40 years ago, on May 24, 1976, the French Foreign Legion suffered its worst losses in a single incident since the end of the Algerian War in 1962. In the then French Territory of the Afars and the Issas (today’s Djibouti), six of its legionnaires died during a helicopter crash. Nevertheless, the accident will be totally forgotten during next 40 years. On the internet, there is no article in French (still less in English) being concerned with the accident, which still remains the second deadliest incident for the French Foreign Legion since the Algerian War ended…
38th Anniversary of the Battle of Kolwezi
On 17 May 1978, the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP) of the French Foreign Legion was put on alert to get involved in an emergency operation in Kolwezi, an important mining center located in the Katanga province of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), the second largest country of Africa.
French Foreign Legion: 185th Anniversary
On March 10, 2016, the French Foreign Legion commemorates the 185th anniversary of its founding on March 10, 1831. That day, a decree of the Council of State ratified the royal ordinance signed by Louis Philippe, the King of the French, on March 9. In the Article 1re of this three-article ordinance, the king authorized to form a Legion of Foreigners (Légion d’Etrangers) inside France.
40th anniversary of the Loyada Rescue Mission
In February 1976 legionnaires of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP) and the 13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion (13e DBLE) were involved in the rescue of 31 children in Loayada, a village on the border between today’s Djibouti and Somalia. The children were kidnapped in Djibouti, capital of the then French Territory of Afars and Issas (TFAI, formerly French Somaliland, today’s Djibouti), by four rebels from the Somali Coast Liberation Front (Front de Libération de la Côte des Somalis, FLCS), a pan-Somali guerrilla organization created in the 1960s and supported by the Somali government.
34th anniversary of the Mont Garbi accident
February 3. This day marks the 34th anniversary of the Mont Garbi accident, in which 29 members of the French Foreign Legion were killed, including a whole platoon of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP). The accident occurred in Djibouti, Africa. For the Legion, the 3rd February 1982 remains the most tragic day since the end of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu (1954).
3e REI: History of the second most decorated French regiment
In November 2015, the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (3e REI) of the French Foreign Legion commemorated the 100th Anniversary of its activation. During campaigns in Europe, Morocco, Indochina and Algeria, this famous regiment received 16 unit citations, mentioned in the name of the Army. Because of that, the 3e REI remains the second most decorated unit within the French Army.
Read more3e REI: History of the second most decorated French regiment
BLEM: History of the only Foreign Legion unit not participating in the Algerian War
The Foreign Legion Madagascar Battalion (BLEM) is one of those very little known units of the French Foreign Legion, even in France. The BLEM, in historical context, it is a very unique unit. It was the only Foreign Legion combat unit being not involved in the Algerian War (1954-1962). Also, the BLEM is that unit which helped to re-establish the new 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment in 1962. A company of BLEM was the first Legion unit ever stationed in Djibouti. The battalion also operated an amphibious and jungle training center, the predecessor to today’s famous, well-known CEFE jungle training center based in French Guiana. The last interesting thing is that the very few data we can find about the BLEM are misinterpreted by both, Wikipedia and the Foreign Legion official website.
Read moreBLEM: History of the only Foreign Legion unit not participating in the Algerian War
Museum: Foreign Legion Badges Exhibition
The Foreign Legion Museum, placed in Aubagne within Legion’s HQ of 1st Foreign Regiment (1er RE), organized a temporary exhibition dedicated to the badges/insignias of the French Foreign Legion from all decades. The exbition is opened to the public since September 18 and continues on view through 20 March 2016.
13e DBLE: History of the Legion’s only Demi-brigade
See the history and images of the French Foreign Legion’s only Demi-brigade (Half-brigade), 13e DBLE. This famous, well-known unit of the Legion was established in 1940 in Algeria, to participate in the WWII. Later that year, it became the first ever unit of the Free French Forces (FFL) of general de Gaulle. In 2011, as the last unit of the Legion, the Demi-brigade left Africa.
Read more13e DBLE: History of the Legion’s only Demi-brigade
The forgotten 1976 Djibouti accident
On May 24, 1976, the Legion suffered its worst losses in a single incident since the end of the Algerian War in 1962. In the then French colony of Djibouti, six of its legionnaires died. Nevertheless, the accident will be totally forgotten during next 40 years. On the internet, there is no article in French (still less in English) being concerned with the incident, which still remains the second deadliest incident for the French Foreign Legion since the Algerian War ended…
37th Anniversary of the Battle of Kolwezi
On 17 May 1978, the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP) of the French Foreign Legion was put on alert to prepare to be sent to the Katanga province of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), the country located in central Africa, to rescue the hundreds of European hostages captured by a group of some 1,500 Katangese rebels in the city of Kolwezi and to drive out the rebels from the city.