 He had already served in the second battle of the Marne and at Verdun, Artois and the Somme before arriving in the Ardennes at the end of the war.He had twice been wounded, including a severe wound to his left arm caused by an exploding artillery shell.Upon his promotion to the rank of "Soldat de Première Classe" (Private First Class) in September 1918 it was said that he was "a good soldier having always achieved his duty, of remarkable calm, setting the best example to his young comrades."