HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

17th Colonial Infantry Division was an
infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...
division of the
French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...
during the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. It was deployed overseas, seeing action during the Gallipoli campaign, and thereafter on the
Salonika front The Macedonian front, also known as the Salonica front (after Thessaloniki), was a military theatre of World War I formed as a result of an attempt by the Allied Powers to aid Serbia, in the autumn of 1915, against the combined attack of Germa ...
, fighting alongside British troops in both theatres of war. It was sent to the Crimea in December 1918 as part of the
Army of the Danube The Army of the Danube () was a field army of the French Directory in the 1799 southwestern campaign in the Upper Danube valley. It was formed on 2 March 1799 by the simple expedient of renaming the Army of Observation, which had been obs ...
.


Creation and nomenclature

* February 1915 : 1st Infantry Division of the
Corps expéditionnaire d'Orient The ''Corps Expéditionnaire d'Orient'' (Oriental Expeditionary Force) (CEO) was a French expeditionary force raised for service during the Gallipoli Campaign in World War I. The corps initially consisted of a single infantry division, but late ...
* 5 October 1915 : 1st Infantry Division of the corps expéditionnaire des Dardanelles * 6 January 1916 : 17th Colonial Infantry Division * 19 April 1919 : Disbandment


Commanders

* 16 March 1915 – 6 August 1915 : General Masnou * 6 August 1915 – 29 February 1916 : General Brulard * 29 February 1916 – 23 March 1917 : General Gérôme * 23 March 1917 – 1 January 1918 : General Têtart * 1 January - 29 May 1918 : General Bordeaux * 29 May 1918 – 19 April 1919 : General Pruneau


