French Foreign Legion information. An online project dedicated to the famous Foreign Legion.
Another part of the PHOTOS series. Today, the article is dedicated to the color guard of the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e REI) in Algeria, North Africa, in the early 1900s; back then, the unit was still known as the 2nd Foreign Regiment (2e Etranger, 2e RE).
Read morePHOTOS: 2nd Foreign Regiment’s Color Guard in the early 1900s
Christmas Eve marks the second most important holiday within the French Foreign Legion, traditionally a pro-Catholic institution. Thus, for that day, legionnaires in all units of the Legion create original nativity scenes and compete to see which one is the nicest and most original. This Legion tradition is unique within the French Army.
In France, the 11th of November marks Armistice Day. That day – known as Remembrance Day (or Veterans Day) in mostly English-speaking countries – the entire nation in France and abroad commemorates the end of hostilities of World War I. Thus, yesterday, on November 11, even the French Foreign Legion – as well as the rest of the French Armed Forces – commemorated the 104th Armistice Day, and remembered the 36,000 legionnaires and foreign volunteers who were killed or wounded during WWI. See the photos.
Since June 2022, a company of the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e REI) is deployed to Djibouti, Horn of Africa, to form part of the French garrison there. See some images of the unit’s activities…
While their units are currently deployed to Africa’s Sahel, Ivory Coast or Djibouti, the men of the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e REI) and 13th Foreign Legion Half Brigade (13e DBLE), the largest regiments within the French Foreign Legion, participated in military parades in France on the French national holiday.
Read more2e REI, 13e DBLE: 2022 Bastille Day in Nimes, Rodez
Like their comrades from the 2e REG parading in Paris, even the combat engineers from the 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment (1er REG) celebrated the French national day – Bastille Day – which took place on July 14. Not only in France, but in West Africa as well, in Ivory Coast.
Last week, several units of the French Foreign Legion landed in Djibouti, a country in the Horn of Africa, for carrying out the usual mission to maintain order and a French presence in this former colony of Frence. Their mission would last four months.
Read more1er REC, 2e REI, 1er REG: A new mission in Djibouti from June 2022
Since April 2022, a detachment from the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e REI) has been in California at the invitation of the U.S. Marines from the 2d Marine Division. The legionnaires train alongside their American counterparts.
Read more2e REI: A detachment to train with U.S. Marines in California
On April 30, 2022, the French Foreign Legion commemorated the 159th anniversary of the Battle of Camerone, a crucial moment in their history. The battle is portrayed as a pure example of bravery and the determination to fight to the finish. Camerone Day is therefore the most important day of the year for all current or former legionnaires. After two years of involuntary banning, the French Foreign Legion was once again allowed to commemorate the event publicly. See 2022 Camerone Day images from several Legion regiments.