Louis Eugène Cognot

Born 18 April 1895 in Noyon (Oise)
Died 29 July 1970 in Saint-Hilaire de Beauvoir (Hérault)
Joined up as a volunteer for four years on 24 December 1913.

The son of a landowner farmer, Louis Cognot was 19 years old in 1914 and was a corporal in the FourthSquadron of the SixthRegiment of Chasseurs, a light cavalry regiment. He was arrested on 2 November 1914 for "Abandonment of post in the face of the enemy", by deliberately shooting himself in the left hand. At the time of the events, he was quartered in Ypres. Since the outbreak of the War, he had already taken part in a number of campaigns against the Germans in the Meuse and around Reims. He had always conducted himself impeccably and was shortly to be promoted to the rank of non-commissioned officer. For him, the War was "an unexpected opportunity for advancement". 
When first questioned, Louis Cognot stated that he had acted under a kind of hallucination, in a half-sleep. His version was quickly placed in doubt by the military authorities, especially as he was reported to have admitted to his squadron commander that he had lied. A forensic report corroborated those doubts.
This unfortunate affair illustrates the psychological distress sometimes suffered by young people who, in 1914, found themselves separated from their families for the first time in their lives. Louis Cognot’s letter to his mother is touching testimony to this.  
After a few days in prison, Louis Cognot was acquitted and sent back into battle. He served in the army until the end of the War.