Chronology


1915

:Transported to the Aegean Transporting the troops by boat, for concentration at
Lemnos Lemnos ( ) or Limnos ( ) is a Greek island in the northern Aegean Sea. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Lemnos (regional unit), Lemnos regional unit, which is part of the North Aegean modern regions of Greece ...
. The vanguard embarked on the Armand-Béhic and the Savoie (TM) at
Toulon Toulon (, , ; , , ) is a city in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the French Riviera and the historical Provence, it is the prefecture of the Var (department), Var department. The Commune of Toulon h ...
, departing 4 February; on the Djurdjura and the Vin-Long at
Bizerte Bizerte (, ) is the capital and largest city of Bizerte Governorate in northern Tunisia. It is the List of northernmost items, northernmost city in Africa, located north of the capital Tunis. It is also known as the last town to remain under Fr ...
, the Chaouïa at Philippeville (
Skikda Skikda (; formerly Philippeville from 1838 to 1962 and Rusicade in ancient times) is a city in northeastern Algeria and a port on the Mediterranean. It is the capital of Skikda Province and Skikda District. History The Phoenicians and Carthagi ...
) and the Carthage at
Oran Oran () is a major coastal city located in the northwest of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria, after the capital, Algiers, because of its population and commercial, industrial and cultural importance. It is w ...
which concentrate at Sidi-Abdallah (Bizerte) to form a convoy and leave on 4 March. All arrived in
Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
on 6 March to join the St-Louis and the Edgar-Quinet which set sail for Lemnos on 6 March and arrived on March 11. A second departure from
Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
on 4 March: Lorraine, Dumbéa, Magellan, Australian, Charles-Roux, Moulouya, Théodore Mante, Italy, Pelion, from Toulon on March 4: :fr:La Savoie (paquebot de 1901), :fr:La Lorraine (paquebot), the Paul Lecat, the Bien-Hoa, the Ceylan departed from Oran on 7 March. To go through Bizerte and then form two groups: First group: :fr:La Provence (paquebot de 1906), Dumbéa, Magellan, Théodore Mante, Moulouya, Charles-Roux. Departure from Bizerte on 14 March to arrive in Lemnos on 15 March. Second group: Savoy (CA), Lorraine, Paul Lecat, Bien-Hoa, Italy, Pelion, Ceylon. Departure from Bizerte on 13 March to arrive in Lemnos on 17 March. The 1st echelon on the Hérault leaves on the 4th from Marseille, passes the 6th in Toulon and arrives in Lemnos on the 10th. The 2nd echelon on Admiral-Hammelin passed through Bizerte on the 17th and arrived at Lemnos on the 27th. :25 April – 6 May Hastily formed, after assembling on Lemnos there had been no time for the corps to undertake large-scale training before it was committed to the land campaign. During the initial Allied landing on 25 April, the corps undertook a diversionary landing on the Dardanelles Asiatic coast around Kum Kale, to divert Ottoman forces away from the main landings on the Gallipoli Peninsula, and to disrupt Ottoman artillery that could have fired upon the main landings. The 6th Mixed Colonial Regiment led the division ashore, supported by three battleships and a Russian warship. Part of the first wave was turned back by heavy fire, but the rest managed to get ashore and they proceeded to secure the village and an Ottoman fort. Throughout the course of 26 April, the Ottoman 3rd Division counterattacked, but the following day, having lost over 2,200 killed or wounded, the Ottomans began surrendering to the French in large numbers. Nevertheless, the French were withdrawn shortly afterwards, having lost about 300 killed and 500 wounded. Following this, the French force re-embarked and was landed at
Cape Helles Cape Helles is the rocky headland at the southwesternmost tip of the Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey. It was the scene of heavy fighting between Ottoman Turkish and British troops during the landing at Cape Helles at the beginning of the Gallipo ...
, where they took up a position on the right flank around 'S' Beach. On 28 April, the commander of the C.E.O. set up the French headquarters at the old castle situated at
Sedd el Bahr Sedd el Bahr (, , meaning "Walls of the Sea") is a village in the Eceabat District, Çanakkale Province, Turkey. It is located at Cape Helles on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey. The village lies east of the cape, on the shore of the Dardanelle ...
. With a strength of 24 companies, they subsequently took part in the
First Battle of Krithia The First Battle of Krithia () was the first Allied attempt to advance in the Battle of Gallipoli during the First World War. Starting on 28 April, three days after the Landing at Cape Helles, the defensive power of the Ottoman forces quickly o ...
on 28 April. In early May, the Ottoman forces launched a heavy counterattack on the Allied positions with a force of over 16,000 men. The attack was beaten back, but the French division suffered heavy casualties – up to 2,000 men – and at the height of the assault some of the Senegalese and Zouaves "broke and ran". As a result, the 2nd Naval Brigade from the British
Royal Naval Division The 63rd (Royal Naval) Division was a United Kingdom infantry division of the First World War. It was originally formed as the Royal Naval Division at the outbreak of the war, from Royal Navy and Royal Marine reservists and volunteers, who w ...
