Joncherey's skirmish, the first dead in the Great War On August 2, 1914, at about 6am, German Lieutenant Albert Mayer and his small cavalry patrol ventured across the border, into French territory. Meanwhile, French Corporal Jules André Peugeot and his squad were parked next to a house in the village of Joncherey, located not far from the border with Alsace, then part of Germany. As the Germans approached, the alert was given by the daughter of the houseowner, who came back inside saying: "The Prussians! The Prussians are coming! Immediately Peugeot and three other French soldiers left to arrest the Germans near the Docourt farm. Meeting them at 10am, Albert Mayer opened fire with his revolver injuring Peugeot in the shoulder. As he fell, the French soldier had time to return fire, although the shot was missed on the back of the German patrol commander. The other three French soldiers, in turn, managed to kill Mayer with pistols. Corporal Peugeot and the other French soldiers ...