World War I: AEF French War Orphan Mascots


Figure 1.-- Americans were so fond of adopting French war orphans as mascots and taking them into the lines that the AEF GHQ issued a General Order forbidding the practice. This is a Marine Gunnery Sergeant setaed next to a young bandaged French boy, presumably the unit mascot. Both were apparently wounded at the same time. Notice how the boy is wearing an American overseas cap. It has a Carte Postale backmark. The portrait is undated, but almost certainly ws taken in 1918.

France after 3 years of war had mamy orphaned children. The war on the Western Front was fought primarily in Belgium and northern France. This left thousands of orphaned Belgian and French children. The Belgian front as in the Btitish zone of the front, so American soldiers saw mostly French orphans. Some of the children lost both parents or wee separated from them. Many children lost their fathers at the front and their mothers had difficulty supporting the family. Many of the boys were drawn to the strangers from America. And the GI's in turn were enchanted by the charming little French boys who idealized them. There were orphanages, but some of the boys preferred the less strict regime outside the orphanages and attempted to attach themselves to the Americans. Not only did they prefer the GIs to the nuns, but the food was better. Americans GIs adopted many boys as mascots. And when the units were committd to stop te German offensive, the boys stayed with the GIs as they entered combat. The Americans were so fond of adopting French war orphans as mascots and taking them into the lines that the AEF GHQ had to issue a General Order forbidding the practice, an order variously followed. We have not been able to find much written information on this phenomenon. The photographic record, however, shows that is was not rare.







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Created: 2:29 AM 4/26/2008
Last updated: 2:30 AM 4/26/2008