3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment
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| 3e Régiment étranger d'infanterie | |
|---|---|
 Regimental Badge |
|
| Active | 11 November 1915 - |
| Country | France |
| Branch | French Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Light Infantry |
| Size | One Battalion |
| Part of | Légion étrangère |
| Garrison/HQ | Kourou, French Guiana |
| March | Anne-Marie du 3e Etranger |
| Engagements | World War I World War II First Indochina War *Battle of Route Coloniale 4 *Battle of Na San *Battle of Dien Bien Phu Algerian War |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Hervé Gomart |
| Notable commanders |
André Lalande |
The 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (French: 3e Régiment étranger d'infanterie, 3e REI) is an infantry regiment in the French Foreign Legion. The regiment is stationed in French Guiana, protecting the Centre Spatial Guyanais.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] World War I
When World War I started France received a stream of foreign volunteers that wanted to fight for France. This allowed the creation of four "march regiments" of the Foreign Legion.
In November 1915 the Legion units remaining on the Western Front were reorganised into a single "march regiment" designated Foreign Legion March Regiment (Régiment de Marche de la Légion Etrangère), often called the RMLE.
The Legion records that 42,883 men served on the western front in the March Regiments of the 1st and 2nd Foreign Regiment and the RMLE. It suffered 5,172 killed in action and around 25,000 wounded or missing, a total of 70% casualties over the course of the war. When the war ended it was the second most decorated regiment in the French Army.[1]
[edit] World War II
[edit] Indochina
Arrived in 1946 to Indochina.
[edit] Controversy, 2005 events in Kourou
Soldiers from the 3rd REI were involved in violence towards the citizens of Kourou in 2005. It was reported that a group of legionnaires attacked bystanders in the evening in retaliation for alleged aggressions from elements of the population.[citation needed]
The racial overtones of the incident, with European Legionnaires attacking French Guyanese citizens of African descent, caused quite a stir.[citation needed]
[edit] Composition
- CCS
- CEA
- PROTERRE
[edit] Honours
[edit] Battle Honours
- Cameróne 1863[2]
- Artois 1915
- Champagne 1915
- Bataille de la Somme 1916
- Les Monts de Verdun 1917
- Picardie-Soissonnais 1918
- Vauxaillon 1918
- Maroc 1921-34
- Djebel Mansour 1943
- Alsace 1944-1945
- Stuttgart 1945
- Indochine 1946-1954
[edit] Decorations
- Cross of the Légion d'honneur
- Médaille militaire
- Croix de guerre 1914-1918 with 9 palms, allowing the double fourragère in colours of Légion d'honneur and croix de guerre
- Croix de guerre 1939-1945 with 3 palms, allowing the 1939-1945 olive on the aforementioned fourragere
- Croix de guerre théâtre d'opérations extérieures with 5 palms, allowing the fourragere in colours of medaille militaire with the TOE olive.
- Mérite militaire chérifien (Morocco)
- Ordem Militar da Torre e Espada (Order of the Tower and Sword - Portugal)
- Medalla de les voluntars catalans (Catalonia)
- Distinguished Unit Citation with RHINE-BAVARIAN ALPS mention (USA)
- Médaille de vermeil of the CNES (France, but, as a civilian decoration, worn after foreign decorations).
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
- Porch, Douglas. The French Foreign Legion. New York: Harper Collins, 1991. ISBN 978-0-06-092308-2
- Windrow, Martin. French Foreign Legion 1914-1945. London: Osprey Publishing, 1999. ISBN 1-85532-761-9
- Windrow, Martin. French Foreign Legion since 1945. London: Osprey Publishing, 1996. ISBN 1-85532-621-3
