The 3rd Foreign Legion Transportation Company, 516th Transportation Group (CTLE 3/516) was a Foreign Legion logistics unit constituted in then French Indochina in 1949. The main purpose of this company was transportation of troops and supplies by truck during the First Indochina War (1946-54). The CTLE 3/516 was inactivated in 1953.
Legionnaire Transportation Company 2/503
July – September 1949:
– Legionnaire Transportation Company 2/503
– Compagnie Légionnaire de Transport 2/503 (CLT 2/503)
– CLT 2/503 was established on July 1, 1949
– organized in French Indochina (Southeast Asia)
– at Langson, Tonkin (then title for Northern Vietnam)
– CLT 2/503 was a transportation unit of the Foreign Legion
– tasked with supporting French troops during the First Indochina War (1946-54)
– a conflict between the French and the Viet Minh
– Viet Minh was an independence movement of Ho Chi Minh
– CLT 2/503 was assigned to the 503rd Transportation Group
– 503e Groupe de Transport (503e GT, 1943-64)
– 503e GT was a French Army regular supply train battalion
– it was composed of HQ and three companies
– Captain Solt became the company commander
– the unit was composed mainly of legionnaires from 3e REI
– the company was also assigned to the 3e REI as a Legion unit
– another part of men was formed with new reinforcement arriving from North Africa
– it was provided by 4e REI
– CLT 2/503 had to furnish supply, evacuation or maintenance services to combat units
– the company transported troops, material, ammunition, food, mails etc.
– its main operational area was Tonkin
– it often supplied the small outposts of the 3e REI along RC4 (Colonial Road 4)
– CLT 2/503 was equipped with GMC CCKW 353 cargo trucks
– the company operated tens of these vehicles
– Attack at Ban Cao
– it occurred on August 17, 1949
– during Operation André along RC3 (Colonial Road 3)
– CLT 2/503 elements led by Ltn Versteege
– they supported 1st Battalion, 3e REI during the operation
– near Ban Cao, the men were attacked by the Viet Minh
– several legionnaires were killed
– including Corporal Paneck from CLT 2/503
– Attack at Lung Phai Pass
– it occurred on September 3, 1949
– a French convoy was attacked by a Viet Minh regiment
– the attack took place at the Lung Phai Pass, Tonkin
– CLT 2/503 vehicles made part of the convoy
– 55 vehicles of the convoy were destroyed
– many legionnaires were killed or wounded
– in October, the company was redesignated
Foreign Legion Transportation Company 2/503
October – December 1949:
– Foreign Legion Transportation Company 2/503
– Compagnie de Transport de Légion Etrangère 2/503 (CTLE 2/503)
– October 1, 1949, the unit changed its title
– it became 2nd Foreign Legion Transportation Company, 503rd GT (CTLE 2/503)
– CTLE 2/503 continued to carry out its logistical transport missions
– Captain Solt kept the command of the unit
– company motto: “Res Non Verba” (Actions instead of words)
– Attack at Lung Vai
– it occurred on RC4 on October 2, 1949
– at Lung Vai, between That Khe and Langson
– a French convoy was attacked by the Viet Minh
– including trucks of CTLE 2/503
– in late December 1950, CTLE 2/503 left the 503rd Group
– in 1949, the company had traveled 113,000 km
– the men transported almost 24,000 soldiers and 3,000 tons of materiel
– 2 legionnaires were killed + 9 legionnaires were wounded
Foreign Legion Transportation Company 3/516
January 1950:
– Foreign Legion Transportation Company 3/516
– Compagnie de Transport de Légion Etrangère 3/516 (CTLE 3/516)
– January 1, 1950, the company changed its designation
– it was assigned to the 516th Transportation Group (516e GT, created in 1944)
– it became 3rd Foreign Legion Transportation Company, 516th GT (CTLE 3/516)
– CTLE 3/516 remained stationed at Langson, Tonkin (Northern Vietnam)
– CTLE 3/516 consisted of 4 officers, 17 NCOs and 182 legionnaires
– Lieutenant Versteege took command
– assisted by 2nd Lieutenants Blervaque, Brozeau and Poty
– CTLE 3/516 kept its transportation tasks
– primarily, the unit supported the 3e REI outposts based along RC4
1950:
– in April, CTLE 3/516 received its own fanion
– April-May, Operation Parpaing at Dong Trieu
– in October, Battle of Route Coloniale 4
– seen as the worst French defeat during the First Indochina War
– French units based along RC4 were attacked by six Viet Minh regiments
– the enemy outnumbered five times the French troops
– over 5,000 French troops were killed, wounded or missed
– two Legion battalions were annihilated in the battle
– the French were ordered to evacuate the region
– 516e GT (including CTLE 3/516) had to leave Lang Son
– 516e GT (HQ + 2nd Company) will be stationed at Haiphong, Tonkin
– CTLE 3/516 was placed at Khe Sat and Nam Dinh, Tonkin
1951:
– 516e GT reorganization
– in February, 516e GT was reorganized
– 1st Company (CT 1/516) left the Group
– the company became a mixed unit, reinforced by legionnaires
– it was retitled to 2e CTQG (Transportation and Headquarters Company)
– until October, 516e GT consisted of HQ + CT 2/516 + CTLE 3/516
– February-October, 516e GT served as a half-regular, half-Legion unit
– during 1951, CTLE 3/516 supplied French troops throughout Tonkin
– it also supported them in several military operations
– in January, Battle of Vinh Yen
– in March, Battle of Dong Trieu
– in June, Battle of Song Day
– in November, Battle of Hoa Binh
– in August, Lieutenant Froment took command of the company
– in October, a new 1st Company (CT 1) was constituted
– in November, Captain Baron took command
1952:
– January 25, a French convoy was attacked by the Viet Minh
– the attack took place in the Lac Quan region, Tonkin
– several legionnaires were killed or wounded
– between them, men from the CTLE 3/516
– in March, 516e GT was mentioned in the order of the Army
– its fanion was awarded with the War Cross
– during 1952, CTLE 3/516 supported French troops throughout Tonkin in numerous military operations
1953:
– in January, CTLE 3/516 was mentioned in the order of the Army
– for its excellent service, the Legion company was mentioned in dispatches
– 516e GT itself was awarded with 4 citations in the order of the Army
– its men, including legionnaires from CTLE 3, were allowed to wear a Fourragère
– CTLE 3/516 dissolution
– CTLE 3/516 was dissolved on September 30, 1953
– its legionnaires were transferred to the 3e REI
– a new 3rd Company, 516e GT was formed with local auxiliaries
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More Photos:
See a few rare photos from CTLE 3/516: Compagnie de Transport de L.E. N° 3/516 (De)
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Main information sources:
More-majorum.de (Germans in French Indochina 1946-56)
Insignes Legion (Fr)
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See Foreign Legion’s other disbanded transportation units of Indochina:
1st Transportation & Headquarters Company
2nd Transportation & Headquarters Company
2nd Foreign Legion Transportation Company
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The page was updated on: August 02, 2020
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