When the world plunged into the chaos of World War I, the bravery and unwavering devotion of one man came to the fore. Known as "France's First Soldier", Albert Severin Roche showed extraordinary courage and resilience during the tumultuous years of the conflict. Delve into the extraordinary life of this unsung hero and how he was nearly executed after a brave act.
Albert Severin Roche joins the French team
Albert Severin Roche, 1918.
Roche was born on March 5, 1895, in Léauville, France, to a peasant family. Little was known about his life until 1913, when he tried to join the French team at the age of 18. Because of his height of only five feet two inches, the appraisal committee rejected him and he was sent back to work on the family farm.
This failure did not stop Rocky from trying again, and in August 1914, he ran away from home to report for Allen's training camp. Unlike the first, the board accepted him into the army and assigned him to the 30th battalion of hunters. His training did not go well, and Roche was very poorly rated among his colleagues and superior officers, which prompted him to run away again. He was immediately found and arrested as a deserter, but he vehemently denied this claim, saying: "The bad soldiers were just sent there, but I want to go to the place where we are fighting." ”
Become a one-man army in Aina
German soldiers in a trench near the Aisne Valley in 1914.
Roach's punishment was to be sent to the front on July 3, 1915, with the 27th Battalion of Alpine Chasseurs, which was exactly what he originally wanted. It was there that he began to make a name for himself as a single army.
Roach's first striking battle was when he snuck along the enemy trench and threw grenades at the chimney, destroying a German pillbox where German soldiers were sitting around the fire, many of them were killed, and the rest surrendered to the French, who returned with eight prisoners and captured machine guns.
Later, when he was transferred to Alsace, Roche succeeded in convincing a group of Germans to abandon the offensive and the French garrison to hold their ground, when in reality, all but himself died.
Perform incredible rescue missions
French infantry in a trench, 1918.
Albert Roche had many successes in battle, but there were also moments when he made a thrilling escape. While on a reconnaissance mission, his adjutant was wounded, and two were captured. Somehow, Roach killed the interrogator and captured his ** and escaped, not only returning to the French front with his wounded superiors on his back, but also holding 42 German prisoners of war.
In another battle, he witnessed the fall of his captain. Braving heavy fire, he crawled between battle lines for six hours to reach him, and after that it took another four hours for his superiors to be safely handed over to the medics.
Satisfied with the rescue, Rosh was exhausted and fell asleep, only to be woken up by his comrades on patrol. Suppose he fell asleep while on duty, he would have been executed for the crime of dereliction of duty. No one supported his claims because his captain had fallen into a coma, so no one believed his claims.
Accepting his fate but insisting on his innocence, Rocky wrote to his father: "I will be shot in an hour, but I assure you that I am innocent." He was found guilty and taken to firing squad. Shortly before his death, a messenger arrived, informing the chief that he had woken up and told Rocky what he had done, saving his life.
Albert Severin Roach and the end of the First World War
Albert Severin Roach.
At the end of the First World War, Albert Roche did not receive any military rank and remained a soldier of the second class. That being said, he has amassed an impressive track record. At just 23 years old, he took 1,180 prisoners and was wounded nine times.
However, Roche's exemplary service has not gone unnoticed. On November 27, 1918, he appeared in front of a large crowd before General Ferdinand Foch, the Supreme Commander of the Allied forces. The Frenchman was called their "Albert Roche the Liberator, the First Soldier of France!" ”