The Foreign Regiments Joint Depot (DCRE) was the administrative, training, and transit unit of the Foreign Legion. The depot was created in Algeria in October 1933. Its main task was to receive and sort recruits, provide them with uniforms, equipment, and basic military training, and assign them to Foreign Legion regiments. The Joint Depot also received legionnaires who were returning to civilian life at the end of their contract and handled their discharge. 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, the decision was made that volunteers for the Foreign Regiment (the then-name of the Legion just returning from Mexico) would henceforth be sent to Sidi Bel Abbès, the Legion’s garrison town in Algeria and its future headquarters. However, not until 1933 were the administrative matters and training of recruits centralized within an autonomous formation.
On October 1, 1933, the Foreign Regiments Joint Depot (Dépôt Commun des Régiments Etrangers, DCRE) was created in Sidi Bel Abbès under Lieutenant Colonel Albert Azan. The DCRE consisted of a training battalion of six companies, a transit battalion of four companies, and four depots based in Algeria and France. In November, a mortar and signal training company was also formed within the DCRE.
Although considered a separate military corps, the DCRE was only a specialized body of the “Motherhouse,” the 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment (1er REI). It took charge of the regiment’s administrative burdens. The Depot’s principal mission was to recruit, train, and transfer all those who were willing to join the Legion or to discharge those who were about to finish their contract and leave the institution. In addition, the DCRE was responsible for morale, social services, the formation of reinforcements, and the creation of new units. The Depot was also the keeper of traditions and manager of the Legion’s Hall of Honor.
In 1935, the DCRE was commanded by Major Théraube (later promoted to lieutenant colonel). That year, the unit’s composition was as follows:
Foreign Regiments Joint Depot in 1935
- HQ and 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
- Mortars & 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 initially designated as the Joint Depot of Foreign Infantry Regiments (DCREI) because the 1er REC (Cavalry Regiment) was still a very specific and autonomous unit at the time. Created in the early 1920s and stationed in Tunisia, it provided its own training program for newcomers who were sent to the regiment directly from the Legion’s depot in Marseille, southern France. However, in January 1939, the 1er REC Training Squadron was transferred from Tunisia 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 take charge of the foreign volunteers who were engaged for the duration of the war (EVDG) and who were ready to fight in the imminent conflict, the Foreign Legion Metropolitan Depot (DMLE) was created in France. Assigned to the DCRE, it was placed at Fort Vancia in eastern France, north of Lyon. Commanded by Colonel Debas, the DMLE also occupied part of the Sathonay Camp and La Valbonne Camp. It administrated and trained men who subsequently formed the 11e REI and 12e REI.
In Tunisia in mid-January 1940, a battalion-sized divisional reconnaissance group (GRDI 97) was established with a squadron of the 1er REC, elements of the 2e REC coming from Morocco, and 360 legionnaires from the DCRE (then commanded by Colonel Girard).
The following month, a marching battalion was formed by the DCRE and 1er REI in Sidi Bel Abbès. With another battalion organized in Morocco, it would constitute the 13th Demi-Brigade, future 13e DBLE.
Foreign Regiments Joint Depot: 1942 – 1949
On April 1, 1942, the DCRE became an autonomous, self-governed, regiment-like military unit fully separated from the 1er REI. The decision was made that the Depot should be commanded by the senior-most colonel of all the Legion commanding officers, directly subordinate to the Minister of War. In addition, the DCRE was responsible for keeping all the Legion traditions and managing all common services. In April 1942, Colonel Barre took command of the Depot; he was replaced by Colonel Vias in May 1943. Colonel Vias was replaced by Colonel Lambert in December 1943.
In mid-1943, DCRE men helped form the legendary RMLE (Marching Regiment of the Legion, de marche), which took an important part in the Liberation of France (1944-1945).
Temporarily commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Puvis de Chavannes, and by Lieutenant Colonel Foure in 1945, the DCRE provided men to organize, in Algeria, another marching (provisional) regiment, the RMLE-EO (i.e., Far East RMLE). The latter was to take part in the war in the Pacific against Japan alongside the Americans. However, World War II ended before the men went through training. Therefore, the RMLE-EO became a new 2e REI in January 1946 and was sent to French Indochina to help restore order there.
In December 1945, Colonel Gaultier took command of the DCRE. A legendary Legion officer, he commanded the RMLE in France.
In late April 1947, the DCRE’s Information Service (led by Captain Gheysens) showcased to the legionnaires the first issue of the magazine Képi blanc, of which 15,000 copies were printed and distributed all over the world.
The same year, the DCRE soccer (football) team became France’s Military Champion.
From 1947, because of the war in Indochina (1946-1954), the number of enlisted volunteers increased dramatically in response to the significant losses. As a consequence, Legion regiments and units stationed in North Africa helped provide basic training for young legionnaires whom the DCRE couldn’t handle alone.
In October 1948, men of the Joint Depot formed the HQ Company and 1st Company of the 2e BEP, an airborne unit, which transformed into the famous 2e REP in December 1955.
On March 31, 1949, the DCRE was dissolved. The next day, on April 1, it became a new 1er REI, still commanded by Colonel Gaultier. In the meantime, two 1er REI battalions that were stationed in Tunisia constituted a new 6e REI.
On September 1, 1950, the DCLE (Foreign Legion Joint Depot) was established in Sidi Bel Abbès to take over some of the administrative tasks formerly assigned to the DCRE. In 1955, the missions of the DCLE and the former DCRE were reassumed by the 1st Foreign Regiment (1er RE, ex-1er REI), which has carried them out to date.
| 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 |
———
My special thanks belong to Krzysztof Schramm, historian of the A.A.A.L.E. en Pologne, for his diligent help with this article.
———
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
———
You can support this website at any time through our store. Thank you.
EU-based readers can visit our EU-based shop, to avoid import charges.
—
See other Foreign Legion’s former regiments:
1st Foreign Parachute Regiment
2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment
3rd Foreign Parachute Regiment
4th Foreign Infantry Regiment
History of the 5th Foreign Regiment
6th Foreign Infantry Regiment
—
The page was updated on: April 03, 2024