Mesdames Tirailleurs and Indirect Clients: West African Women and the French Colonial Army, 1908-1918.

The article discusses the mesdames tirailleurs, or West African women who accompanied West African male soldiers in French forces known as tirailleurs sénégalais in their campaigns, focusing on the years 1908 to 1918. It explores the role of these women during the French conquest of Morocco and during World War I. The author comments on the legal status of these women as wives. She also reflects on how the mesdames tirailleurs raised children and sought governmental assistance and how the French military regulated disputes and marital fidelity.