On May 19, the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP) of the French Foreign Legion will remind the 35th anniversary of the Battle of Kolwezi. On May 19, 1978, the 2e REP was dropped on Kolwezi, a city in Katanga Province in the south of Zaire (today’s the Democratic Republic of the Congo) to rescuing more than 2,000 European hostages held by rebels.
Music band of the Foreign Legion 2013 official video
A nice, modern presentation of the Music band of the French Foreign Legion (partly in english) released just a few weeks ago. The band is a traditional part and a symbol of the Foreign Legion, based in Aubagne in the 1er RE. It has already been established in 1832, comprised exclusively of legionnaires. They have to go through the basic traing in Castelnaudary as the other legionnaires before being approved to the band. Today, the band is travelling and representing the Legion around the world.
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French Foreign Legion 1949 documentary
A short French documentary about the Foreign Legion released in 1949. Very nice images of the Foreign Legion main base in Sidi Bel Abbes (Algeria) while celebrating Camerone Day. A lot of legionnaires caught in the film will die during next five years in the First Indochina War. We can also see historical images of a typical legionnaires job of that time: hard-working with “la pioche“, a pickaxe.
Camerone Day 2013 celebrating
On April 30, 2013, the French Foreign Legion commemorated the 150th anniversary of bravery and a determination of fighting to the death of the Battle of Camerone, by celebrating “Camerone Day”.
See nice videos from 1er RE (Aubagne), 1er REC (Orange) and 1er REG (Laudun).
2e REP returned from Mali
Legionnaires of the 2nd company and Reconnaissance and Support Company (Compagnie d’éclairage et d’appui, CEA) of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP) returned from Mali to their base at Calvi, Corsica on April 20th, 2013. See the official video launched just yesterday by the French Army.
French Foreign Legion in Syria – the 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment
Syria, Homs, Damascus. Names we are hearing regularly in these days of 2012-13. It is very interesting to discover the French Foreign Legion and its legionnaires were serving at these places for decades. In 1939, the Legion units serving in Syria were transformed into the 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment and just based at Homs and Damascus. In 1941, it was the only Foreign Legion regiment which remained loyal to the French Vichy regime (cooperating with Hitler). See the very little known history and some photos of the 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment.
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History of the 5th Foreign Regiment
Since its dissolution in July 1, 2000, the 5th Foreign Regiment (5e Régiment étranger, 5e RE) has been the last disbanded regiment of the French Foreign Legion. Nicknamed “Regiment du Tonkin” or “Genie Legion”, the 5e RE has a long and truly remarkable history. I have tried to collect some data and photos and made its own page for those interested in.
Camerone 2013 – 150th anniversary of the Battle of Camerone
On April 30, the French Foreign Legion will celebrate a Camerone Day, the most important day for all legionnaires. This year it will be more festive because of the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Camerone. The festival is also open for public.
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2e REG – even a legionnaire can laugh
The 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment (2e REG) is a French Foreign Legion engineer regiment specialized in mountain warfare. For that reason, new legionnaires arriving in the 2e REG are forced to learn rock climbing. However, it is a long way mission to become a “commando”…