The French 102nd Division was a Territorial division (French: 102e Division d'Infanterie Territoriale, 102e DIT) during World War I, and a Fortress division (French: 102e Division d'Infanterie de Forteresse, 102e DIF) during World War II.
During World War I, the division comprised:
- 286th Territorial Infantry Regiment
- 292nd Territorial Infantry Regiment
- 326th Territorial Infantry Regiment
- 342nd Territorial Infantry Regiment
The division was formed on 25 May 1915, and was dissolved on 1 May 1916. During this time, it was part of the French 13th Corps (Corps d'Armée (CA)) (part of the French Sixth Army).
During the Battle of France in May 1940, the division was made up of the following units:
- 148 Fortress Infantry Regiment
- 42 Colonial Machine Half Brigade
- 52 Colonial Machine Gun Half Brigade
- 3 Machine Gun Battalion
- 160 Artillery Regiment
- 218 Artillery Regiment
It was a Series A reserve division which contained younger reservists. It was a Fortress Division defending the French Border with Belgium.
Famous quotes containing the words fortress and/or division:
“The absolute has moved into the fortress of the absurd.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)
“Slow, slow, fresh fount, keep time with my salt tears;
Yet slower yet, oh faintly gentle springs:
List to the heavy part the music bears,
“Woe weeps out her division when she sings.”
Droop herbs and flowers;
Fall grief in showers;
“Our beauties are not ours”:
Oh, I could still,
Like melting snow upon some craggy hill,
Drop, drop, drop, drop,
Since nature’s pride is, now, a withered daffodil.”
—Ben Jonson (1572–1637)