The 38th Dump Truck Company (38e CCB) was a Foreign Legion engineering unit constituted in France in 1947. Its main task was to support French troops during the First Indochina War (1946-54). The unit was providing transportation of building materials and supplies by truck. It also participated in road building. The 38e CCB was dissolved in 1955.
– First Indochina War (1946-54)
– French Indochina reffers to French colonial territories in Southeast Asia
– today’s Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos
– in Indochina in the 1940’s, a conflict started between France and Ho Chi Minh
– Ho Chi Minh led the Viet Minh (League for the Independence of Vietnam)
– Viet Minh was an independence movement
– 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
1946-47: 1st Bridge Equipment Company
– 1st Bridge Equipment Company
– 1re Compagnie d’Equipage de Ponts (1re CEP)
– 1re CEP had served in Indochina since February 13, 1946
– an almost unknown military engineering company
– placed in Hanoi, Tonkin
– Tonkin was then title for Northern Vietnam
– the company supported French operations in the region
– it was providing pontoon bridge construction works
– in June 1947, the 1re CEP would be reorganized and redesignated
– it was reinforced by an important number of legionnaires from the 40e CCB
– June 30, 1947, the 1re CEP was administratively dissolved
1947-55: 38th Dump Truck Company
– 38th Dump Truck Company
– 38e Compagnie de Camions Bennes (38e CCB)
– 38e CCB was established on July 1, 1947
– a military engineering support unit
– an administratively autonomous company
– ex-1st Bridge Equipment Company (1re CEP)
– 38e CCB was composed of 4 officers + 137 men
– legionnaires in the vast majority
– the company was still stationed in Hanoi, Tonkin
– Captain Perrotte became the company commander
- a French officer of the Legion
- a robust wrestler
- in 1950-51, he would serve in Sidi Bel Abbes, then HQ of the Legion in Algeria
- in 1951, Captain Perrotte took command of the 3e CSPL in Libya
- in 1953, he would become the military chief of the Sebha province, Libya
– 38e CCB was divided into four platoons:
- HQ Platoon (Sergeant Major Forx)
- Maintenance Platoon (Second Lieutenant Bourneuf)
- Transportation Platoon (Lieutenant Bart)
- Transportation Platoon (Lieutenant Lamélie)
– 38e CCB was furnished with 87 vehicles
– different models from different countries
– ex-WWII cars and trucks
– the company was carrying out mainly transportation tasks
– it participated in different road building works in Tonkin
– it also helped to build the airfields of Bach Mai and Gia Lam
– both were important airfields located in Hanoi
38e CCB: 1949 – 1950
1949:
– in 1949, Captain Kappler served as the company commander
– October 19, a Viet Minh attack
– on Road Colonial 3, close to the Canal des Rapides
– located near Hanoi, in the Red River Delta
– a GMC truck exploded after driving over a mine (EOD)
– occupied by Sergeant Bertellotti + Corporal Sanchez + legionnaire Rubio
– then a skirmish occurred
– 2 attackers were killed + 2 another wounded
– a Viet Minh attacker was captured
1950:
– in 1950, Captain Jolly became the company commander
– operations along Road Colonial 1, south of Hanoi
– detachments also north-east of Hanoi or around Hai Phong
– Mention in Dispatches
– October 9, 1950, the 38e CCB was mentioned in the order of the brigade
– the company obtained the War Cross with a bronze star
38e CCB: 1951 – 1953
1951:
– Mo Dao Accident
– March 28, 1951, an EOD accident
– at Mo Dao, close to Huong Canh, north-west of Hanoi
– a truck exploded after driving over a mine (EOD)
– occupied by Senior Corporal Delgado + other legionnaires
– all legionnaires were seriously wounded
1952:
– in 1952, Captain Despie became the company commander
– operations along Road Colonial 6, south-west of Hanoi
– in February 1952, the company participated in the evacuation of Hoa Binh
– at Hoa Binh, the Battle of Hoa Binh occurred (Dec 1951-Feb 1952)
– its trucks were evacuating French troops, including legionnaires
– also in 1952, 38e CCB was reorganized
– the company was equipped with new U.S. vehicles
– a number of Vietnamese auxiliaries reinforced the unit
1953:
– Mention in Dispatches
– February 11, 1953, 38e CCB was mentioned in the order of the division
– in 1953, operations in the Red River Delta
38e CCB: 1954 – 1955
1954:
– in 1954, Lieutenant Corolleur became the company commander
– most likely, the vast majority of legionnaires had already left the company
– the unit was composed of French sappers and Vietnamese auxiliaries
– operations around Hanoi, Bac Ninh (north-east of Hanoi) and Hai Phong
– in June 1954, Reconstruction of Road Colonial 39
– in the Hung Yen region, south-east of Hanoi
– 38e CCB participated in
– First Indochina War ended
– in August 1954, the war in Indochina ended
– all French units had to leave Tonkin
– in late 1954, 38e CCB left Tonkin
– the company moved to Southern Vietnam
– it was stationed in then Saigon
– at that time, 87 Vietnamese auxiliaries were members of the 38e CCB
1955:
– 38e CCB’s dissolution
– in early 1955 in Saigon, a decision to dissolve the unit
– 38e CCB was officially dissolved on February 28, 1955
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Main information sources:
Pierre Dufour: Génie-Légion – de Sidi Bel Abbes au Kosovo (Lavauzelle, 2000)
More-majorum.de (Germans in French Indochina 1946-56)
Insignes Legion (Fr)
Fanion Vert et Rouge (Fr)
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See Foreign Legion’s other disbanded engineering companies of Indochina:
1st Engineer HQ & Services Company
15th Engineer Maintenance Company
16th Engineer Maintenance Company
40th Dump Truck Company
39th Riverine Craft Engineer Company
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The page was updated on: June 21, 2018
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