French military personnel killed in World War I

Colonel Marie Augstin Gaston Cros (known as Gaston Cros) (6 October 1861 – 10 May 1915) was a French army officer and archaeologist. He was born in Alsace and was displaced when that territory was incorporated into the German Empire. He joined the French Army as a lieutenant and saw action in Tonkin before spending several years surveying in Tunisia, receiving the honours of membership of Vietnamese and Tunisian orders and appointment as a chevalier of the Legion of Honour. In 1901 Cros was appointed head of the French archaeological expedition to Girsu, Iraq to continue the work of Ernest de Sarzec. His work over the next five years included the tracing of the 32.5 feet (9.9 m) thick city wall and for his work there received a letter of commendation from Gaston Doumergue, the Minister of Fine Arts, and the award of the Golden Palms of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques. Promoted to lieutenant-colonel, Cros served in the French protectorate of Morocco from 1913, seeing action in the Zaian War.
Upon the outbreak of the First World War Cros was recalled to metropolitan France and fought in defence of Paris at the First Battle of the Marne, leading an ad hoc unit of zouaves and tirailleurs. He was wounded and spent two days directing his troops from a horse-drawn carriage before he was forced to leave his command. On 15 September 1914 he was promoted to colonel and subsequently received command of the 2nd Moroccan Brigade which he led at the Battle of the Yser and the Second Battle of Artois. It was at Artois that he was killed in a German counter-attack. Cros' name is recorded alongside that of Colonel Pein, who commanded the 1st Moroccan Brigade at Artois, on the Moroccan Division Memorial at Vimy.

Marie Léon Flameng (30 April 1877 – 2 January 1917) was a French cyclist and a World War I pilot. He competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens, winning three medals including one gold.

Charles Devendeville (8 March 1882 in Lesquin – 19 September 1914 in Reims) was a French swimmer and Olympic champion. He competed at the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris, where he received a gold medal in the underwater swimming. He died of injuries during the First World War, at age 32.

Louis Marie Joseph Le Beschu de Champsavin (24 November 1867 – 20 December 1916) was a French military officer and horse rider.

Henri Alexis Tauzin (17 April 1879 in Paris – 11 October 1918 in Lyon) was a French athlete who competed in the early twentieth century. He specialized in the 400 metres hurdles and won a silver medal in Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, his birthplace.Tauzin also competed in the 200 metre hurdles, finishing fourth in his semifinal heat to not advance to the final.
An administrative officer in the army, Tauzin was killed in action during World War I.

Eugène Adrien Roland Georges Garros (French pronunciation: [ʁɔlɑ̃ ɡaʁos]; 6 October 1888 – 5 October 1918) was a French aviation pioneer and fighter pilot. Garros began a career in aviation in 1909 and performed many early feats before joining the French army and becoming one of the earliest fighter pilots during World War I. Garros was shot down on 5 October 1918. In 1928, the Roland Garros tennis stadium was named in his memory; the French Open tennis tournament takes the name of Roland Garros, which is held in this stadium.

Henri Alexis Joseph Vanwaetermeulen (14 July 1862 – 16 July 1918) was a French general of the First World War who began his career as a private soldier. Enlisting into a line regiment in 1883 Vanwaetermeulen was promoted to sergeant major within two years and received his commission within five. He transferred to the Troupes de marine and saw service in several French colonies. In Tonkin Vanwaetermeulen was mentioned in dispatches for leading assaults on two forts and received the Colonial Medal. He saw further service in Madagascar, Senegal and Mauritania, much of it under the command of Joseph Gallieni, and by the outbreak of the First World War was a lieutenant-colonel.
Soon after the start of the war Vanwaetermeulen was promoted to colonel and received command of a colonial regiment. He saw action in all the major French operations of 1914–16, was mentioned in dispatches at the Second Battle of Champagne and the Battle of the Somme and received the Croix de Guerre. Promoted to général de brigade by 1917 he was mortally wounded during French counter-attacks following the German spring offensive. He was posthumously appointed a commander of the Legion of Honour.

Raymond Duchamp-Villon (5 November 1876 – 9 October 1918) was a French sculptor.

Charles Armand Auguste Ferdinand Mercier du Paty de Clam (21 February 1853 – 3 September 1916) was a French army officer, an amateur graphologist, and a key figure in the Dreyfus affair.

Lieutenant Jean Chaput was a French World War I flying ace credited with 16 aerial victories.