In late May 1976, during a military exercise in the Horn of Africa, a helicopter transporting Foreign Legion elements crashed. In addition to two helicopter crew members, six legionnaires died immediately; another two died later. Other legionnaires were badly wounded. At the time, this was the deadliest accident for the Legion since the end of the Algerian War in 1962. Although largely forgotten today, even in France, this sad event and its victims should be remembered.
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L'article en français : Crash d’hélicoptère à Djibouti en mai 1976
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Background
The year 1976 started well for the French Foreign Legion. In early February, its legionnaires took part in the successful, widely reported 1976 Loyada hostage rescue mission. This was a mission to rescue 31 French children kidnapped by Somali rebels in Djibouti City, the capital of what was then the French Territory of Afars and Issas (TFAI, formerly French Somaliland). Since 1977, the country has been called Djibouti. It is located in the Horn of Africa and borders Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia.
In support of the rescue mission in Djibouti, a Foreign Legion intervention force was alerted: the Foreign Legion Operational Group (GOLE), a combined arms unit commanded by Major Michel Guignon. Formed in 1971, the battalion-size task force was stationed in Bonifacio, Corsica. Since 1972, the group had been assigned to the re-activated 2e RE (now 2e REI), also garrisoned in Corsica at the time.
The GOLE left France on February 5, 1976. In fact, only HQ, 6th Company, and 4th Squadron 1er REC were deployed. When the units landed in the TFAI/Djibouti, the Loyada mission was already over. Nevertheless, a new order was given: the GOLE had to stay in the country for the next four months (a so-called Short-Term Mission, MCD), to strengthen the French military presence in the region. The GOLE legionnaires (nicknamed GOLEmen) would participate in military maneuvers and conduct border patrols alongside their comrades from the 13e DBLE, a unit permanently stationed in Djibouti since 1962.
GOLE’s Helicopter Crash
On May 24, 1976, a firing exercise combined with heliporting took place in the TFAI/Djibouti. The GOLE legionnaires were to be transported by helicopters from Arta some 15 miles (25 km) to the south, to a military shooting range at Holhol (sometimes also spelled Holl Holl). Arta is a small town in the southeastern part of the country, about 20 miles (30 km) west of the capital. The GOLE’s HQ and 6th Company were stationed there at the time.
The transport was conducted in the morning by three helicopters (SA 330B PUMA) from the French Army Light Aviation Detachment (DETALAT) of Djibouti. The first rotation had the Mortar Platoon (from the HQ Company) on board. The Pumas left Arta around 7:15 a.m. (07:15) and followed a standard, direct route to the exercise site. They returned about half an hour later, without problems.
The second rotation took the 3rd Platoon, 6th Company. The three Pumas left Arta around 7:45 a.m. (07:45). This time, however, they were to fly a tactical low-level route of several miles along the Djadjaboka thalweg, a dry riverbed that contains water only when heavy rain occurs.
Twelve minutes later, at 7:57 a.m., when they were approaching Holhol, about 1.25 miles (2 km) away, an accident occurred. The second Puma of the formation, with three crew members and twelve legionnaires on board, crashed into the thalweg and burst into flames. The subsequent investigation determined that at the bottom of the thalweg, at that early hour, the air no longer provided sufficient lift. As a result, the Puma lost altitude and its rear rotor struck a clump of kekés (thorny shrubs native to the region) and broke apart.
As the Puma was losing altitude, one legionnaire managed to jump out of the craft before impact. On impact, the pilot and several other legionnaires were thrown clear of the wreckage. Despite his wounds, the legionnaire who had jumped then pulled three of his badly burned comrades from the burning helicopter. Yet two crew members and six legionnaires could not be saved and perished in the fire, including Staff Sergeant Smajil Zolic. He served as the platoon sergeant, deputy to the platoon leader.
Among the survivors were four badly wounded legionnaires. These four legionnaires were evacuated and transported to France a few hours later, to be hospitalized at a military hospital in Paris.
Two of the four badly wounded legionnaires died from their injuries. The other two legionnaires survived and, after recovering, retired to Puyloubier, the Foreign Legion’s home for disabled veterans.[1]
1. Account of General Vittorio Tresti, then commander of the 6th Company, given in late March 2019 and provided to the Foreign Legion Info website by Roberto Castiglioni.
Casualties
The following legionnaires and crew members were killed in the crash, died of their injuries shortly afterward, or were badly wounded.
6 killed legionnaires of the 3rd Platoon, 6th Company, GOLE:
- Staff Sergeant Smajil ZOLIC – platoon sergeant
- Senior Corporal Julien COLETT
- Legionnaire Alois BRUNNER
- Legionnaire Joseph GALIESER
- Legionnaire Pierre GAUMONT
- Legionnaire René LARIER
4 badly wounded legionnaires of the 3rd Platoon, 6th Company, GOLE:
- Legionnaire Ruddy BRUNNER (from Germany)
- Legionnaire CHARBONNEL (from Belgium)
- Legionnaire ROAGNA (from Spain)
- Legionnaire ZIEGLER (from Austria)
Two of these badly wounded legionnaires died later. Their identities are unknown, however.
2 killed crew members of the crashed DETALAT helicopter:
- Adjudant Jean-Louis DUBOST
- Maréchal des logis-chef Christian BAIXAS
Conclusion
Despite the severity of the accident and the number of its victims, the event would be almost forgotten over the following decades. Yet in 2018, there was not a single French-language text on the internet dealing with this event, except for a 2016 forum comment translating the original version of this article.
There may be a reason for this. Six years later, another air accident killing legionnaires occurred in Djibouti: the 1982 Mont Garbi Accident. This is a well-known incident, fully covered by the media and commemorated annually. It may have overshadowed the 1976 crash.
In any case, these two air accidents remain the Foreign Legion’s deadliest events to have occurred since the end of the Algerian conflict in 1962.
The operation in the TFAI/Djibouti was the only rapid intervention the GOLE ever undertook. The unit was dissolved a year later, in mid-1977, and its combat companies were absorbed into the 2e RE (later redesignated 2e REI).
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Special thanks:
I highly appreciate Roberto Castiglioni and his help with this article.
Also, many thanks to General Vittorio Tresti.
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Main information & images sources:
Képi blanc magazines (1976)
Colonel Jean-Jacques Noirot: A tous les oubliés (ASAF, November 2019)
Mémorial GenWeb
Aéorostèles
Google Maps
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More from the Foreign Legion’s history:
1863 Battle of Camerone
1908 Forthassa Disaster
Foreign Legion in the Balkans: 1915-1919
1932 Turenne Rail Accident
1954 Battle of Dien Bien Phu
1976 Loyada Hostage Rescue Mission
1982 Mont Garbi Accident
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The page was updated on: May 24, 2026