Translations:CP 02950/36/en

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[1]

  1. Bertrand de Salignac Fénelon, 2nd Lieutenant of the 236e régiment d'infanterie, reported "missing" on the Somme 17 December 1914, had been believed captured or seriously injured for several months (see letter to Louis de Robert, CP 02921; Kolb, XIV, no. 32) before the news of his death was confirmed in a list of the dead in Le Figaro 13 March 1915 (under "Le Monde et la Ville: Deuil", p. 3). These uncertainties were apparent on his official death certificate which stated "killed in action" 17 December 1914, then subsequently, in a different hand, had been added "missing". - As for Robert d'Humières, he was killed at the front 30 April 1915, but it had not been announced in the papers until 12 May 1915: Le Journal des Débats was the first to include his name on 13 May 1915, under the heading "Échos", p. 2 (evening newspaper which came out on the 12th); on 18 May the same paper published a very eulogistic obituary (p. 1). See also Le Figaro, 15 May 1915 (obituary article, p. 3) and 21 May 1915 (summary listing of those who had "Died for their country", p. 4), as well as the Écho de Paris 15 May 1915 ("Died for their country", p. 2). Proust appears to have seen the news of his death from the newspapers (see his letter of condolence to Vicomtesse d'Humières, CP 05347; Kolb, XXI, no. 495; Lettres, no. 406). [PK, FL, FP]