, had to take over some of their positions. Reinforcements were brought in, including a second French division, which arrived between 6 and 8 May, although they did not arrive in time to take part in the
Second Battle of Krithia The Second Battle of Krithia () continued the Allies' attempts to advance on the Helles battlefield during the Battle of Gallipoli of the First World War. The village of Krithia and neighbouring hill of Achi Baba had to be captured in order f ...
, during which the 1st Division attacked towards the Kereves Dere gully, and although they made slow progress they eventually managed to secure the high ground overlooking this position before the attack petered out. :6 May – 13 July * Engaged in the Battle of Krithia: took part, on May 6, 7 and 8, 4 and 21 June, and from 12 to 14 July, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th engagements of Kereves Dere. :13 July 1915 – 6 January 1916 * Preparations for the offensive in the Gallipoli peninsula * From 17 August, 6th engagement of Kereves Dere, then took up positions in a sector in this region. A period of stalemate followed, and the August Offensive failed to break the deadlock. Following
Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
's entry into the war, on 24 September, a secret telegram was despatched from the
French Minister of War The Minister of the Armed Forces (, ) is the leader and most senior official of the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, tasked with running the French Armed Forces. The minister is the third-highest civilian having authority over France's mili ...
to Bailloud. He was ordered to prepare a division of the C.E.O. composed exclusively of metropolitan units to be sent to aid Serbia. Bailloud and the reconstituted division commenced embarkation on 30 September. The French began to refocus their actions in the
Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...
around Salonika. In the autumn of 1915, there were concerns as to the ability of the Senegalese to cope with the winter weather, and their withdrawal from Gallipoli was proposed,Report by General Brulard on the general situation of the C.E.D. upon taking command n 4 October 1915dated 12 October 1915. I
AFGG 8,1,1 Annexes (1924)
Annexe n° 371, pp. 600–616
once the British agreed to replace them. In order to facilitate this, the 57th and 58th regiments were to be composed of Senegalese, with the 54th and 56th composed of Marsouins. This reconstitution took place on 11 December 1915.Memorandum by Chief of Staff C.E.D. 'relating to the reconstitution of the 1st and 2nd brigades and the occupation of the front' dated 11 December 1915. I
AFGG 8,1,1 Annexes (1924)
Annexe n° 412, pp. 683–685
Similarly, five companies of creoles were detached from the 54th and 56th in order to be sent to a wintering camp. The plan did not go ahead. The creole companies of the 54th were detached on 15 December, and returned to their unit on 22 January 1916. The two locations for the "wintering" were either Egypt or Algeria. For political reasons, it was deemed inappropriate to send them there, but to keep them on Lesbos.Secret memorandum from
French Minister of War The Minister of the Armed Forces (, ) is the leader and most senior official of the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, tasked with running the French Armed Forces. The minister is the third-highest civilian having authority over France's mili ...
to General
Joseph Joffre Joseph Jacques Césaire Joffre , (; 12 January 1852 – 3 January 1931) was a French general who served as Commander-in-Chief of French forces on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front from the start of World War I until the end of 19 ...
dated 22 December 1915. I
AFGG 8,1,1 Annexes (1924)
Annexe n° 423, pp. 705–706
It was usual practice for Senegalese to be sent to
Fréjus Fréjus (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Var (department), Var Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region in Southeastern France. It neighbours Saint-Raphaël, Var, Saint-Raphaël ...
for a period of "wintering" ( hivernage), but this location did not get proposed as an alternative, notwithstanding its previous mention by General Joffre.Memorandum from General
Joseph Joffre Joseph Jacques Césaire Joffre , (; 12 January 1852 – 3 January 1931) was a French general who served as Commander-in-Chief of French forces on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front from the start of World War I until the end of 19 ...
to
French Minister of War The Minister of the Armed Forces (, ) is the leader and most senior official of the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, tasked with running the French Armed Forces. The minister is the third-highest civilian having authority over France's mili ...
dated 20 December 1915. I
AFGG 8,1,1 Annexes (1924)
Annexe n° 420, pp. 700–701
The men of the 58th were evacuated in batches between 16 December and 5 January, whilst the 57th were evacuated by a convoy of several ships on 13 December 1915. The ''marsouins'' of the 54th and the 56th were evacuated on 2 and 3 January 1916 respectively. Six older artillery pieces were destroyed and abandoned, two 140 mm guns (modèle 1884) and four 240 mm guns (modèle 1876), given that it was not possible to embark all of the heavy guns.'It was decided to retain and finally destroy one British 6-inch gun and six old heavy French guns which it would be impossible to withdraw on the last night. (General Brulard himself suggested the destruction of these old and nearly worthless guns.)' Aspinall-Oglander (1932), p.469


