The Soldier: BONIAU André

His Story :

André Raymond BONIAU is born on the 10th of April 1897 in Paris, Paris (75) (formerly Seine) to mother Eugénie BONIAU and no declared father. BONIAU’s story, a young man born in the late 1890s, is unfortunately one of many that does not offer much information about his childhood, education, or employment. Despite the mention of office employee as profession on BONIAU’s registration document, it is the imminence of his service in the Great War that will soon mark his story. As the First World War begins, the mobilization in France will be almost immediate in August 1914, and will remain constant through the course of the war’s four long years. This mobilization obligates and recalls all men aged approximately 20 through 40 years to fight under the French flag, amassing an army of more than 3,500,000 men in the first month of war alone. BONIAU, a young man of the class of 1917, is not called at this date, being only 17 years old.

In 1916, after two years of destruction, it is BONIAU’s turn to incorporate into the French Army. Aged 18, BONIAU arrives at the corps of the 132nd Infantry Regiment in January 1916, and becomes soldier of 2nd class with the 71st Infantry Regiment July 19th of the same year. The 71st is stationed at Verdun in 1916; at Le Mort Homme until July, and under violent artillery bombardments at Thiaumont in August. From Verdun, the month of September BONIAU and his regiment are moved by truck to the Champagne region, where the sector will be relatively calm through the end of the year.

The 7th of January 1917, BONIAU is transferred to the 5th Infantry Regiment, the unit with which he will combat for another two long years of war. The 5th Regiment, having also participated in the bloody Battle of Verdun, is granted rest until June 1917, giving BONIAU some calm following his baptism by fire. Relieving the 9th Regiment of Zouaves in the Courtecon region the same month, BONIAU will be in the Aisne until the end of the year. In July, at the Chemin des Dames, BONIAU is directly present in an attack the 13th that returns 16 German prisoners and permits him to advance through enemy trenches, and in August, the regiment is relocated south of the commune of Chermizy-Ailles (02). Still along the contested Chemin des Dames, BONIAU engages in brief combats from the 13th to the 16th, but the following period will prove thankfully more quiet and restful.

The year 1918 will be a crucial one for BONIAU, seeing him notably participate in a “trench sweep” (a specialized attack involving fast movements to clear trenches of their remaining occupants, often after period of heavy artillery bombardment) in early April. For his conduct and discipline, the Lieutenant-Colonel ROUSTIC will issue BONIAU a citation by order of the regiment the 15th, and his continued service will see him promoted to corporal the 1st of June 1918. It is the final German offensive in the Champagne region in July that will cause a hasty redeployment of the regiment to the region of the Ourcq River, where on the 18th at La Ferme de la Loge, BONIAU receives a penetrating wound to the left thigh by enemy machine gun fire. The French Army launches her counterattack, and 117 days later, all is silent and France is victorious.

BONIAU, aged only 21 as the armistice is signed, has defended his country. This soldier, still just a young man, returns with a terrible wound and his Croix de Guerre distinction. Despite mentions of military reform because of paralysis in his lower abdomen caused by his wartime wound, André Raymond BONIAU will live a long life — not without more difficulty — until 1989. Today, he is the image of the boy turned man far too soon, but we remember him for his courage and devotion from 1914 to 1918.

Dedicated to the memory of this soldier.

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Registration Document: tinyurl.com/5n8w96ce
Geneanet Search: tinyurl.com/4tct6pvn

The Official Journal of the Republic publication the 25th of November 1921 details BONIAU’s grave wound suffered at his combat post.

André Raymond BONIAU in his uniform of the 5th Infantry Regiment. Visible on his left sleeve is his first service chevron for a year at the front (dating this photo to 1917), and his Chauchat machine-rifle operator insignia.

BONIAU’s registration document details his citation given by Lieutenant-Colonel ROUSTIC of the 5th Infantry Regiment, as well as his wound received on the 18th of July 1918.

The Journal de Marches et d’Operations of the 5th Infantry Regiment entry for the 12th - 13th of April 1918. BONIAU participates in this trench sweep attack.

This description, written by BONIAU, is the most complete example possible, giving all the information possible to carefully preserve his story.