Prisoner - which nationality ?

[Robert Noss]

A photo which I recently found and impressed me, because of the facial expression of the captured soldier:



A close-up of the prisoner:



I wonder what nationality he is. That doesn't look like a french uniform.
Could he be dutch or belgian, or what ?

Thanks in advance.

Robert

[Dave Mosher]

It appears to be US!!! If so, it is a captured soldier serving under the command of the French 157th Division.

Dave

[mravery]

I'm with Dave....

However .. I think it was the French 161st Division....

Harlem Hellfighters aka 369th (ex-15th New York Infantry)

Also...370th (ex-8th Illinois Infantry), 371st and 372nd Infantry were black units.

The 369th served 191 days in the line, longer than any other unit.

The French called them the Black Watch as they were impressed with thier service

Cheers
Mark

[Dave Mosher]

Mark
You may be right. I thought these four units were put under the French Army command as the 157th "Goybet" Division.

Dave

[mravery]

Here is some info from the web....

Ninety-Third Division (National Army -- Colored)

Insignia, a French helmet in blue, superimposed on a black disc.

Organized at Camp Stuart, Newport News, Va., in Jan. 1918. The nucleus of the division was made up from the following units:
1st Sep. Co. Conn. Inf.;
1st Sep. Bn. D.C.Inf.;
8th Ill. Inf.;
1st Sep. Co. Md. Inf.;
1st Sep. Co. Mass. Ing.,;
15th N.Y. Inf.;
9th Sep. Bn. Ohio Inf.;
1st Sep. Co. Tenn. Inf.

This division was never organized to its full strength, only the 185th and 186th Infantry Brigades being formed. First united embarked for overseas on April 7, 1918, and the last units arrived in France on April 22, 1918.

Upon arrival in France the two brigades consisting of the 369th, 370th, 371st and 372d Infantry Regiments, were broken up and brigaded with the French.

These regiments served in France as follows:

July 1st to July 21st: 369th Inf. With 4th French Army in the line between Aisne and Ville-sur-Tourbe; 370th Inf. With 2d French Army; 371st Inf. With 13th French Army Corps in line west of Avocourt; 372d Inf. With the 13th French Army Corps in line east of Four-de-Taris.

On Aug. 1st as follows: 369th Inf. With 8th French Army Corps in the Cienne la Ville region; 370th Inf. With 36th French Div.; 371st Inf. With 156th French Div.; 372d Inf. With 157th French Div.;

On Sept. 28th the 370th Inf. Advanced across the Chemin-des-Dames.

On Oct. 24th as follows: 369th Inf. With 4th French Army at Wesserling; 370th Inf. With 10th French Army at Euly; 371st and 372d Inf. With 2d French Army at Tlainfaing.

These regiments returned to the United States in Feb., 1919, and were demobilized shortly afterwards.

Battle deaths, 574, wounded 2,009; number taken prisoner, 1 officer and 3 men.

Too bad we can't ID the soldier.. possible one of only three taken prisoner.. !!!

[Rick Research]

I have Captain Chester D. Heywood's "Negro Combat Troops in the World War: The Story of the 371st Infantry," Commonwealth Press, Worcester, Mass. 1928. (My mother worked for him in the 1950s and when his estate left the originals of the wartime papers, reports, book notes, and photos used in his book to my university in the 1970s, I asked for them, got no response for years-- and then the originals all went in the trash one weekend I wasn't around!).

Heywood listed all killed, died, missing, decorated, but does not mention any prisoners from his regiment that I could find on a quick look through.