The 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion (2e Bataillon Etranger de Parachutistes, 2e BEP) was a Foreign Legion airborne unit established in Algeria in 1948. The unit was shipped to Southeast Asia in early 1949 to take part in the First Indochina War (1946-54). It was annihilated there in 1954, during the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. The following year, the reconstituted 2e BEP became the most decorated battalion having fought in Indochina.

The 2e BEP returned to North Africa in late 1955 and was reorganized. Its officers and legionnaires helped to form a new unit, the well-known 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP), which took over the battalion’s number, traditions and history.

 

The following article is part of the History of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment.

 
 

2e BEP: 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion 1948 – 1955

– in 1948, a new parachute battalion would be organized in Algeria
– a country situated in North Africa
– Algeria was an integral part of France (1848-1962)
– since 1832, the Foreign Legion had been stationed there
– Algeria was seen as homeland for the Legion
– its headquarters was also based there, at Sidi Bel Abbes

– in 1948, another parachute battalion had already existed in Algeria
– 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion (1er BEP, future 1er REP)
– established in July 1948
– in November of the same year, 1er BEP would move to Indochina

 

2e BEP: 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion in 1948

– 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion
– 2e Bataillon Etranger de Parachutistes (2e BEP)

– 2e BEP was established on October 1, 1948
– organized in Sidi Bel Abbes (Algeria)
– then HQ of the Foreign Legion
– 2e BEP’s HQ + 1st Company were formed there
– led by Major Burgière (temporarily)

– 2e BEP’s 2nd + 3rd Company were formed in Morocco
– by volunteers coming from 4e DBLE (Half-Brigade, later 4e REI)
– in late October, the companies were regrouped
– to form the battalion
– they were stationed in Sétif, northeastern Algeria
– at Caserne Chadeysson, an old French barracks

– Captain Solnon took command (November 5)
– he replaced Major Burgière at the head of the battalion

– November-December, parachute training
– the legionnaires were trained in Philippeville
– a town situated some 110 miles (180 km) north-east of Sétif
– a home to the French Army’s local CES (Parachute Training Center)
– the legionnaires were trained there by regular French paratroopers
– they attended the training with “blue berets” and “red berets”
– future paratroopers of the French Army’s regular units
– in mid-December, the training was over

– December 18, 2e BEP obtained its fanion

 

 
 

2e BEP: 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion in 1949

– First Indochina War (1946-54)
– French Indochina refers to French colonial territories in Southeast Asia
– today’s Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos
– under the French rule since the 1880s
– in Indochina in the 1940s, a new conflict started
– between France and the Viet Minh (League for the Independence of Vietnam)
– Viet Minh was an independence movement, led by Ho Chi Minh
– in September 1945, Ho Chi Minh declared independence from France for Vietnam
– clashes between French forces and the Viet Minh started
– in 1946, first Foreign Legion units landed in Indochina
– in December 1946, the Viet Minh attacked Hanoi, Vietnam
– the then capital of French Indochina
– First Indochina War officially started

 
January 1949:
– 2e BEP to leave North Africa for Indochina
– January 5, 2e BEP left Sétif for Mers El Kebir
– an important port near Oran, northwestern Algeria
– January 13, 2e BEP left Mers El Kebir for Indochina
– the battalion would join miliatry operations there

February 1949:
– February 9, 2e BEP landed in Indochina
– stationed in then Saigon, Southern Vietnam
– Saigon was the largest city in Vietnam
– today known as Ho Chi Minh City
– it was the capital of Cochinchina
– then title for Southern Vietnam

– in mid-February, 2e BEP deployed to Cambodia
– part of French Indochina
– 2e BEP’s rear base was placed at Phnom Penh (the capital)
– the battalion conducted patrols within the city
– they also conducted operations in Cambodia
– to maintain order in the region
– besides, guarding of French military convoys
– however, Viet Minh rebels were infrequent there

