The Foreign Regiments Joint Depot (DCRE) was a training and receiving formation of the French Foreign Legion. The depot was established in Algeria in October 1933. Its main role was to receive and organize recruits, provide them with uniforms, equipment and initial military training, and then send them to the assigned Foreign Legion regiments. The joint depot also received legionnaires returning to the civilian life at the end of their contract and completed their out processing and discharges. The DCRE was disbanded in March 1949.
La version française de cet article: Dépôt Commun des Régiments Etrangers
Foreign Regiments Joint Depot: 1933 – 1942
In February 1867, it was prescribed that the volunteers engaged in the Foreign Regiment (then the name for the Legion, returning from Mexico at the time) should be directed, in the future, to Sidi Bel Abbès, a garrison town of the Legion in Algeria and its future headquarters.
But it was not until October 1, 1933 that the Foreign Regiments Joint Depot (Depot Commun des Régiments Etrangers, DCRE) was established in Sidi Bel Abbès. Lieutenant Colonel Albert Azan took command. The DCRE was composed of a seven-company training battalion, a four-company transit battalion, and of four smaller depots, based in Algeria and France.
Although it was considered as a separate military unit, the original DCRE was in fact just a specialized organization of the 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment (1er REI), part of the “Motherhouse”. The Joint Depot took charge of the burdens of Sidi Bel Abbès and of the particular services for the benefit of the Legion community. Its principal mission was to recruit, train and transit all those who came to the Legion, and to liberate those who were going to leave the institution. In addition, the DCRE took care of morale and social services, and managed the constitution of reinforcements or directly of new units. The Depot was also the custodian of tradition and administered the Foreign Legion’s Hall of Honor.
In 1935, the DCRE was under the command of Major (later Lieutenant Colonel) Théraube. That year, the unit’s composition was as follows:
Foreign Regiments Joint Depot in 1935
- HQ + HQ Staff (based in Sidi Bel Abbès)
- Training Battalion (Sidi Bel Abbès)
- Training Company No. 1 (Ain El Hadjar)
- Training Company No. 2 (Saida)
- Training Company No. 3 (Saida)
- Training Company No. 4 (Le Kreider)
- Team Leader Training Company
- Machine Gun Training Company
- Machines & Radio Operator Training Company
- Transit Battalion (Sidi Bel Abbès)
- Transit Company No. 1
- Transit Company No. 2
- Transit Company No. 3
- Transit Company No. 4 (Bossuet)
- Foreign Legion Smaller Depot (Oran)
- Convalescent Depot (Arzew)
- Transition Depot (Marseille)
- Transition Depot Branch (Toul)
The DCRE was occasionally called as the Joint Depot of Foreign Infantry Regiments, because the 1er REC (Cavalry Regiment) was still a very specific and autonomous unit at the time, with its own training program for newcomers (sent to the regiment directly from Marseille). But in January 1939, the Training Squadron of the 1er REC, previously based in Tunisia with its regiment, was transferred to Sidi Bel Abbès and assigned to the DCRE. For the first time, the 1er REC was connected to the headquarters of the Foreign Legion.
In September 1939, to be in charge of the foreign volunteers engaged for the duration of the war (EVDG) wanting to fight in the imminent conflict, the Foreign Legion Metropolitan Depot (DMLE) was created in France. It was placed at Fort Vancia in eastern France, north of Lyon. This depot also occupied part of the Sathonay Camp and La Valbonne Camp to train the men and constitute the 11e REI and 12e REI. The DMLE, led by Colonel Debas, also belonged to the DCRE.
In mid-January 1940 in Tunisia, a divisional reconnaissance group (GRDI 97), comprising some 650 men, was formed with a squadron of the 1er REC, elements of the 2e REC coming from Morocco, and with 360 legionnaires from the DCRE, then commanded by Colonel Girard.
The following month, a provisional battalion was formed by the DCRE and 1er REI in Sidi Bel Abbès. With another battalion from Morocco, it would constitute the 13th Demi-Brigade, future 13e DBLE.
