Yesterday, the French Foreign Legion media center published a video of the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (1er REC) commemorating Saint Georges Day, regimental holiday.
Heavy mortar units of the Foreign Legion in the First Indochina War
In October 1952, the Foreign Legion made a decision to create an independent heavy mortar unit. In 1954, there were three mortar units within the French Foreign Legion fighting in the First Indochina War. A parachute mortar company and the two infantry mortar companies composed of mixed elements: legionnaires and local anti-communist soldiers. These units used the 120mm heavy mortars. See history and a few images of the units.
Read moreHeavy mortar units of the Foreign Legion in the First Indochina War
2e REI is in Mali now
As the AALE (Fellowship of Foreign Legion veterans) of Nimes has informed, roughly 300 legionnaires of the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e REI) of the Foreign Legion left its base and has been engaged in Operation Serval in Mali last week.
35th anniversary of the Battle of Kolwezi
On May 19, the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP) of the French Foreign Legion will remind the 35th anniversary of the Battle of Kolwezi. On May 19, 1978, the 2e REP was dropped on Kolwezi, a city in Katanga Province in the south of Zaire (today’s the Democratic Republic of the Congo) to rescuing more than 2,000 European hostages held by rebels.
Music band of the Foreign Legion 2013 official video
A nice, modern presentation of the Music band of the French Foreign Legion (partly in english) released just a few weeks ago. The band is a traditional part and a symbol of the Foreign Legion, based in Aubagne in the 1er RE. It has already been established in 1832, comprised exclusively of legionnaires. They have to go through the basic traing in Castelnaudary as the other legionnaires before being approved to the band. Today, the band is travelling and representing the Legion around the world.
Read moreMusic band of the Foreign Legion 2013 official video
French Foreign Legion 1949 documentary
A short French documentary about the Foreign Legion released in 1949. Very nice images of the Foreign Legion main base in Sidi Bel Abbes (Algeria) while celebrating Camerone Day. A lot of legionnaires caught in the film will die during next five years in the First Indochina War. We can also see historical images of a typical legionnaires job of that time: hard-working with “la pioche“, a pickaxe.
Camerone Day 2013 celebrating
On April 30, 2013, the French Foreign Legion commemorated the 150th anniversary of bravery and a determination of fighting to the death of the Battle of Camerone, by celebrating “Camerone Day”.
See nice videos from 1er RE (Aubagne), 1er REC (Orange) and 1er REG (Laudun).