– in Saigon, only one company remained
– as a rapid reaction force
– rotated every 4-6 weeks

March 1949:
– in mid-March, Operation Tigre
– south of Saigon, Southern Vietnam
– 3rd Company, 2e BEP took part

– March 24, 2e BEP’s first combat jump
– during Operation Prestige
– in southern Cambodia
– 1st + 3rd Company participated

June 1949:
– in early June, Operation Jonquille
– west of Saigon
– 1st Company, 2e BEP took part
– alongside men from the 1er REC

– 2e BEP’s first killed officer
– Lieutenant René Fiévet
– a platoon leader with 2nd Company
– he was killed on June 3, 1949
– during a skirmish in Cambodia
– at Phum Russei Sraoh of Phnom Penh

August 1949:
– August 10, a skirmish with rebels
– in the Bat Deng sector, southern Cambodia
– south-west of Phnom Penh
– 2nd Company, 2e BEP took part
– 9 rebels were killed
– however, a legionnaire was fatally wounded

 
– 2e BEP’s composition in Indochina in August 1949:

• Command – Captain Solnon
• Deputy commander – Captain Dussert
• HQ Company – Captain Gombeaud
• 1st Company – Captain Caillaud
• 2nd Company – Captain Cazaumayou
• 3rd Company – Lieutenant Verguet

 
– at that time, the battalion consisted of around 740 men
– 27 officers + 90 NCOs + some 625 legionnaires

 
September-December 1949:
– September 17, Operation Quadrilatere II
– north of Saigon
– 3rd Comapny took part
– 20 rebels were killed

– November 15, 2e BEP back in Saigon
– stationed at Quan Tre, northwestern part of Saigon
– the unit would serve as a rapid reaction force
– for southern part of Indochina

– December 26, an operation at Hieu Tu
– in the Tra Vinh sector, south-west of Saigon
– 1st Company took part
– it jumped over the village
– 3 legionnaires were killed
– several legionnaires were wounded

 
– 2e BEP’s composition in Indochina in late 1949:

• Command – Captain Solnon
• Deputy commander – Captain Dussert
• HQ Company – Captain Cazaumayou
• 1st Company – Captain Caillaud
• 2nd Company – Lieutenant Cabiro
• 3rd Company – Lieutenant Verguet

 

 
 

2e BEP: 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion in 1950

January 1950:
– in early January, 2e BEP deployed to Annam
– Annam was then title for Central Vietnam
– 2e BEP had to maintain order there
– in the Quang Tri and Hue regions

– January 6, a skirmish with the Viet Minh
– at Dai Giang, near Hue
– many rebels were killed
– 4 legionnaires were also killed

February 1950:
– February 6, an operation north of Hue
– HQ Company participated
– 15 Viet Minh rebels were killed

– February 20, 2e BEP back in Saigon
– 2e BEP was stationed at the Tan Son Nhat Airfield
– an important airfield located near Saigon
– built by the French in the 1930s

– after one year in Indochina, 2e BEP lost 41 men killed + 77 men wounded

March-May 1950:
– operations close to Tra Vinh
– between March 29 – April 4
– south-west of Saigon
– in the Tra Cu and Ba Cum sectors
– 2nd Company (Ltn Cabiro) participated
– alongside men of the 1er REC
– 45 rebels were killed
– 2nd Company would be mentioned in the order of the Army

– April-May, small operations close to Saigon

May-August 1950:
– late May-July, 2nd Company in Central Annam
– it would operate in the Dong Hoi region
– for example, in Operation Minos

– June-August, 1st Company deployed to Laos
– it would operate in the Pakse region
– June 22, a skirmish near Kien Ngong, Laos
– 5 legionnaires were killed

– in August, 2e BEP was mentioned in the order of the Army

August-October 1950:
– late August, operations in the Baria sector
– south-east of Saigon
– 3rd Company took part