1916

:6 January – 10 February * A telegram dated 6 January 1916 proclaims that the troops of the CED are to be known henceforth as the 17th Colonial Infantry Division. On 8 February, the commander-in-chief announces that the division is now part of the
Armée d'Orient (1915–1919) The Armée d'Orient (AO) was a field army of the French Army during World War I who fought on the Macedonian front. The Armée d'Orient was formed in September 1915 during the Serbian Campaign of World War I, Conquest of Serbia by German-Austrian- ...
. This reflects the secret order dated 18 January 1916 that the marsouins of the 17th Division stationed at
Moudros Moudros () is a town and a former municipality on the island of Lemnos, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Lemnos, of which it is a municipal unit. It covers the entire eastern peninsula of t ...
,
Tenedos Tenedos (, ''Tenedhos''; ), or Bozcaada in Turkish language, Turkish, is an island of Turkey in the northeastern part of the Aegean Sea. Administratively, the island constitutes the Bozcaada, Çanakkale, Bozcaada district of Çanakkale Provinc ...
and
Lesbos Lesbos or Lesvos ( ) is a Greek island located in the northeastern Aegean Sea. It has an area of , with approximately of coastline, making it the third largest island in Greece and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, eighth largest ...
should be redeployed to Salonika, to join the AFO.Memorandum from
French Minister of War The Minister of the Armed Forces (, ) is the leader and most senior official of the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, tasked with running the French Armed Forces. The minister is the third-highest civilian having authority over France's mili ...
to General
Joseph Joffre Joseph Jacques Césaire Joffre , (; 12 January 1852 – 3 January 1931) was a French general who served as Commander-in-Chief of French forces on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front from the start of World War I until the end of 19 ...
dated 18 January 1916. I
AFGG 8,1,3 Annexes (1927)
Annexe n° 1126, p. 352
:10 February – 28 April * On 6 February, the war diary records that the government has decided that the marsouins of the 1st Colonial Infantry Brigade garrisoned on Lesbos should be transported to Salonika as soon as possible. In keeping with this order, the troops embarked on 10 February and disembarked on 12 February at Salonika. The headquarters staff of the 2nd Colonial Infantry Brigade arrive at Salonika on 15 February. Thereafter, the infantry component of the 2nd Colonial Infantry Brigade is replenished by two colonial infantry regiments arriving at Salonika via France. The 1st Regiment's three battalions had disembarked on 21 February. Two battalions of the 3rd Regiment disembarked on 26 February. The remainder of the 3rd Regiment were embarked aboard the Provence 2 which departed Toulon on 23 February, and was torpedoed in the
Ionian Sea The Ionian Sea (, ; or , ; , ) is an elongated bay of the Mediterranean Sea. It is connected to the Adriatic Sea to the north, and is bounded by Southern Italy, including Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily, and the Salento peninsula to the west, ...
on 26 February. Only 500 other ranks and 7 officers survived the sinking. The two groups of survivors were taken to
Milos Milos or Melos (; , ; ) is a volcanic Greek island in the Aegean Sea, just north of the Sea of Crete. It is the southwestern-most island of the Cyclades group. The ''Venus de Milo'' (now in the Louvre), the ''Poseidon of Melos'' (now in the ...
and Malta, and were disembarked at Salonika on 21 and 26 March respectively. * The redeployment of the six battalions of Tirailleurs remained uncertain at this time, notwithstanding the fact that as stated already in this article, this has been a subject of debate since October 1915. The Tirailleurs were to remain on Lesbos until 28 April 1916, when they were embarked for passage to Fréjus via Toulon. * From 20 February onwards, the division was charged with the setup and upkeep of defensive positions towards Livaritikon Oros (20 km south-east of Salonika) and the northern and southeastern heights of :fr:Galatista in
Chalkidiki Chalkidiki (; , alternatively Halkidiki), also known as Chalcidice, is a peninsula and regional unit of Greece, part of the region of Central Macedonia, in the geographic region of Macedonia in Northern Greece. The autonomous Mount Athos reg ...
