French pilot''s black uniform

[charles]

In the photo below, the pilot of the left is in a very dark (black?) uniform while the one on the right is in a more typical light blue uniform. You can read more about them at The Aero Conservancy. My question is this: what does the dark uniform signify? I presume the dark uniform stems from his service prior to becoming an aviator, so what service wore such uniforms?

[airwarrior]

I believe that is a dark blue, not black. Possibly a holdover from the 1915 change to sky blue? The aviator could have had it privately made in the color he thought was most dashing. If you notice, the man to his left is wearing the same pattern unifrom, but the darker uniform differs in cut slightly, such as breast pockets that are slightly lower, and more space between buttons.

[gregoire]

both the artillery and the ingeenering were wearing dark uniforme with dark trouser

[Epee]

The medium color uniform gives me the impression of being olive. I know the French used olive in WW2; were they starting to wear it in WW1 as well?

[gilles]

Hello

The dark uniform is very dark blue. It is an Aviation uniform, very similar to Genie (engineer corps) uniform.
Jean Baumont was a pre-war flyer and he was already a (drafted) member of aviation militaire before august 1914.

I don't know the other uniform color. I could not find Georges de Ram in the memoire des hommes database (although his brother Paul has a file) and I don't know his original army.

Gilles

[StephenLawson]

Black tunics and pants or jodpers were worn by French Hussars from specific regiments.

[LegendaryLoewenhardt]

S-so many... fleets of... MUSTACHES!!!!!

[vb136]

I would like to support Gilles here. If Baumont is wearing wearing a hussar-uniform, his képi would have had a hungarian knot at the front. this is not the case here.
By the way, Baumont nad De Ram was at one time members of escadrille 23.

[James A. Pratt III]

Osprey has a book on WW I French Army uniforms that could be of help to you.

[brewdog]

Originally Posted by Epee

The medium color uniform gives me the impression of being olive. I know the French used olive in WW2; were they starting to wear it in WW1 as well?

You mean khaki? Actually French African and Colonial troops, including the Foreign Legion, wore khaki from late 1915 onward.

A number of French fliers, notably Guynemer and Nungesser, continued wearing dark blue or black uniforms throughout the war, long after most of the Army adopted Bleu Horizon.