Following the unification of Italy in 1870, the French Army formed its own specialist mountain troops, the Chasseur Alpin. This action acknowledged that the new kingdom of Italy presented a clear military danger, which would see the first battles of any future conflict being fought in the passes of the Alps between the two nations. Initially, they were seen as more of a specialist infantry unit, part of the Chasseurs á Pied (Hunters on Foot) Corps; however, in 1888 the Chasseur de Montagne (Hunters of the Mountain) were formed, creating what we see as the Chasseur Alpin today. Initially called the Batailons Alpins de Chasseurs á Pied (Alpine Battalions of the Hunters on Foot), this soon became abbreviated to Batailons de Chasseurs Alpins (Battalions of Alpine Hunters). From the unit's inception, its uniform was designed for the needs of the environment they were intended to operate in. This comprised a dark blue-grey loose-fitting jacket and breeches and a large beret. The beret was based on those traditionally worn by the peasants of the mountain region of the Pyrenees and was chosen because it could be adjusted to act as a sun shade and limit potential snow blindness at altitude. The Chasseur Alpin was the first unit of the regular French Army to be issued with such an item of headgear.
Shown here is an original uniform of the type worn by the Chasseur Alpin during the ill-fated Narvik operation. One of the many areas in which the French were world leaders in terms of military technology was that of uniforms. The uniform developed for the Chasseur Alpin was no exception to this. The 'headband' worn was of an elasticated wool, which provided protection for the ears from the cold. The wind-proof smock was of a lightweight construction, thus simultaneously helping to protect the wearer and reducing the overall weight the individual soldier was required to carry.
The snow shoes shown here are genuine French Army issue from 1939. They, like our mittens, are fresh from the stores and appear to have never been issued!
The mittens are of a tight woven canvas. The pair shown here are still attached as they were on first leaving the factory. As they have no date stamped inside, it is possible they are of early post-war manufacture, although the pattern is identical to those issued in 1939-1940.
Also shown here is a set of skis and poles. While neither poles nor skis have a single military marking on them, they are again consistent with the types used to the Chasseur Alpin during World War Two.
Close detail of the handles on the ski poles.