– Operation Rouleaux
– August 30 – September 2
– between Cho Phuoc Hai and Phuoc Buu
– west of the town of Baria
– south-east of Saigon
– 1st + 2nd Company took part

– in mid-September, 2e BEP moved to Tonkin
– Tonkin was the then title for Northern Vietnam
– 1st + 2nd Company, 2e BEP deployed
– about 250 men, led by Captain Dussert
– a response to growing Viet Minh activities in the region
– September 18, they moved to Hanoi
– the then capital of French Indochina

– September 23, a combat jump close to Pa Kha
– in the Lao Cai region, northwestern Tonkin
– close to the Chinese border
– to support French troops there
– during the operation, an officer died
– Lieutenant Yvon Neveu
– October 6, both companies returned to Hanoi

– 2e BEP stationed in Hanoi
– in October, HQ + 3rd Company also arrived in Hanoi
– to join the two companies
– 2e BEP was placed at Bach Mai Airfield
– the barracks of the 1er BEP
– a Legion unit annihilated in Tonkin in early October
– during the Battle of RC4

– October 30, Captain Paul Dussert took command of the 2e BEP
– the deputy commander since the establishment of the unit
– however, he wouldn’t command the 2e BEP for a long time
– three weeks later, he would be injured in a road accident
– Captain Dussert had to leave Indochina

– November 22, Captain Rémy Raffalli took command
– a young French officer, a cavalryman
– he arrived in Indochina to take command of the 1er BEP
– to replace its commanding officer, Major Pierre Segrétain
– however, the battalion was annihilated at the same time
– because of that, Captain Raffalli was transferred to 2e BEP

– late November, Operation Flore
– in the Thai Binh region
– south-east of Hanoi

– in December, 2e BEP patrolled around Hanoi

 
– 2e BEP’s composition in Indochina in late 1950:

• Command – Captain Raffalli
• Deputy commander – Captain Coat
• HQ Company – Lieutenant Longeret
• 1st Company – Captain Caillaud
• 2nd Company – Captain Cabiro
• 3rd Company – Lieutenant Verguet

 

 
 

2e BEP: 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion in 1951

January 1951:
– Foreign Airdrop Company
– Compagnie Etrangère de Ravitaillement par Air (CERA)
– CERA was constituted on January 1, 1951
– the company consisted of around 250 men
– between them, 140 legionnaires
– from the 2e BEP and ex-1er BEP
– Captain Bernard Cazaumayou (2e BEP) took command
– the company was dissolved later that year, in August

– Provisional Company, 1er BEP assigned to 2e BEP
– January 1, Provisional Company, 1er BEP was assigned to the 2e BEP
– a company composed of survivors of the famous 1er BEP
– the battalion annihilated in October 1950 in Tonkin

– in January, operations north-west of Hanoi
– between Vinh Yen and Son Tay

February 1951:
– in February, operations south-east of Hanoi
– in the Ke Sat and My Trach sectors

– Battle of Ly Dong
– February 3, a battle with the Viet Minh
– east of Ke Sat
– 2e BEP took part
– 40 rebels were killed
– 4 legionnaires were also killed

– in February, a rotation of the men
– a large number of officers and legionnaires left the battalion
– they finished their prescribed two-year stay in Indochina

March 1951:
– in March, operations in the Dong Trieu sector started
– a sector in the Quang Ninh region
– east of Hanoi
– the operations continued until May

– Reactivation of 1er BEP
– in March, 2e BEP helped to form a new 1er BEP
– 3rd Company was transferred to the new unit
– 4 officers + 80 men

– Battle of Dong Trieu
– March 29-31, a battle with the Viet Minh
– 2e BEP participated
– about 400 rebels were killed

April 1951:
– Indochinese Company
– April 1, 2e CIPLE was created
– Foreign Legion Indochinese Parachute Company
– consisting of local auxuliaries in the vast majority
– assigned to the battalion

