French Foreign Legion information. An online project dedicated to the famous Foreign Legion.
85 years ago, in late September 1940, a Foreign Legion reconnaissance regiment was deactivated in Tunisia after taking part in the 1940 Battle of France. Little known today, it was the only Legion unit in that campaign composed entirely of active-duty legionnaires.
Read more85 years ago: Foreign Legion reconnaissance regiment was deactivated
Between March 17 and 28, 2025, the 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment (1er REG) conducted Terra Nostra, a major open-terrain military exercise across the Gard department. Led by Colonel Rémy Chabaud, the regiment’s commanding officer, the exercise engaged nearly 500 soldiers, over 100 military vehicles, and a fleet of river boats in a complex, multi-phase scenario. The Foreign Legion’s YouTube channel recently published a video dedicated to this operation.
85 years ago, on February 25, 1940, a Foreign Legion regiment was constituted in France. Its task was to defend the country against Nazi Germany during the first stage of the Second World War. A few weeks after its constitution, the men were heading for combat.
Read more85 years ago: Foreign Legion regiment was constituted in France
100 years ago, in late June 1871, three battalions of the Foreign Legion landed in Algeria, having returned from the very first deployment of the Legion in metropolitan France. The men spent eight months there and took part in a wretched campaign. However, these weren’t the only foreigners to participate in the then fighting on the French side. Also, the three battalions didn’t represent all units of the Legion that were to partake in the conflict.
Read more100 years ago: A sad campaign in France ended for the Foreign Legion