Foreign Regiments Joint Depot: 1942 – 1949
Since April 1, 1942, the DCRE had been fully separated from the 1er REI. The depot became an autonomous, self-governed, regiment-like military unit. It would be commanded by the most senior colonel among all of the Legion commanding officers. In addition, this colonel would be responsible, towards the Minister of War, for keeping the traditions and managing of all of the Legion’s common services. In April 1942, Colonel Barre took command of the Depot, replaced by Colonel Vias in May 1943, and by Colonel Lambert in December 1943.
Temporarily commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Puvis de Chavannes and by Lieutenant Colonel Foure in 1945, the DCRE provided men to organize in Algeria a provisional regiment (RMLE-EO). The latter was to participate in the war in the Pacific against Japan. In January 1946, the RMLE-EO became a new 2e REI, and since WWII had been over, it was sent to French Indochina to maintain order there.
In late April 1947, the DCRE’s Information Service (led by Captain Gheysens) showcased to the legionnaires the first issue of the magazine Kepi blanc, then printed in 15,000 copies and sent all over the world.
The same year, the DCRE soccer (football) team became the French Military Champion.
Since 1947, because of the war in Indochina, the number of enlisted volunteers had increased dramatically to substitute the significant losses. As a consequence, foreign regiments being stationed in North Africa took over the practical training of young legionnaires that the DCRE, under the command of Colonel Gaultier since December 1945, wasn’t able to handle alone.
In October 1948, men of the Joint Depot formed the HQ Company + 1st Company of the 2e BEP, an airborne unit, which transformed into the famous 2e REP in December 1955.
On March 30, 1949, the DCRE was dissolved and the next day, on April 1, it became the 1er REI, still led by Colonel Gaultier. The same day, the two battalions of the 1er REI, stationed in Tunisia at the time, constituted a new 6e REI.
On September 1, 1950, the DCLE (Foreign Legion Joint Depot) was established in Sidi Bel Abbès to take over a part of the administrative tasks which were formerly assigned to the DCRE. Since 1955, the missions of the DCLE and the former DCRE have been reassumed by the 1st Foreign Regiment, until nowadays.
| Oct 1933 – Aug 1935: | LCL Azan |
|---|---|
| Sep 1935 – Jan 1938: | CBA Théraube |
| Feb 1938 – Apr 1939: | COL Azan |
| Apr 1939 – Jan 1940: | COL Flan |
| Jan 1940 – Oct 1940: | COL Girard |
| Oct 1940 – Aug 1941: | COL Bouty |
| Aug 1941 – Sep 1941: | COL Lambert |
| Oct 1941 – Apr 1943: | COL Barre |
| Apr 1943 – May 1943: | LCL Brisset |
| May 1943 – Dec 1943: | COL Vias |
| Dec 1943 – ?? 1945: | COL Lambert |
| ?? 1945 – June 1945: | LCL Puvis de Chavannes |
| July 1945 – Dec 1945: | LCL Foure |
| Dec 1945 – Mar 1949: | COL Gaultier |
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My special thanks belong to Krzysztof Schramm, historian of the A.A.A.L.E. en Pologne, for his diligent help with this article.
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Main information & images sources:
Képi blanc magazines
Légion Etrangère magazines
Foreign Legion annual bulletins
J. Brunon, G.-R. Manue, P. Carles: Le Livre d’Or de la Légion Etrangère (Charles-Lavauzelle, 1976)
Lee Sharp: The French Army 1939-1940: Organisation, Order of Battle, Operational History, v. 3 (Military Press, 2005)
P. Cart-Tanneur + Tibor Szecsko: La vieille garde (Editions B.I.P., 1987)
Fanion Vert et Rouge (Fr)
Collections d’Insignes et Souvenirs Militaires (Fr)
11e et 12e REI, 13e DBLE, 1939-1940 (Fr)
Wikipedia.org
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See other Foreign Legion’s former regiments:
1st Foreign Parachute Regiment
2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment
3rd Foreign Parachute Regiment
4th Foreign Infantry Regiment
5th Foreign Regiment
6th Foreign Infantry Regiment
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The page was updated on: October 25, 2020