– in April, 2e BEP’s reorganization
– 1st Company became 3rd Company
– 2nd Company became 4th Company
– because of the freshly reconstituted 1er BEP
– the new 1er BEP was composed of 1st + 2nd Company + 1er CIPLE
– 2e BEP would be composed of 3rd + 4th Company + 2e CIPLE

 
– 2e BEP’s composition in Indochina in April 1951:

• Command – Captain Raffalli
• Deputy commander – Captain Kalck
• HQ Company – Lieutenant Longeret
• 3rd Company – Captain Coat
• 4th Company – Lieutenant Louis-Calixte
• 2nd Indochinese Company – Captain Bertoleaud

 

June-July 1951:
– June-July, operations around Nam Dinh and Phat Diem
– in the Nam Dinh and Ninh Binh regions
– south-east of Hanoi

– Battle of Co Da
– June 7, a battle with the Viet Minh
– close to Duc Hau, north of Phat Diem
– 2e BEP participated
– 57 Viet Minh rebels were killed
– 5 legionnaires were also killed

– Second Battle of Co Da
– June 15, another battle with the Viet Minh
– 2e BEP participated
– Captain Jacques Bertoleaud (2e CIPLE) was fatally wounded
– 6 legionnaires were killed
– Captain Raffalli was wounded and evacuated

– in mid-July, 2e BEP returned to Hanoi

– Commando Leyion
– July 15, Commando Leyion was established
– the first guerrilla warfare unit of the Legion
– because of that called Commando Leyion (Legion in Vietnamese)
– consisting of Legion leaders and local auxiliaries
– 8 leaders (2e BEP’s NCOs + Corporals) + around 40-60 men
– assigned to the 2e BEP
– Lieutenant Barbier de Préville (2e BEP) took command
– in February 1952, renamed to Commando De Preville
– in honor to its commander killed in action
– since then, led by Staff Sergeant Jahnwitz
– a German NCO
– Commando Preville was dissolved in June 1952

August 1951:
– in early August, Captain Raffalli re-joined the battalion
– he was promoted to Major

– Lieutenant Lemaire took command of 3rd Company
– Lieutenant De Saint-Marc took command of 2e CIPLE

– in early August, 2e BEP deployed to Central Annam
– the battalion jumped over Kon Tum
– to re-take two lost French outposts
– 2e BEP would stay in the region until September

– Captain Robert Kalck died
– a deputy commander of the 2e BEP
– an ex-commander of the 1re CSPL
– he died accidentally during the jump over Kon Tum

September-October 1951:
– in September, small operations in Central Annam
– around Quang Tri and Hue
– in late September, 2e BEP returned to Hanoi

– Battle of Nghia Lo
– October 3-10, a battle with the Viet Minh
– close to Nghia Lo, Yen Bai region, northwestern Tonkin
– to support attacked French outposts
– 2e BEP participated
– the outposts were defended
– at least 53 Viet Minh rebels were killed by the battalion
– Lieutenant Jacques Lecoeur + 7 legionnaires were also killed

– Captain Yvon Coat killed
– 3rd Company commander
– killed in an accident during a supply mission
– October 15, near Nghia Lo

– October 25, 2e BEP returned to Hanoi

– Captain Merglen became a new deputy commander of 2e BEP

November-December 1951:
– in November, 2e BEP was mentioned in the order of the Army
– it was its 2nd mention in dispatches

– Battle of Hoa Binh
– a battle with the Viet Minh
– between November 1951 and late February 1952
– close to Hoa Binh
– about 50 miles (80 km) west of Hanoi
– December 15, 2e BEP joined the battle
– operations north of Hoa Binh

 

 
 

2e BEP: 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion in 1952

January-February 1952:
– Battle of Hoa Binh
– the battle with the Viet Minh close to Hoa Binh
– it would continue until late February 1952
– 2e BEP joined the battle in mid-December
– they fought alongside 1er BEP or 13e DBLE
– in January, operations along RC6 (Colonial Road)
– between Xuan Mai and Ao Trach, east of Hoa Binh
– Lieutenant Albert Beaurel + Lieutenant Paul Delearde were killed
– at least 30 legionnaires were also killed