. :28 April - 9 June * Occupation of a sector on the right bank of the lower
Struma (river) The Struma or Strymonas (, ; , ) is a river in Bulgaria and Greece. Its ancient name was Strymon (, ). Its drainage area is , of which in Bulgaria, in Greece and the remaining in North Macedonia and Serbia. It takes its source from the Vitosha ...
: development work on the road from Salonica to
Serres Serres ( ) is a city in Macedonia, Greece, capital of the Serres regional unit and second largest city in the region of Central Macedonia, after Thessaloniki. Serres is one of the administrative and economic centers of Northern Greece. The c ...
. :9 June – 9 August * Relief by the
28th Division (United Kingdom) The 28th Division was an infantry Division (military), division of the British Army raised for service in World War I. History Formed in England in December 1914 – January 1915 from regular army battalions returning from India, Singapore a ...
; movement towards Irikli and Dérésélo (20 km & 16 km south-east of Doiran respectively); works and occupation of a sector towards Gola (in
Thesprotia Thesprotia (; , ) is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the Epirus region. Its capital and largest town is Igoumenitsa. Thesprotia is named after the Thesprotians, an ancient Greek tribe that inhabited the region in antiquity. His ...
, 6 km south of Lake Doiran) and Hill 576. :9 August – 14 September * Engaged from 9 to 18 August in the Battle of Doiran (1916), then organization of the conquered positions northwest of Akritas (Vladaya). :14 September – 12 October * Withdrawal from the front and rest of the 33rd Colonial Brigade in the region of
Banitsa Banitsa ( Bulgarian: баница), also transliterated as banica and banitza, is a traditional pastry made in Bulgaria. It is also made in Budjak, where it is known as milina by Ukrainian Bulgarians; North Macedonia; and southeastern Serbia. ...
(12 km west of
Lake Ostrovo Lake Vegoritida (, ''Limni Vegoritida''), also historically referred to as Lake Ostrovo (, ''Limni Ostrovou''), is one of the largest natural lakes in northern Greece. Located in the region of Macedonia, it lies 6 km northeast of Amyntaio and 18 ...
), then in that of Negovani (10 km south-east of Florina) and Sakulevo ( :mk:Сакулево) * Participation of this brigade in the formation of a provisional division . * The 34th Colonial Brigade continued to hold the Doiran sector (at the direct disposal of the command of the
Allied Army of the Orient upright=1.1, Allied collaboration: an Italian captain, a Russian lieutenant, a Serb colonel, a French lieutenant, and a Greek gendarme The Allied Army of the Orient (AAO) () was the name of the unified command over the multi-national allied armed f ...
.) :12 October – 29 December *The two brigades are successively placed at the disposal of the Serbian army : participation in the Battle of the River Cherna: ** Offensive of the 33rd Colonial Brigade between Tcherna and Kenali ( :sh:Kremenica (Bitolj)) (engagements of the 27, 28 October and 14 November). ** 15 November, advance east of Kenali; 27 November 27, advance to the line of Hill 1050,
Novaci, North Macedonia Novaci () is a village in North Macedonia. It is the seat of the Novaci Municipality Novaci () is a municipality in the southern part of North Macedonia. '' Novaci'' is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. Novaci Munic ...
; then further progression to Vlaklar (12 km north-east of Bitola). ** From 11 December, organization of conquered positions. * From 28 October, relief of the 34th Colonial Brigade, south of Doiran, by British troops of
XII Corps (United Kingdom) XII Corps was an army corps of the British Army that fought in the First and Second World Wars. In the First World War, it formed part of the British Salonika Force on the Macedonian front. In the Second World War, it formed part of the British ...
. Elements of this brigade, carried on the right bank of the Vardar, are made available to the
122nd Infantry Division (France) 122nd Infantry Division was an infantry division (military), division of the French Army during the First World War. It was deployed overseas, seeing action on the Salonika front, fighting alongside British troops. It was Southern Russia intervent ...
. Other elements, carried in the region of Alexsia (20 km south-east of Doiran), joined the 17th Division in stages, towards Bitola, between 22 November and 5 December.


