Conclusion
Subaltern approaches open up possibilities for writing naval history from below and utilisation of overlooked primary sources from the lower deck. Scholarly work on the Marine nationale in English generally leaves out the experiences of common sailors, in part due to language and limited availability of contemporary private correspondence. Georges Brucelle’s letters to his family portray an articulate and intelligent young man, new to naval service just prior to the First World War. From his time arriving as a working-class recruit from Paris at the fleet personnel depot in Toulon, coursework on the torpedo school shipMarceau , up to specialist assignment to the destroyer minelayerCasabianca , Brucelle worked diligently to get ahead and make the most of his experience in the navy. His descriptions of leadership by superiors, provision of food, quarters, and realistic opportunities for advancement remained largely positive. Brucelle benefited from free healthcare in the navy, costly for working French civilians. Pay at lower rank levels was frequently supplemented by money sent from home, even for those with very little. Entertainment during leave and time ashore depleted funds quickly with sailors. Brucelle looked favourably upon travel and visits to new places associated with the navy, which remained a major draw for him compared to his previous land-based urban life in Paris. Meanwhile, Brucelle conscientiously applied himself to gaining the rated torpedo specialist qualification and ranking that would give material benefits for future service and better his post-navy employment and marital prospects. Like many French sailors, he pursued a steady romantic relationship, with a sweetheart or fiancée at a distance. Brucelle intended to stay in the navy for five years and then get settled. Unfortunately, the war and his death cut short those plans and hurt his family. Emotional attachments remained very dear, particularly the relationship with his mother.
Was Brucelle’s odyssey of early career service in the Marine nationale before the First World War typical or exceptional? It is always hard to extrapolate the experiences of a single individual to a larger group. Certainly, not every sailor was so successful or conscientious. The reflections do show however the premium that the French Navy put on quality training and ensuring excellence in studies. The advanced torpedo course that Brucelle went through leading to culminating final examinations was demanding and thorough. Sailors under instruction received exposure to torpedo arrangements in larger cruisers and battleships, submarines, destroyers, and torpedo boats. The detailed descriptions provided by Brucelle remain among the few available for this type of instruction at this rank level. Brucelle’s letters are a snapshot into the working and social lives of an ordinary sailor in the pre-war Marine nationale , which can add to any wider general study of French sailors using sources from more individuals.