PHOTOS: 3rd Company 13e DBLE in French Indochina in 1946

A new part of the PHOTOS series. See rare photos showing legionnaires of the 3rd Company, 13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade (13e DBLE) during 1946, the first year of their deployment to French Indochina.

In late 1945 and early 1946, French forces began reestablishing their presence in Southeast Asia, returning to colonial territories they had abandoned following the Japanese coup in March 1945. But the postwar landscape had changed. France now faced stiff resistance from Ho Chi Minh’s communist-led Viet Minh movement, along with several smaller insurgent groups fighting for independence.

To strengthen their position, the French deployed three Foreign Legion regiments to Indochina in early 1946. Among them was the 13e DBLE, which landed in Cochinchina – modern-day southern Vietnam – in March. The unit’s 1st Battalion, which included the 3rd Company under Lieutenant Pelissonnier, was stationed near Saigon. Led by Major Charton, the battalion served as a rapid reaction force for the Mekong Delta region, a role it would fulfill for the next seven years.

From the start, the legionnaires faced frequent ambushes by Viet Minh forces operating across the south. In late October 1946, most of the battalion was redeployed to northwestern Cambodia – then part of French Indochina – to restore order in the provinces of Siem Reap and Battambang, which had recently been returned from Siam (present-day Thailand). The unit was stationed near Cambodia’s second-largest city, Siem Reap, not far from the ancient Angkor Wat temple complex. Fighting quickly followed, including clashes at Stung Roluos and Kra Lanh in early December. By early 1947, the battalion returned to Vietnam where a regular war with the Viet Minh had already begun.

In the photos below, we can see Second Lieutenant George and his men of the 3rd Platoon 3rd Company, during operations in both Cochinchina and Cambodia. In Cambodia, they held a post in the village of Puok, a few miles northwest of Siem Reap.

The rare photos came from Legionnaire Joachim Hoffmann, born in Germany in 1925. Like many German veterans of World War II, he enlisted in the Foreign Legion just months after the war ended. After completing basic training, he was assigned to the 13e DBLE and deployed to Indochina, where he served for 26 months and attained the rank of corporal. He later returned to Algeria, was promoted to sergeant, and served as an instructor with the 5th Company 2nd Battalion of the 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment (1er REI; now 1er RE) starting in April 1949. He left the Legion after five years of service in August 1950.

As usual, the images were provided to our website and published with the kind permission of Krzysztof Schramm, historian of Poland’s Foreign Legion veteran association, A.A.A.L.E. de Pologne, and author of the great book Zygmunt Jatczak: I Regret Nothing. As a matter of interest, Zygmunt Jatczak served in the same 3rd Company 13e DBLE in Indochina, but from 1948.

Click on the images to enlarge them:

Photos - Foreign Legion - 13e DBLE - 13 DBLE - 1946 - Indochina - Cochinchina - operation — 3rd Platoon 3rd Company 13e DBLE during an operation in Cochinchina in the first half of 1946. Most of the legionnaires wear a khaki beret which became a distinctive symbol of the 13e DBLE during World War II. On the left, Legionnaire *Hoffmann*. On the right, with the colonial helmet, Second Lieutenant *George*.

Photos - Foreign Legion - 13e DBLE - 13 DBLE - 1946 - Indochina - Saigon - Camerone — *Camerone Day* for the 1st Battalion in *Saigon*, April 30, 1946.

Photos - Foreign Legion - 13e DBLE - 13 DBLE - 1946 - Indochina - Saigon - Relax — With some time away from the operations, French troops – including the 13e DBLE legionnaires – relax in *Saigon*, 1946.

Photos - Foreign Legion - 13e DBLE - 13 DBLE - 1946 - Indochina - Cochinchina - legionnaires — 3rd Platoon legionnaires in Cochinchina, 1946. On the right, Legionnaire *Hoffmann*.

Photos - Foreign Legion - 13e DBLE - 13 DBLE - 1946 - Indochina - Partisans — With local pro-French partisans, 1946. With the white kepi, Legionnaire *Hoffmann*.

Photos - Foreign Legion - 13e DBLE - 13 DBLE - 1946 - Indochina - first sergeant — 3rd Company 13e DBLE’s first sergeant (*adjudant de compagnie*) taking a bath, 1946.

Photos - Foreign Legion - 13e DBLE - 13 DBLE - 1946 - Indochina - Cambodia - Dodge truck — Dodge 6×6 truck with M2 Browning in Cambodia, 1946. Note the Free French flag, reminding the 13e DBLE’s WWII period.

Photos - Foreign Legion - 13e DBLE - 13 DBLE - 1946 - Indochina - Cambodia - 3rd Platoon — 3rd Platoon men with their trophies in Cambodia, 1946. Sitting with a local boy is Second Lieutenant *George*, their platoon leader.

Photos - Foreign Legion - 13e DBLE - 13 DBLE - 1946 - Indochina - Cambodia - Post Puok — Post Puok in Cambodia, November 1946. It was occupied by the 3rd Platoon 3rd Company.

Photos - Foreign Legion - 13e DBLE - 13 DBLE - 1946 - Indochina - Cambodia - Puok - market — Local market in *Puok* in Cambodia, 1946.

Photos - Foreign Legion - 13e DBLE - 13 DBLE - 1946 - Indochina - Cambodia - Puok — Legionnaire *Hoffmann* in a bar in *Puok*, Cambodia, November 1946.

Photos - Foreign Legion - 13e DBLE - 13 DBLE - 1946 - Indochina - Cambodia - Pagoda — A pagoda in Cambodia, 1946.

Photos - Foreign Legion - 13e DBLE - 13 DBLE - 1946 - Indochina - Cambodia - Angkor Wat — Legionnaires at Angkor Wat in Cambodia, 1946. On the left, Legionnaire *Hoffmann*.

Photos - Foreign Legion - 13e DBLE - 13 DBLE - 1946 - Indochina - Legionnaires — 3rd Platoon legionnaires in Indochina. On the left, smiling, Legionnaire *Hoffmann*.

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