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AEF Service Coat. Reserve Mallet. L.M. Drolet


mccooper
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Many young college men - and even high schoolers - volunteered during WWI to drive ambulances for the French Army. One of the largest volunteers groups was the American Field Service (AFS). France's needs were great and their supply of able-bodied men dwindling, and one of the greatest needs was truck (camion) drivers to deliver to the Front what was needed. AFS volunteers were asked to join that cause, and some did. The Americans served under a French Major Mallet, who commanded a Reserve. When the US entered the war, the Reserve was augmented by US soldiers. They were a part of the Motor Transport Corps (MTC), and racked up an outstanding record.

 

One of those men was not a driver, but a medic - Louis M. Drolet, attached to the medical section of Group Ordway. This tunic was purchased at auction as a named piece to Emmett A. Drolet, but it turns out that the business card with the grouping was that of Drolet's brother. However, the 1943 roster of the reserve Mallet did include a listing for Louis M. Drolet. Further digging proved that he was indeed the soldier, not Emmett. The photo with the grouping shows a young man with a medic's collar disc, and the photo matches the picture of Louis in the Kalamazoo County Soldiers' book.

 

An interesting and unusual American outfit, in that they were attached to the French for the duration as US soldiers. Scroll on for further pix.

post-151387-0-48744100-1411755438.jpg

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Great thread! I know where there is another reserve mallet uniform in a local collection and it has US and signal corps disks.

 

Thanks for sharing this,

Mike

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi, Mike-

 

Thanks for your reply. Interesting to hear of Signal Corps discs on a Reserve Mallet uniform. Do you know if it is named? RM was a Motor Transport Corps unit assigned to the French after the Americans arrived, and I was curious about my medic disc until I confirmed Drolet's assignment through an RM roster. One thing I have learned in this hobby: expect the unexpected. What I have read to date makes no mention of either medics or signal corps personnel, yet Drolet is ID'ed in a roster. Would love to know if the French Reserves also used signal corps personnel; it does make sense. All the best,

 

mccooper

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  • 2 weeks later...

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