Deserters / Conscription: Deserters / Conscription

» LunarEVA - Deserters / Conscription

Good day Mr. Barnham,

This is a follow-up to my earlier questions about possible prisoners of war from Corsica.

You had recommended the book "The Prisoners of Voronesh" which is an excellent account of the long march up through the Crimean peninsula to Russian territory.

The book said (page 200) "... it is impossible to say how many prisoners there were at Voronesh, but no more than ninety returned. Allowing for deserters, who generally did not return, and the relatively small numbers of allied soldiers actually taken by the Russians, it is doubtful if the total number imprisoned there was more than 200."

My question is...is the 200 number of POWs during the war correct (given that Voronesh was the primary location for POWs)?

Are there any estimates on the number of deserters during the war? (I am particularly interested in French deserters).

How were deserters punished after the war (if indeed they made it back to the Allied side)?

What happened to deserters after their desertion? I understand the Russians treated them badly because they felt deserters couldn't be trusted.

...and (this may be a stupid question, but...) was service in the French Army mandatory? Would a soldier from Corsica have been conscripted to fight the Crimean War?

Sorry for all the questions, but perhaps you could direct me to a book or source which may have some of these answers.

Thanks

Fraser Mooney, Nova Scotia

-- posted by LunarEVA