– February 25, 2e BEP returned to Hanoi

March-May 1952:
– in March-May, operations around Hanoi, Bac Ninh and Hung Yen
– Bac Ninh is situated north-east of Hanoi
– Hung Yen is situated south-east of Hanoi
– May 15, 2e BEP returned to Hanoi

– in May, 2e BEP was mentioned in the order of the Army
– it was its 3rd mention in dispatches

– late May-early June, Operation Kangourou + Operation Antilope
– close to Phu Ly, south of Hanoi
– 2 legionnaires were killed

July 1952:
– July, operations close to Hai Phong
– an important port town east of Hanoi

– Fourragere in colors of the War Cross of TOE
– TOE means Foreign Theater of Operations
– July 18, 2e BEP obtained a fourragere
– for its first two mentions in the order of the Army

September 1952:
– Major Rémy Raffalli fatally wounded
– September 1, an operation south of Hanoi
– close to Chuyen My, between Hanoi and Phu Ly
– in fact, it should have been the last operation for Major Raffalli
– two days later, he had to leave the battalion and Indochina
– his two-year stay should have been finished
– besides, the 2e BEP’s commander was fatally wounded
– Major Rémy Raffalli died on September 10

– Major René Bloch took command of 2e BEP

October 1952:
– in October, 2e BEP’s new reorganization
– the companies were redesignated again
– because of the 1er BEP’s 1st + 2nd + 3rd combat companies
– 2e BEP was also reinforced
– 2e BEP would consist of 4th + 5th + 6th Company + 2e CIPLE

 
– 2e BEP’s composition in Indochina in October 1952:

• Command – Major Bloch
• Deputy commander – Captain Merglen
• HQ Company – Captain Jeannerot
• 4th Company – Captain Hamacek
• 5th Company – Lieutenant Lemaire
• 6th Company – Lieutenant Vial
• 2nd Indochinese Company – Captain De Saint Marc

 

– October 11, a battle with the Viet Minh
– south of Hanoi
– about 50 rebels were killed
– 4 legionnaires were also killed

November 1952:
– Operation Lorraine
– in November, a large military operation
– in the Phu Doan and Yen Bay regions
– north-west of Hanoi
– up to 30,000 French troops were involved in
– between them, legionnaires from 2e BEP and 1er BEP
– during the operation, the Viet Minh suffered important losses
– the operation ended on November 14
– 3 legionnaires of 2e BEP were killed

– November 19, 2e BEP deployed to Son La
– west of Hanoi
– to support French troops there
– in an important operation against the Viet Minh
– the battalion would move to Yen Chau
– south-east of Son La

– November 21, clashes with the Viet Minh
– close to Yen Chau
– 2 legionnaires were killed
– 9 legionnaires were wounded

– November 23, 2e BEP was placed at Na San
– an important airfield south-east of Son La
– fortified and ready for a large battle

November-December 1952:
– 1952 Battle of Na San
– a week battle between the French and the Viet Minh
– it took place in the Son La region of Northern Vietnam
– Na San was a remote valley
– transformed into a French stronghold
– it was composed of 18 defensive positions
– the French had 11 battalions + 3 artillery batteries placed there
– among them, 4 Legion battalions and a Legion mortar company
– Na San would be attacked by 9 Viet Minh regiments
– the battle ended on December 2, with the French victory
– the Viet Minh lost up to 3,000 men killed and wounded

– December 25, 2e BEP left Na San
– it would move to Co Noi
– to re-take an abandoned French military camp
– located only a few miles south-east of Na San
– nevertheless, the mission took a week
– several legionnaires were killed
– about 20 legionnaires were wounded

 

 
 

2e BEP: 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion in 1953

January-February 1953:
– in January, Camp of Co Noi would be rebuilt
– an abandoned French military camp
– a few miles south-east of Na San
– 2e BEP participated

