Italian Army which is in question.
 
Yannick, As we have discussed, I don't think this photo represents Marvingt, after comparing it with numerous other photos of Marvingt.  I wish it were her, but I just can't convince myself that it is.  We definitely need to figure out who this lady is..... Doc

Hello everybody,
 
sorry for the late intervention, but there's something which doesn't work: there's a 3d Reggimento Alpini in Italy, but during WW1 its battalions were "Pinerolo", "Fenestrelle", "Exilles" and "Susa". As far as I know, nobody uses numbers to define alpine battalions in Italy. Nevertheless, I'd be very interested in seeing this uniform of Marvingt in Alpini uniform.
 
Kind regards from always sunny Milano,
 
f-xavier