French Foreign Legion information. An online project dedicated to the famous Foreign Legion.
In February 1894, the last elements of the French Foreign Legion left the Slave Coast in West Africa where they had successfully participated in two expeditions aimed at a local kingdom’s ruler and his forces. Not only did the legionnaires face heat, disease, and supply problems, but they also had to fight local female warriors, Amazons…
Read more130 years ago: A forgotten campaign in West Africa ended
See nice images showing the anti-tank vehicles of the 2nd Squadron, 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (1er REC) when firing at Mailly Camp, in the Marne Department of northeastern France.
On Friday, January 26, 2024, an honor detachment of the French Foreign Legion represented the French Army during the 75th Republic Day Parade that took place at the Kartavya Path in New Delhi, India. Along with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, French President Emmanuel Macron attended the ceremony as a special guest.
Watch absolutely unique, very rare amateur footages depicting Foreign Legion ceremonies in Laghouat, Algeria in the 1950s and 1960s. At that time, the town was home to one of the Legion’s Saharan companies: 2nd Legion Saharan Motorized Company (2e CSPL). Two of the rare films are in color.
Watch a short documentary film produced by VA+, the online media branch of the Valeurs Actuelles (“Current Values”), a French conservative weekly magazine. The reporter, Antoine You, visited the 4th Foreign Regiment (4e RE) in Castelnaudary and tried to understand how the Foreign Legion integrates members of dozens of different nationalities coming from all over the world.
Read more4e RE: A 2023 short documentary on the Foreign Legion’s method of integration
Created in 1831, the French Foreign Legion is an integral part of the French (Land) Army (Armée de Terre) and thus an element of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces. In 2024, the Foreign Legion is composed of almost 9,500 officers, NCOs, and legionnaires, comprising around 150 nationalities from all over the world. They represent 12% of France’s Land Operational Force (FOT).
In November 2023, Brigadier-chief Manuel Da Costa left the French Foreign Legion, reaching the age limit of 62 years for an active soldier. With 44 years of service, this senior corporal was the longest-serving active member not only of the Legion, but also of the entire French Armed Forces.
For the French Foreign Legion, seen as a traditional pro-Catholic institution in France (unlike the rest of the French Army), Christmas Eve marks the second most important holiday. To celebrate it, legionnaires in all units of the Foreign Legion – regardless of their origin and religious – create nativity scenes (crèches) every year and compete to see which one is the nicest and most original. The scenes can be small, static ones, or performed live with hand-made scenery. This long-standing Legion tradition is unique within the French Army. If you are interested, see some of the nativity scenes created by legionnaires in December 2023.
Another year is coming to a close, having passed by at an unbelievably rapid pace. Another year in a row, the eleventh since 2012, when the FOREIGNLEGION INFO online project was launched. And thus, this is the right time for another annual summary.
I can’t believe it is again the end of the year. It seems like yesterday that I was posting the 2022 annual summary. I hope that all of you, dear readers, are ready to celebrate the coming Christmas festivities. On behalf of the whole FOREIGNLEGION INFO website, I sincerely thank you for your unwavering support, and wish you a merry Christmas (Joyeux Noël in France/the Legion) and happy and relaxing holidays, with a glass (or two) of something good to drink!
As usual, also this year the French Foreign Legion regiments organize sports competitions for its men, as part of the coming Christmas festivities. This includes the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e REI), which organized its Christmas cross country run this week, close to Nimes, its garrison in Southern France. See images.