History of the 2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment

There is the only cavalry regiment within the today’s French Foreign Legion. But it was not always so. During the years of 1939-40 and 1946-62, the Foreign Legion used also the second cavalry regiment, 2e REC. Nicknamed “Dauphin Étranger”, the 2e REC was the last Foreign Legion unit based in Morocco, which it left in 1956 for participating in the Algerian War. In Algeria, the regiment was serving and fighting for more than five years, till the end of the war in 1962. See history and pictures of the 2e REC.

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1st Foreign Parachute Regiment – a rebel of the Foreign Legion

There has not been such a controversial regiment neither within the French Foreign Legion nor within the whole of French Army for decades. The 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment (1er REP). Two times completely destroyed during the heavy fights of the First Indochina War, the 1er REP became the well-respected and feared legendary elite unit. But, it also participated in the Generals’ putsch in Algiers in 1961 and played a lead role of it….

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Heavy mortar units of the Foreign Legion in the First Indochina War

In October 1952, the Foreign Legion made a decision to create an independent heavy mortar unit. In 1954, there were three mortar units within the French Foreign Legion fighting in the First Indochina War. A parachute mortar company and the two infantry mortar companies composed of mixed elements: legionnaires and local anti-communist soldiers. These units used the 120mm heavy mortars. See history and a few images of the units.

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