Croix de Guerre Posted July 24, 2012 Share #1 Posted July 24, 2012 A few years back this uniform showed up for sale on eBay. It was identified to an American named Alastair Ian Grant Valentine. Valentine served in the American Field Service as a volunteer ambulance driver in 1917 before enlisting in the French Army. He became an aspirant in the artillery corps before being assigned as an artillery spotter in the balloon corps. I know this is a long shot but does any one out there know what became of this uniform? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted July 24, 2012 Author Share #2 Posted July 24, 2012 A few years back this uniform showed up for sale on eBay. It was identified to an American named Alastair Ian Grant Valentine. Valentine served in the American Field Service as a volunteer ambulance driver in 1917 before enlisting in the French Army. He became an aspirant in the artillery corps before being assigned as an artillery spotter in the balloon corps. I know this is a long shot but does any one out there know what became of this uniform? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted July 24, 2012 Author Share #3 Posted July 24, 2012 A few years back this uniform showed up for sale on eBay. It was identified to an American named Alastair Ian Grant Valentine. Valentine served in the American Field Service as a volunteer ambulance driver in 1917 before enlisting in the French Army. He became an aspirant in the artillery corps before being assigned as an artillery spotter in the balloon corps. I know this is a long shot but does any one out there know what became of this uniform? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted July 24, 2012 Author Share #4 Posted July 24, 2012 Any body?? :think: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugme Posted July 24, 2012 Share #5 Posted July 24, 2012 Can't help you here Tom but, I sure wish it was mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted July 25, 2012 Author Share #6 Posted July 25, 2012 Can't help you here Tom but, I sure wish it was mine. Yeah me too,,that why I'm posting it any where I can. :thumbsup: Somebody out there knows where it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jvb737 Posted June 29, 2013 Share #7 Posted June 29, 2013 Is there any more information available on this uniform? It belonged to my grandfather! John Valentine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted November 9, 2013 Author Share #8 Posted November 9, 2013 John Valentine, I have found out a great deal of information about your grandfather. Please contact me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted November 14, 2013 Author Share #9 Posted November 14, 2013 I'm going to bump this topic back into play as I have discovered a little more information concerning Mr. Valentine. Valentine volunteered with the American Field Service in SSU 32 as a volunteer ambulance driver in the summer of 1917. When the AFS was federalized in the fall of '17 he was denied enlistment in the US Army for medical reasons, so he enrolled with the American Red Cross as a volunteer ambulance driver in Section III, and spent the winter/spring of '17-'18 driving ambulances on the Italian front. (Just like Ernest Hemingway as he described in his book "A Farewell to Arms". In the spring of 1918 when his enlistment was up, Valentine returned to France and enlisted in the French Foreign Legion. The French government opened it's officer's training school to a limited number of Americans that were not illegible for service in thier own army. Valentine was assigned to artillery school at Fontainebleau. Upon graduation with the French rank of an apirant (basically a second lieutenant) he was sent to the French school of balloon aeronautics and trained as an artillery observer. I don't know anymore about his service and do not know if he completed his training in time to see service with the French balloon corps before the Armistice. Recently a small number of Valentine's decorations and a few photos showed up for auction. If anyone has any information as to the whereabouts of his uniform or other artifacts, please contact me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted November 30, 2013 Author Share #10 Posted November 30, 2013 Here are some photos of some of the items identified to Valentine that recently turned up. They are; A protrait of Valentine in the uniform of a French Balloon officer, a photo of Vantentine when he was with the American Red Cross in Italy, a second American Field Service Medal, his French WWI Victory Medal, his Italian Unification Medal and his WWI Italian Service Medal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted November 30, 2013 Author Share #11 Posted November 30, 2013 Valentine in the uniform of a French Balloon officer. Note the combination of artillery buttons and aviation/balloon insignia on his collar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted January 2, 2014 Author Share #12 Posted January 2, 2014 Bump back into play! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted April 8, 2014 Author Share #13 Posted April 8, 2014 Still searching,,,, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Souvigny Posted August 22, 2014 Share #14 Posted August 22, 2014 HI, I purchased few years ago on ebay the Valentine uniform. I just sold it to an american collector but I would like to write the uniform story for french "Uniformes" magazine and I would be pleased if you could help me to do so with pictures and inormations... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted August 22, 2014 Author Share #15 Posted August 22, 2014 HI, I purchased few years ago on ebay the Valentine uniform. I just sold it to an american collector but I would like to write the uniform story for french "Uniformes" magazine and I would be pleased if you could help me to do so with pictures and inormations... Hi, please email me. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jvb737 Posted August 23, 2014 Share #16 Posted August 23, 2014 Tom has the most information on this matter, he has researched this topic. I can only add personal perspective. I have no photos or memorabilia regarding my grandfather. Curious, do you remember who sold you his uniform? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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