French Foreign Legion information. An online project dedicated to the famous Foreign Legion.
In late July 2019, marksmen of the French Foreign Legion’s 13th Half Brigade (13e DBLE) won the U.S. Army’s 2019 European Best Sniper Team Competition that took place at Grafenwoehr, Germany. The legionnaires became the winners among 32 teams from 16 countries being involved in the contest.
Read more13e DBLE: Foreign Legion marksmen win US Army Europe sniper contest
On July 23, 2019, the 16th stage of the famous Tour de France, an annual three-week bicycle race held in France, started and also finished in Nimes. A city in the Occitanie region of southern France with many Roman Empire monuments. And the garrison town of the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e REI), the longest-serving regiment of the Foreign Legion.
On the 14th July 2019, Foreign Legion regiments participated in ceremonies in their garrison towns to celebrate the French National Day (called Bastille Day in the English-speaking world). See some nice images.
Since 1880, a large military parade occurs in Paris each 14 July, the French national day, called Bastille Day in English-speaking countries. Traditionally, the Bastille Day military parade takes place on the Champs-Elysées, a well-known avenue in the 8th arrondissement. The Foreign Legion participated in the parade for the very first time with their white kepis in 1939. Even last Sunday, the legionnaires showed up in the ceremony.
In early July 2019, legionnaires of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP), the only airborne unit of the French Foreign Legion, were jumping for the very first time from the Airbus A400M, a European modern four-engine military transport aircraft.
See a fully reworked article dealing with the history of a lesser-known Foreign Legion cavalry regiment being established in North Africa in early July 1939. Nicknamed Dauphin Etranger, its legionnaires maintained order in Morocco or took part in the Battle of France in 1940. They also fought in the Algerian War until 1962, when the war was over. Unfortunately, the same year, this regiment became the first victim of the following post-colonial reorganization of the Legion.
Read more80 years ago: In Morocco, another Foreign Legion cavalry regiment was established
On the 1st of July 1999, the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment (2e REG), the youngest regiment of the French Foreign Legion, was born. Nevertheless, the embryo of the future unit came into existence as far back as in March 1998. Discover the interesting history between September 1997 and July 1999, which preceded the official establishment of the current 2e REG.
Read more2e REG: 20 years ago, the youngest regiment of the Foreign Legion was born