– Junauary-February, patrolling around Co Noi

– in late February, 2e BEP returned to Hanoi

March 1953:
– in March, operations around Phuc Yen and Vinh Yen
– west of Hanoi
– about 70 rebels were captured by the battalion

April-June 1953:
– in April, operations in the Phu Ly region
– north-west of Phu Ly, south of Hanoi

– Plain of Jars in Laos
– April 20, 2e BEP moved to the Plain of Jars in Laos
– in the Xieng Khouang region, east of Luang Prabang (the capital)
– to be placed at a large military camp
– alongside the men from 2e REI or 3e REI

– Captain Georges Hamacek killed
– 4th Company commander
– May 11, he was killed during an operation
– at the Plain of Jars in Laos
– one of the very rare clashes in Laos
– that day, 36 rebels were also killed

– in June, operations in Laos
– mainly patrols around the Plain of Jars
– 2e BEP also seized several villages and towns
– between them Lat Boua, Ban Ban or Muang Souy

July 1953:
– July 1, Captain Albert Merglen took command of 2e BEP
– Major Bloch left Indochina

– July 6, 2e BEP returned back to Hanoi

– Operation Hirondelle
– July 17-21
– a large military operation to destroy Viet Minh supply depots
– in the Lang Son region of Northern Vietnam
– three Foreign Legion units took part
– 2e BEP (jumping over the Loc Binh sector)
– 2nd Battalion, 5e REI
– a bulldozer platoon from the mixed 22nd Engineers-Legion Battalion
– the operation was marked by extreme weather conditions
– several legionnaires died from heat exhaustion

August-September 1953:
– August-September, Operation Claude
– near Kien An and Phu Khe
– in the Hai Phong region, east of Hanoi
– 64 rebels were killed
– 9 legionnaires were also killed

– Operation Brochet
– September-October, a three-week operation
– south-east of Hanoi
– along the Red River in the Hung Yen region
– between Ke Sat and Hung Yen
– aimed at Regiment 42 of the Viet Minh
– the operation started on September 22
– at least 10,000 French troops were involved in
– between them, legionnaires from 2e BEP and 1er BEP
– the operation ended on October 12

October 1953:
– 2e BEP’s 3rd reorganization
– the companies were redesignated again
– HQ + 5th + 6th + 7th + 8th Company

– in October, Major Hubert Liesenfelt took command of 2e BEP
– Captain Merglen would leave Indochina in late 1953

 
– 2e BEP’s composition in Indochina in late 1953:

• Command – Major Liesenfelt
• Deputy commander – Captain Gallouet (???)
• HQ Company – Captain Piccato (???)
• 5th Company – Captain Boge
• 6th Company – Captain Vial
• 7th Company (ex-4th Coy) – Lieutenant Le Cour Grandmaison
• 8th Company (ex-2e CIPLE) – Lieutenant Pétré

 

November-December 1953:
– November-December, operations close to Hung Yen
– south-east of Hanoi

– in November, 2e BEP was mentioned in the order of the Army
– it was its 4th mention in dispatches

– in December, Captain Delafond took over the 7th Company

– also in December, 2e BEP was mentioned in the order of the Army
– it was its 5th mention in dispatches

– in late December, 2e BEP deployed back to Laos
– placed at Seno, central Laos

 

 
 

2e BEP: 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion in 1954

January-March 1954:
– January 13, 2e BEP back in Vietnam
– the unit left Laos and moved back to Vietnam

– Operation Atlante
– January 17, 2e BEP was placed at Nha Trang
– in southern Annam (Central Vietnam)
– to participate in the operation
– in February, 2e BEP moved to Plei Ku in Annam

