Nom de guerre

A nom de guerre (French pronunciation: [nɔ̃ d(ə) ɡɛʁ] , 'war name') is a pseudonym used to disguise a fighter's real identity or, formerly, simply to identify them clearly. In ancien régime France it would be adopted by each new recruit (or assigned to them by the captain of their company) as they enlisted in the French army. These pseudonyms had an official character and were the predecessor of identification numbers: soldiers were identified by their first names, their family names, and their noms de guerre (e. g.