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140 years ago: A fierce battle with local rebels in North Africa

April 29, 2022 · Posted in history, legion

In North Africa in late April 1882, in a borderland territory which separated Algeria from Morocco, a surveying expedition under the command of Captain de Castries was returning from survey work at the Chott Tigri depression. Escorted by two companies of the Legion, the column was attacked by more than 2,000 local insurgents. The escort, whose strength was no more than 350 men, was fighting one against six. At the end of the seven-hour battle, two officers and 49 legionnaires had been killed.

Lieutenant Colonel Brochet de Vaugrigneuse

April 15, 2022 · Posted in 3rei, history

April 15 marks the day when Lieutenant Colonel Maurice Brochet de Vaugrigneuse was killed during the war in Algeria, in 1957. At the time, he was the temporary commander of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (3e REI). Almost-forgotten officer of the Foreign Legion, this article was written to honor his memory.

History: Learn about the predecessor to the French Foreign Legion

February 22, 2022 · Posted in history, legion

Learn about an infantry regiment of the French Army consisting of foreign volunteers that served as the predecessor to the current French Foreign Legion. It was constituted by a 1815 royal decree, after the defeat of Napoleon I at Waterloo, to replace the eight foreign regiments serving in Napoleon’s army. After its dissolution in early 1831, the unit was replaced by the Foreign Legion.

40 years ago: 1982 Mont Garbi Accident

February 3, 2022 · Posted in 2rep, djibouti, history

40 years ago, in early February 1982, a common French military exercise was planned in Djibouti, a country in the Horn of Africa. A French Foreign Legion airborne platoon was to participate. The Legion paratroopers were ordered to carry out a routine training jump over a drop zone located nord-west of the capital. They boarded their aircraft and took off…

1956 Tainaste Attack in Morocco

January 28, 2022 · Posted in 2rei, history, Morocco

In the mid-1950s, violence against French military, administrative, and civilian targets spread across French North Africa, which included Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. At the beginning of 1956, several Foreign Legion units were stationed in Morocco. One of those units was the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e REI), commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Jacquot. The regiment was based in northern Morocco, in the Taza region. The area was already well known to the Legion.

65 years ago: Two little-known motorized groups of the Foreign Legion were disbanded

December 5, 2021 · Posted in Algeria, history, Morocco

In North Africa in late 1956, two little-known motorized groups of the Foreign Legion were disbanded, and their five companies helped to double the ranks of the two freshly established “motorized regiments”, first among Foreign Legion units. Learn more about these units that patrolled not only Algeria or Morocco, but also Northern Mauritania.

Andrew J. Mitchell: Collecting French Foreign Legion Insignia – 1st Foreign Regiment

November 5, 2021 · Posted in 1re, books, history

In late 2021, a new English-written book dedicated to the French Foreign Legion was released: Collecting French Foreign Legion Insignia, Volume 1, 1st Foreign Regiment. Another original work of Andrew J. Mitchell, an Irish amateur historian and a Foreign Legion insignia collector.

Second World War: A little-known story about the very first para-legionnaires

October 25, 2021 · Posted in history, legion

Officially, the very first Foreign Legion airborne unit appeared during the First Indochina War in 1948. However, the history of the legionnaires paratroopers started much earlier: in North Africa during the Second World War.

Honor and Fidelity motto: 100th Anniversary

October 19, 2021 · Posted in 13dble, 1re, history

On this Saturday, October 16, in memory of Hubert Germain, a former officer of the 13e DBLE and the last “companion of the Liberation” (people awarded the Ordre de la Libération of the Free French during WWII) who has just passed away, the Foreign Legion celebrated the centenary of its motto Honneur et Fidélité.

2e REP: A rare 1992 documentary

August 3, 2021 · Posted in 2rep, history

See an exceptional documentary dedicated to the French Foreign Legion’s 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP), produced by the regiment itself in late 1992. Posted on the official channel of the Foreign Legion, the documentary covers the whole period of the 2e REP, since its creation until the early 1990s. It contains rare, interesting old images. Enjoy.

100 years ago: A sad campaign in France ended for the Foreign Legion

June 30, 2021 · Posted in france, history, legion

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.