Captain Pierre Bourgin (1924 – 1959)

On the 1st of March 1959, in the Souk Ahras region of northeastern Algeria, a French Foreign Legion paratrooper platoon was engaged by local insurgents. Advancing in the lead was a popular officer, Captain Pierre Bourgin. As soon as the first shots were fired, he was fatally wounded. In him, the Foreign Legion lost one of its rare poets. The following article was written in his memory.

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Andrew J. Mitchell: French Foreign Legion Insignia – 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment

In early 2024, a new English-written book dedicated to the French Foreign Legion was released: the long-awaited Collecting French Foreign Legion Insignia, Volume III – Part 2, 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment. The new book is another original work of our friend, Andrew J. Mitchell, an Irish amateur historian and a Foreign Legion insignia collector.

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2023 Legion Christmas nativity scenes

For the French Foreign Legion, seen as a traditional pro-Catholic institution in France (unlike the rest of the French Army), Christmas Eve marks the second most important holiday. To celebrate it, legionnaires in all units of the Foreign Legion – regardless of their origin and religious – create nativity scenes (crèches) every year and compete to see which one is the nicest and most original. The scenes can be small, static ones, or performed live with hand-made scenery. This long-standing Legion tradition is unique within the French Army. If you are interested, see some of the nativity scenes created by legionnaires in December 2023.

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Foreign Legion: 2023 Armistice Day

In most English-speaking countries, November 11 is known as Veterans Day or Remembrance Day, honoring military veterans and those who have died in the line of duty. In France, this day is still known as Armistice Day, in memory of the 1918 armistice signed between the Allies and Germany that ended World War I. Since 2012, all those who died for France have also been commemorated during Armistice Day. The French Foreign Legion participates annually in those ceremonies. See images.

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Legion: New Caledonia in August 2023

As we informed earlier, three regiments of the French Foreign Legion have deployed their men to New Caledonia in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia, since June 2023. The legionnaires should stay in this special overseas collectivity of France for four months, as is common practice for the so-called short duration mission (MCD). See some new images from taken during their deployment in August.

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