This map presents a preliminary representation of the routes used by the Battalion mixte d’Annam (BMA) between October and December 1930 as well as the 13th, 14th, and 15th companies of the 5th Regiment of the French Foreign Legion between October 1930 and August 1931. The information for the BMA originates with the Journal de Marche found in the papers of Martin Troyes (q.v.). The information for the French Foreign Legion originates in the Journaux de Marche in the files of the 1932-33 Reynaud Commission of Inquest (Commission d’Enquête) found at the Archives d’Outre-Mer in Aix-en-Provence, France carried out in the wake of the Nghe-Tinh Soviets. There are many duplicate locations, and a few locations remain in doubt, but it represents a start. There are many duplicate locations to eliminate, and a few locations remain in doubt, but it represents a start.
This representation originates in a GPX file that I built using the app GPX Editor. I prepared a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet of the relevant information and from it created a .csv file, which I uploaded then into GPX Editor. Getting the syntax for GPX Editor correct took some effort (Name, Desc, Cmt, Latitude, Longitude, Elevation, Date) but paid off well. The problem is that GPX Editor created routes that followed modern roads, so I will have to go into ArcGIS and make corrections based on historical roads and then upload a new version. The point data is visible here.
I am in the process of locating the journaux de marche for the 1st Regiment of Tontines Riflemen (1e Regiment des Tirailleurs tonkinois) and units of the Garde indigène that helped suppress the Nghệ-Tĩnh Soviets. If you have any hint of where to find the archives of these two groups, please let me know!
Enjoy!