– in mid-March, 2e BEP returned back to Hanoi

March-May 1954:
– Battle of Dien Bien Phu
– March 13 – May 7
– the most important and most tragic battle of the First Indochina War
– it took place in the valley of Dien Bien Phu
– in northwestern Tonkin
– in March, France had roughly 11,000 troops at Dien Bien Phu
– between them, some 5,000 legionnaires
– the Viet Minh had over 50,000 troops on the hills around the valley
– in mid-March, the Viet Minh attacked the French positions

– April 9-10, 2e BEP jumped over Dien Bien Phu
– to participate in the battle

 
– 2e BEP’s composition in Indochina in April 1954:

• Command – Major Liesenfelt
• Deputy commander – Captain Gallouet
• HQ Company – Captain Piccato
• 5th Company – Lieutenant De Bire
• 6th Company – Captain Brandon
• 7th Company – Captain Delafond
• 8th Company – Lieutenant Pétré

 

– in April, 2e BEP was mentioned in the order of the Army
– it was its 6th mention in dispatches

– Provisional Foreign Parachute Battalion
– Bataillon de Marche Étranger de Parachutistes (BMEP)
– April 24, BMEP was established at Dien Bien Phu
– consisting of 1er BEP + 2e BEP survivors
– significantly devastated, both units merged
– the new battalion was composed of four companies
– two were formed by ex-1er BEP men
– another two formed by ex-2e BEP men (3th + 4th Company, BMEP)
– led by Lieutenant Le Cour Grandmaison + Lieutenant Pétré

– Battle of Dien Bien Phu to be over
– the battle was over on May 7, 1954
– the valley was overrun
– finally, around 14,000 French troops participated in the battle
– only about 3,300 French troops survived (including legionnaires)
– the Legion lost 6 battalions + 3 mortar companies in the battle
– between the annihilated units, 2e BEP and 1er BEP
– 2e BEP suffered heavy losses
– several officers were killed
– Captain Charles Delafond (7th Company)
– Captain Léonce Piccato (HQ Company)
– Lieutenant Jean Garin
– Lieutenant Dominique Fragonard
– Second Lieutenant André Morand
– over 90 legionnaires were also killed
– tens of its men were wounded

May 1954:
– Captain Claudius Vial took command temporarily
– May 8, Captain Vial took administratively command of the 2e BEP
– then commander of the 2e BEP’s rear base (depot) in Hanoi
– logistics personnel + wounded legionnaires

– 3e BEP to arrive in Indochina
– May 25, 3e BEP landed in Indochina
– another Legion airborne battalion
– having been serving in Algeria since 1949
– the unit would restore the 2e BEP
– in Algeria, a new 3e BEP would become 3e REP in 1955

June 1954:
– 2e BEP’s reactivation
– June 1, 3e BEP was redesignated
– a new 2e BEP was re-created
– based at Hai Phong
– led by Major Georges Masselot
– reinforced by several ex-2e BEP elements
– from the dissolved depot in Hanoi (led by Captain Vial)
– also reinforced by wounded men returning from hospitals
– some 120 local auxiliaries would join the new 2e BEP

 
– 2e BEP’s composition in Indochina in June 1954:

• Command – Major Masselot
• Deputy commander – Captain Gauthier
• HQ Company – Captain Muzeau
• 5th Company – Captain Ducassou
• 6th Company – Lieutenant Marce
• 7th Company – Captain De Carvalho
• 8th Company – Lieutenant Mounier

– 2e BEP was composed of 701 men, including 118 local auxiliaries

 

July 1954:
– July, operations around Hai Phong

– 2e BEP to move to Cochinchina
– July 21, 2e BEP left Tonkin (Northern Vietnam)
– after four years, it returned to Cochinchina (Southern Vietnam)
– 2e BEP would be stationed back in Saigon

– July 30, the last skirmish with the Viet Minh
– at Thu Dau Mot, south of Saigon
– 2 legionnaires were wounded

August-December 1954:
– First Indochina War ended
– August 11, the First Indochina War ended
– the ceasefire in Southern Vietnam went into force
– the last of the 5 ceasefires in Indochina (since late July)
– the French had to leave Northern Vietnam