1917

:29 December 1916 – 9 May 1917 * Relief by Italian elements, withdrawal from the front and rest between Monastir and Florina; then occupation of a new sector in the :fr:Rapech region, Bernik (17 km east of Bitola). * 4 April: the last elements, remained towards Doiran with the 122nd Division, join the 17th Division :9 May 1917 – 13 August 1918 * Attack of the Bulgarian lines, in the
Battle of the Crna Bend (1917) The Battle of the Crna Bend was a significant military engagement fought between the forces of the Central Powers and the Entente in May 1917. It was part of the Allied Spring Offensive of the same year that was designed to break the stalemate ...
, then organization of a sector in this region. * At the end of April 1918, elements at rest near Polok (25 km south-east of Bitola).


1918

:13 August – 10 September * Withdrawal from the front, movement towards Vladova (5 km west of Vodena); rest. :10 September – 12 October * Movement towards the front, in the region of the Cerna bend. * Engaged, alongside the
Second Army (Serbia) The Serbian Second Army () was a Serbian field army that fought during the Balkan Wars and World War I. During the First Balkan War, the Second Army participated in the Battle of Kumanovo (23 - October 24, 1912) along with the Serbian First Army ...
, on 15 and 16 September, in the
Battle of Dobro Pole The Battle of Dobro Pole (; ), also known as the Breakthrough at Dobro Pole (), was a World War I battle fought between 15 and 18 September 1918. The battle was fought in the initial stage of the Vardar Offensive, in the Balkans Theatre. On 15 ...
: * Attack on the lines of the Kravitza Plateau and Kravitchki Kaméne (in the
Voras Mountains The Voras Mountains (; also Boras), also known as Nidže (, ) are a mountain range situated on the border between Greece and North Macedonia. It separates the Pella regional unit on the Greek side in the south from the Mariovo region on the No ...
) ; continuation towards :fr:Ribartsi. *24 September, taken from the :fr:Dolno Tchitchevo Monastery ; Vardar crossing at :fr:Oulantsi; continuation, by
Štip Štip ( ) is the largest urban agglomeration in the eastern part of North Macedonia, serving as the economic, industrial, entertainment and educational focal point for the surrounding municipalities. As of the 2021 census, the city of Štip had ...
, towards :fr:Neokazi ; then halted at
Kriva Palanka Kriva Palanka ( ) is a town located in the northeastern part of North Macedonia. It has 13,481 inhabitants. The town of Kriva Palanka is the seat of Kriva Palanka Municipality which has 18,059 inhabitants. The town lies near the ''Deve Bair'' ...
. :12 October – 20 November * Transport by rail, from Kriva Palanka, in the
Pirot Pirot ( sr-Cyrl, Пирот) is a city and the administrative center of the Pirot District in southeastern Serbia. According to 2022 census, the urban area of the city has a population of 34,942, while the population of the city administrative are ...
region (of Serbia) * From 29 October: movement towards
Knjaževac Knjaževac ( sr-cyr, Књажевац, ) is a town and municipality located in the Zaječar District of the Southern and Eastern Serbia, eastern Serbia. As of 2022, the municipality has a population of 25,341 inhabitants, while the town has 16,350 ...
, then towards
Zaječar Zaječar ( sr-Cyrl, Зајечар, ; or ) is a city and the administrative center of the Zaječar District in eastern Serbia. According to the 2022 census, the city administrative area had a population of 48,621 inhabitants. Zaječar is widely ...
and operations on the Danube, towards the
Orșova Orșova (; ; ; ) is a port city on the Danube river in southwestern Romania's Mehedinți County. It is one of four localities in the Banat historical region situated just above the Iron Gates where the Cerna River meets the Danube. History ...
river bend. * 4 November: Cessation of hostilities with Austria-Hungary . * December: transport to Neusatz and occupation of the
Banat Banat ( , ; ; ; ) is a geographical and Historical regions of Central Europe, historical region located in the Pannonian Basin that straddles Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. It is divided among three countries: the eastern part lie ...
of
Timișoara Timișoara (, , ; , also or ; ; ; see #Etymology, other names) is the capital city of Timiș County, Banat, and the main economic, social and cultural center in Western Romania. Located on the Bega (Tisza), Bega River, Timișoara is consider ...
.


1919

* 19 April 1919 : from this date, dissolution of the division


Order of battle


February 1915

Sources: 1st Division (renamed as :fr:17e division d'infanterie coloniale on 6 January 1916) under Jean-Marie Brulard * 1st (Metropolitan) Brigade **175th Regiment ***three battalions of metropolitan infantry **1st Provisional African Regiment ***composed of a
French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (, also known simply as , "the Legion") is a corps of the French Army created to allow List of militaries that recruit foreigners, foreign nationals into French service. The Legion was founded in 1831 and today consis ...
battalion and two
Zouave The Zouaves () were a class of light infantry regiments of the French Army and other units modelled on it, which served between 1830 and 1962, and served in French North Africa. The zouaves were among the most decorated units of the French Army ...
battalions. * 2nd (Colonial) Brigade **4th Mixed Colonial Regiment ***mixed composition of two
Senegalese Tirailleurs The Senegalese Tirailleurs () were a corps of Troupes coloniales, colonial infantry in the French Army. They were initially recruited from Saint-Louis, Senegal, the initial colonial capital city of French West Africa and subsequently throughout W ...
battalions and one "Marsouin" (European) battalion **6th Mixed Colonial Regiment ***mixed composition of two Senegalese battalions and one European battalion *Divisional Troops **Groupe Holtzapfel – 3 batteries (4x 75mm field guns apiece) of the 1st Field Artillery Regiment commanded by Major Holtzapfel **Groupe Charpy – 3 batteries (4x 75mm field guns apiece) of the 8th Field Artillery Regiment commanded by Major Charpy **Groupe Benedittini – 2 batteries (4x 65 mm mountain guns apiece) of the 2nd Mountain Artillery Regiment commanded by Major Benedittini (succeeded by Major Grépinet) **Supporting elements for engineering, logistical and medical services


