Pierre-Auguste Sarrus

Pierre-Auguste Sarrus (March 14 or 15, 1813 – May 3, 1876) was a French musician and inventor.


 * He joined the army at the age of 23.
 * November 27, 1843: Sarrus is affected to the 74th Régiment d'Infanterie as corporal-chief of the music, it is the start of his military musician career.
 * August 18, 1846: wedding with Mélanie Bellemère.
 * 1852: Sarrus receives the Médaille militaire.
 * 1854: Member of the Expédition d'Orient (Crimean War), he receives the Médaille de Crimée.
 * April 2, 1855: he is affected to the 13th Régiment d'Infanterie.
 * July 10, 1855: he is promoted officer.
 * 1860-61: member of the Campaign of Syria.
 * 1863: he receives the 5th class Turkish Médjidié's order and the Victoria Cross.
 * December 26, 1864: he is made knight of the Légion d'honneur.
 * July 10, 1867: Sarrus gets retired, he was then chief of music (ranking as a lieutenant) of the 13th Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne.

Nevertheless, Pierre-Auguste Sarrus is not famous for his military career, but for having invented a music instrument to replace the oboe and bassoon in military music in 1856. Pierre-Louis Gautrot built this instrument and patented it under the name sarrusophone.