– Fourragere in Military Medal colors
– August 18, 2e BEP gained a new fourragere (the yellow one)
– for its first four mentions in the order of the Army

– August 31, 2e BEP was placed at a camp of Hanh Thong Tay
– in November, the camp was designated as Camp Raffalli
– named after the killed commander
– the camp was located north of then Tan Son Nhat Airfield
– an international airfield of Saigon

– in November-December, operations around Saigon
– Operation Bambou or Operation Dragon

 

 
 

2e BEP: 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion in 1955

January-May 1955:
– January-May, 6th Company deployed to Plei Ku
– to protect civilians in the south of Annam (Central Vietnam)

– January-May, 2e BEP patrolled around Saigon
– it also protected the important port near the city

– Far East Airborne Brigade
– February 1, BAPEO was established
– based in Saigon
– Colonel Bastiani took command
– 2e BEP was assigned to the brigade
– alongside two colonial parachute battalions

– in early February, 2e BEP was reinforced
– by about 150 men from the leaving 1er BEP
– 1er BEP would leave Indochina for Algeria

 
– 2e BEP’s composition in Southern Vietnam in mid-1955:

• Command – Major Masselot
• Deputy commander – Major Chaume
• HQ Company – Captain Barbier
• 5th Company – Captain Ducassou
• 6th Company – Lieutenant Marce
• 7th Company – Captain De Carvalho
• 8th Company – Captain Perrier

July-August 1955:
– Fourragere in colors of the Légion d’Honneur
– July 13, 2e BEP gained a new fourragere
– the famous red fourragere of the Legion of Honor
– it became the most decorated battalion having fought in Indochina

– Combat Support Company
– in late July, local auxiliaries had to leave the battalion
– since August, they would join new Vietnamese armed forces
– 8th Company (a “Vietnamese” unit) was reorganized
– it became Combat Support Company
– Pioneer Platoon (with bearded men) was created within
– most likely the only French all-bearded airborne unit

November 1955:
– 2e BEP to leave Indochina
– November 1, 2e BEP left Indochina
– the battalion was sent back to Algeria, North Africa
– November 18, it landed in Algeria
– the men moved to Philippeville
– 2e BEP spent almost 7 years in Indochina

– in Indochina, 2e BEP suffered heavy losses
– 32 officers, 85 NCOs and 707 legionnaires of the 2e BEP were killed

– 2e BEP’s dissolution
– November 30, 2e BEP was administratively dissolved
– its companies would help to form a new regiment

December 1955:
– 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment
– 2e Regiment Etranger de Parachutistes (2e REP)

– 2e REP was constituted on December 1, 1955
– ex-2e BEP + ex-3e REP (Parachute Regiment, ex-3e BEP)
– the unit was stationed at Philippeville
– led by Major Masselot temporarily

– see the History of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment

 
 

 
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Main information & images sources:
More Majorum (German legionnaires in Indochina)
Képi blanc magazines
Foreign Legion annual bulletins
Pierre Sergent: Paras-Légion (France Loisirs, 1982)
Pierre Montagnon: Les parachutistes de la Légion (Pygmalion, 2005)
Hommes de Guerre magazines
Ecpad – French Army media agency
Fanion Vert et Rouge (Fr)
Google Maps
Wikipedia.org

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More from the history of the Foreign Legion’s paratroopers:
1st Foreign Parachute Regiment
3rd Foreign Parachute Regiment
Parachute Company of 3e REI
1st Heavy Mortar Foreign Parachute Company
CERA – Foreign Airdrop Company
 

See Foreign Legion’s other disbanded battalions:
BLEM: Foreign Legion Madagascar Battalion
61e BMGL: 61st Engineer-Legion Mixed Battalion
3e BMLE: 3rd Foreign Legion Task Force
Foreign Legion Moroccan Motorized Group
Foreign Legion Algerian Motorized Group
 

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The page was updated on: December 21, 2019

 

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