French Military Records Dictionary for Genealogy
Military records provide invaluable information about ancestors who served in the French military from the 17th to early 20th centuries. This glossary translates French military terminology. It explains terms commonly found in service records, recruitment registers, and other military documents of genealogical significance.
Military Ranks and Functions (Grades et fonctions)
| French Term | English Translation | Context and Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Soldat | Soldier/Private | Basic rank in the infantry |
| Recrue | Recruit | Newly enlisted soldier |
| Caporal | Corporal | First level of non-commissioned officer |
| Sergent | Sergeant | Non-commissioned officer above corporal |
| Sergent-major | Sergeant Major | Senior non-commissioned officer |
| Sous-lieutenant | Second Lieutenant | Lowest commissioned officer rank |
| Lieutenant | Lieutenant | Junior commissioned officer |
| Capitaine | Captain | Commander of a company |
| Commandant | Major | Field officer rank between captain and lieutenant colonel |
| Lieutenant-colonel | Lieutenant Colonel | Senior field officer rank |
| Colonel | Colonel | Commander of a regiment |
| Général de brigade | Brigadier General | Junior general officer |
| Général de division | Major General | Senior general officer |
| Maréchal | Marshal | Highest military rank in French army |
| Tambour | Drummer | Military musician, often a young boy |
| Clairon | Bugler | Military musician playing bugle |
| Sapeur | Sapper | Combat engineer |
| Grenadier | Grenadier | Elite infantry soldier |
| Chasseur | Light infantryman | Member of light infantry regiment |
| Dragon | Dragoon | Mounted infantry soldier |
| Lancier | Lancer | Cavalry soldier armed with lance |
| Cuirassier | Cuirassier | Heavy cavalry soldier with breastplate |
| Artilleur | Artilleryman | Soldier serving in artillery |
| Fusilier | Fusilier | Infantry soldier armed with fusil (musket) |
| Voltigeur | Voltigeur | Light infantry skirmisher |
| Matelot | Sailor | Basic rank in the navy |
| Quartier-maître | Quartermaster | In charge of supplies and provisions |
| Chirurgien-major | Chief Surgeon | Military doctor |
| Aumônier | Chaplain | Military clergyman |
| Porte-drapeau | Standard-bearer | Carried regimental colors |
Military Records and Registers (Types de registres militaires)
| French Term | English Translation | Context and Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Registre matricule | Service register | Individual military record showing career details |
| Livret militaire | Military booklet | Personal record of service carried by soldier |
| Feuille de route | Route sheet | Travel document for military personnel |
| Contrôle des troupes | Troop register | List of soldiers in a unit |
| Liste de conscription | Conscription list | List of young men eligible for military service |
| Tableau de recensement | Census table | Annual list of young men reaching military age |
| Tirage au sort | Drawing of lots | System used 1818-1905 to select conscripts |
| Liste du contingent | Contingent list | Men selected for active service |
| Liste des exemptés | Exemption list | Men exempt from military service |
| Conseil de révision | Review board | Examined recruits for fitness and exemptions |
| État signalétique | Descriptive roll | Physical description and service summary |
| État des services | Record of service | Summary of military career |
| Classe | Class | Conscription year group (based on birth year) |
| Congé définitif | Definitive discharge | Final release from military service |
| Congé de réforme | Medical discharge | Release due to medical unfitness |
| Certificat de bonne conduite | Certificate of good conduct | Issued upon honorable discharge |
| Réfractaire | Draft evader | Person who failed to report for conscription |
| Insoumis | Evader/Deserter | One who evaded conscription |
| Déserteur | Deserter | Soldier who abandoned his post/unit |
| Citation | Citation | Official mention for bravery or service |
| Décoration | Decoration | Medal or award |
| Campagne | Campaign | Military operation or period of service |
| Étape | Stage/Posting | Military stop or station |
| Garnison | Garrison | Station where troops were quartered |
Conflict-Specific Terms (Termes spécifiques aux différents conflits)
| French Term | English Translation | Historical Context |
|---|---|---|
| Revolutionary & Napoleonic Era (1792-1815) | ||
| Grande Armée | Great Army | Napoleon’s main army |
| Levée en masse | Mass conscription | Revolutionary military mobilization |
| Garde impériale | Imperial Guard | Elite units under Napoleon |
| Volontaire national | National volunteer | Early revolutionary soldier |
| Demi-brigade | Half-brigade | Revolutionary infantry unit |
| Vétéran | Veteran | Older soldier in garrison service |
| Invalide | Disabled veteran | Often housed in Hôtel des Invalides |
| Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) | ||
| Mobile/Garde mobile | Mobile Guard | Second-line troops during conflict |
| Franc-tireur | Irregular soldier | Civilian guerrilla fighter |
| Engagé volontaire | Volunteer enlistee | Non-conscripted soldier |
| World War I (1914-1918) | ||
| Poilu | French infantryman | Nickname for French WWI soldier |
| Classe | Conscription class | Year group called to service |
| Bleu | Rookie | Inexperienced soldier (from blue uniforms) |
| Mort pour la France | Died for France | Official designation for war dead |
| Blessé de guerre | War wounded | Soldier injured in combat |
| Gueule cassée | “Broken face” | Soldier with facial injuries |
| Mutilé de guerre | War amputee | Soldier who lost limbs |
| Prisonnier de guerre | Prisoner of war | Captured by enemy forces |
| Tranchée | Trench | Defensive earthwork position |
| Ambulance | Field hospital | Medical facility near front |
| Permissions | Leave | Authorized absence from duty |
| Colonial Service | ||
| Tirailleurs | Skirmishers | Indigenous colonial infantry |
| Spahis | Spahis | Indigenous cavalry units |
| Légion étrangère | Foreign Legion | Military unit of foreign volunteers |
| Zouaves | Zouaves | Originally Algerian, later French, infantry |
| Compagnies franches | Free companies | Colonial irregular troops |
Understanding French Military Service Records
French military records are particularly valuable for genealogists for several reasons:
Conscription System
- Started during the French Revolution and became more systematic in the 19th century
- Most males between 20-25 were required to register even if exempted
- Records often include physical descriptions, literacy level, and family information
- Some records note what happened to soldiers after service
Finding Military Records
- Service records for 1867-1921 are in departmental archives
- Records prior to 1867 are primarily at the Service Historique de la Défense (SHD)
- Records typically organized by class year (année de classe) and recruitment bureau
- Indexes may exist by name, especially for officers
Research Value
- Physical descriptions often include height, eye color, hair color, facial features
- Records may note birthplace, parents’ names, and occupation
- Service history can include locations, battles, injuries, awards
- Pension records may exist for long-serving soldiers or war wounded
The “Mémoire des Hommes” website (https://www.memoiredeshommes.sga.defense.gouv.fr/en) offers free access to digitized military archives:
- Contains searchable databases of soldiers killed in action (particularly WWI “Morts pour la France”)
- Provides access to military unit journals (journaux des marches et opérations)
- Features collections covering multiple conflicts including both World Wars, colonial campaigns, and older conflicts
- Regular updates expand available collections with newly digitized records
This glossary is part of our comprehensive French Genealogy Dictionary. For terms related to other document types, please visit our main dictionary page.
Last updated: April 18, 2025
