"valuable acquisition for the regiment". He became an officer of the Order of the Dragon of Annam on 25 January 1895. Raffenel served with the 136th Regiment in garrison at Querqueville, Cherbourg where he was described as "intelligent, educated, hardworking, very zealous, very dedicated, very active and a good rider, a valorous officer who may achieve high rank in the future". He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in the 48th Infantry Regiment on 7 October 1899 and spent one year on detachment with the 35th Artillery Regiment, learning about artillery - particularly the 75mm gun - and lecturing to the artillery officers on infantry tactics. Afterwards Raffenel returned to the 48th Infantry at Guingamp where he served as second-in-command. He was promoted to colonel in the 27th Infantry Regiment on 8 July 1904 and was commended for his "military qualities : tact, firmness, discipline, excellent service and devotion to his duties", serving with them at Dijon. He transferred to the 85th Infantry Regiment and became commander of the 82nd Brigade on 28 September 1910. This brigade of light infantry, based at Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, was one of the elite units of the French Army. A report of the time describes Raffenel "as a commanding officer very dignified, very dedicated, moderate and tactful, as a regimental commander he is sympathetic without lacking firmness. Esteemed and loved, he could not be more worthy to be promoted to général de brigade, a rank he deserves in all respects". General Raffenel was appointed as général de brigade on 25 March 1911 and as an officer of the Legion of Honour on 29 March. He received command of the 3rd Colonial Infantry Division, one of the finest in the French Army, which marked a return to the colonial army of his early career after 20 years with metropolitan units. Upon the outbreak of the First World War Raffenel led his division from Brest to Bar-le-Duc on the Belgian frontier. On 22 August he led it over the Semois River into the Belgian village of Rossignol. There, surrounded by the German VI Corps, and fighting for six hours on a 600m wide front, the division was heavily defeated. French losses were devastating - some 11,000 of the 15,000 men in the division were casualties, making Rossignol the deadliest action of the Battle of the Frontiers. The 1st colonial Brigade ceased to exist as a formed unit; the 1st Colonial