Orientation

The only document which allows to trace a private or a non -commissioned officer’s journey during the First World War and the Second World War is the number sheet. 

In most cases, this number sheet is to be looked for at the departemental archive centre at the place of registration of the person in question if he was born before 1921. For privates and non -commissioned officers born after 1921, you may find the number sheet at the SHD -CAPM (Pau). 

The SHD does not possess any documents proving an individual’s naturalisation. Those decrees are stored at the National Archive centre : https://www.archives-nationales.culture.gouv.fr/web/guest/dossiers-de-naturalisation

It should be noted that there is no legislative provision to grant French nationality to veterans solely on the basis of that status. The same applies to their spouses and descendants. The fact that one of your relatives in the ascending line served or fought in the French army therefore does not give rise to any special right to French nationality.

Folders concerning the Resistance are stored at the SHD of Vincennes, listed at the following ratings: GR 16 P and GR 28 P.

The individual folder’s inventory of the Resistance as well as the networks are open for consultation on the SHD’s website, in the search by thematics guidebook.

You may also do a research on the database of the website of Memory of men. 

You will receive the rating’s reference of the folder (GR 16 P xxx or GR 28 P xxx) and on the SHD’s website, from your personal space, you will be able to make a request for the reservation of a rating as well as a session, on the tab “My personal space”. 

The Medical and Hospital Archive Service of Arms (MHASA/ SAMHA in French), at Limoges, stores today (2013) personal folders and registers of the patients admitted in the military hospitals and the military rooms of civil hospitals. 

SAMHA.
Département Exploitation
23 rue de Châteauroux
BP 21105
87052 LIMOGES Cedex 2
05 55 12 12 46
exploitation.samha@orange.fr ou samha@orange.fr 

For more information: https://www.servicehistorique.sga.defense.gouv.fr/guides-aide/votre-ancetre-ete-blesse-ou-malade-en-service

Algeria : the archives concerning the French (of origin or naturalised) subject to conscription are given by the SHD-Pau to the National Archives of Overseas Territories (ANOM) in Aix-en-Provence: https://www.archivesnationales.culture.gouv.fr/anom/fr/ usually 90 years after the birth of the persons in question. The archives concerning the non -French indigenous are permanently stored at the SHD -CAPM (Pau). Services for harkis and other categories of substitute during the Algerian War are sought at the Central Returnees Service (SCR) in Agen :

68 Bd Sylvain Dumon
47000 AGEN.
0553692100

Morocco and Tunisia : the archives of French conscripts are kept by the SHD-CAPM (Pau) at the Diplomatic Archive Centre of Nantes (CADN), 90 years after the date of birth of the persons concerned : https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/archives-diplomatiques/informations-pratiques/site-de-nantes/
For the Moroccan and Tunisian natives and other non -naturalised residents, search at the SHD -CAPM (Pau).

For more information :  https://www.servicehistorique.sga.defense.gouv.fr/guides-aide/votre-ancetre-vu-du-pays-grace-larmee

If your request concerns another topic, please make sure you have checked our Research support guidebooks and the Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q).