October 1915

* 1st (Metropolitan) Brigade transfers out, to be part of the 156th Infantry Division (France) * 2nd (Colonial) Brigade is now designated as 1st Colonial Infantry Brigade as of 9 October, and on 23 May 1916 is further redesignated as the 33rd Colonial Infantry Brigade. * The 4th (Colonial) Brigade is now designated as 2nd Colonial Infantry Brigade, and takes the place of the 1st Metropolitan Brigade, which redeploys to Salonika. This brigade is composed of the 57th and 58th Colonial Infantry Regiments, containing a mix of marsouins and Senegalese Tirailleurs. * Divisional artillery ** Transfer out to 156th Infantry Division by Groupe Grépinet - 2 batteries (4x 65 mm mountain guns apiece) of the 2nd Mountain Artillery Regiment formerly commanded by Major Benedittini (succeeded by Major Grépinet) ** Transfer in of Groupe Mercadier - 3 batteries (4x 75mm field guns apiece) of the 47th Field Artillery Regiment formerly commanded by Captain Roux (succeeded by Major Mercadier)


February 1916

Since February 1916, its infantry component is now made up of the 1st and 3rd regiments of colonial infantry, having arrived between 18 and 27 February, taking the place of the six Tirailleur battalionsMemorandum from General
Joseph Joffre Joseph Jacques Césaire Joffre , (; 12 January 1852 – 3 January 1931) was a French general who served as Commander-in-Chief of French forces on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front from the start of World War I until the end of 19 ...
to
French Minister of War The Minister of the Armed Forces (, ) is the leader and most senior official of the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, tasked with running the French Armed Forces. The minister is the third-highest civilian having authority over France's mili ...
dated 22 January 1916. I
AFGG 8,1,3 Annexes (1927)
Annexe n° 1139, pp. 366–367
of the 57th and 58th Colonial Infantry Regiments that have remained on Lesbos. *Additional divisional artillery **Groupe Le Maître - 49th, 50th, 54th batteries (4x 65 mm mountain guns apiece) of the 1st Mountain Artillery Regiment commanded by Major Le Maître (later succeeded by Major Grenié). They joined the division on 31 March 1916. **Mortar Battery - 101st Battery of the 1st Field Artillery Regiment, equipped with the
Mortier de 58 mm type 2 The Mortier de 58 mm type 2 or Mortier de 58 mm T N°2, also known as the Crapouillot or "little toad" from its appearance,} was the standard French medium trench mortar of World War I. Background The majority of military planners before t ...
, to remain with the Division, and to be designated part of the 201st Field Artillery Regiment in January 1918. *A squadron of cavalry, from the
Chasseurs d'Afrique ''Chasseur'' ( , ), a French language, French term for "hunter", is the designation given to certain regiments of France, French and Belgium, Belgian light infantry () or light cavalry () to denote troops trained for rapid action. History T ...
were assigned to the division in April 1916. *The 2nd Colonial Infantry Brigade is further redesignated as the 34rd Colonial Infantry Brigade on 23 May 1916.


August 1917

All of the 75mm batteries above were grouped together in April 1917 to form the 201st Field Artillery Regiment. Four Battalions of Tirailleurs Sénégalais arrive in Salonika, the 81st, 93rd, 95th and 96th, are assigned to the division, and are collectively known as the ''Groupement des Bataillons Sénégalais du 17e D.I.C.'' with effect from 21 November 1917. The Commanding Officer of the :fr:96e bataillon de tirailleurs sénégalais, Major Albert Jean René Desaulses De Freycinet, assumes overall command of the Groupement'On 21 November, the 81st, 93rd, 95th and 96th battalions constitute the Groupement des Bataillons Sénégalais de la 17e Division d'Infanterie Coloniale. The Commanding Officer of the 96th Battalion took overall command.' Via In due course Lieutenant Colonel Auguste Marie Louis Debieuvre commanded the Groupement, following his service on the western front with the 58th Regiment and then the :fr:33e régiment d'infanterie coloniale, until he was promoted and handed over command once more to Major De Freycinet. Lieutenant Colonel Debieuvre had served as the commanding officer of the 58th Regiment since 21 August 1915 up to its disbandment in May 1917.


May 1918

The battery of 58mm trench mortars are now redesignated as the 8th Battery of the 179th Trench Artillery Regiment, with effect from 1 April 1918. The Groupe of 65mm artillery batteries of the 1st Mountain Artillery Regiment are now redesignated as the 3rd Groupe of the 13th Colonial Artillery Regiment, with effect from 1 May 1918.


Notes and citations

Notes Citations


References

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * War Diaries * * * * * * * * {{Refend Colonial, 17th Infantry divisions of France Military units and formations established in 1915 Macedonian front Gallipoli campaign