In northern Vietnam in the autumn of 1945, a new unit was established, bringing together the surviving members of the 5th Foreign Infantry Regiment (5e REI) who remained in the area at the time of Japan’s surrender. Though virtually unknown today (unlike the 5e REI’s much better-documented marching battalion – BM 5 – formed in China), it was the first Foreign Legion formation to reappear within the borders of French Indochina after World War II, reaffirming the Legion’s enduring presence in this territory.
Read moreAutonomous Battalion of the 5th Foreign Infantry Regiment (BFC 5) – 1945-1946