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Subject: Re: Soldat au 37e rég - help needed identifying great-grandfather Alfred Firmin Vadorin
Author: Michel GOYARD
Date: Saturday, August 02, 2014
Classification: Query
Surnames:

After a discussion on the french site Geneanet, a check on Wikipedia and then a check of the birth date of Alfred Firmin (1869), it appears that he was 45 yo in 1914, so he has been incorporated in the reserve of the 37e régiment d'infanterie territoriale for seven years in Auxerre. The role of these régiments were to substitute the gendarmery whose younger members were sent to the front. The képi wear one stripe which means either is has no rank or be an aspirant (student). But in 1919, he was 50 yo.
From french wikipedia :
the reserve of the territorial army
It is composed of men aged 40-45 years, that is, those born between 1868 and 1874. Duration is seven years.
Quickly reserve Territorial Army incorporates men aged 46-49 years, that is to say, born between 1868 and 1865.
Nota : the flaming grenade is also the insigna for the Infantery.
For more investigation, do you have a later adress for him, so we could check the census or a death date and see what was his occupation if any at that time.

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