Military unit
1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment
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Parent unit
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Components
| Command & Logistics Squadron (ECL)
Brigade Recce Squadron (EEI)
1st Squadron (1er Esc)
2nd Squadron (2
e
Esc)
3rd Squadron (3
e
Esc)
5th Squadron (5
e
Esc)
Anti-tank Squadron (EAE)
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The
1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment
(
French
:
1
er
Regiment Etranger de Cavalerie, 1
er
REC
) is the only cavalry regiment of the
Foreign Legion
in the
French Army
.
[2]
It is one of two armoured
cavalry
regiments of the
6th Light Armoured Brigade
.
[3]
[4]
Barracks in
Camp de Carpiagne
.
The regiment has been stationed at
Camp Carpiagne
near Marseille since 2014, when it moved from Quartier Labouche in
Orange, Vaucluse
. It had spent 47 years in Orange after relocating from
Mers-el-Kebir
, Algeria in October 1967.
[5]
History
[
edit
]
Levant and Morocco from 1921
[
edit
]
The 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (1
er
REC) was created on March 8, 1921 at
Sousse
from elements of the
2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment
. The title of the 1
er
REC would not become official until January 20, 1922, under Decree n°6330-1/11 of January 20, 1922.
[6]
The cadres of the new unit were drawn from existing French cavalry regiments. Only one junior officer (
Second Lieutenant
Antraygue) had had previous
Legion
experience while one
non-commissioned officer
had been in service with the
1st Foreign Regiment
1
er
RE.
Of the 156 other ranks of the newly formed 1
er
REC, 128 were Russians. A significant contingent hailed from the White Army of
Wrangle
. These included thirty officers (one a former general of the Imperial Russian Army and one a former colonel); 14 non-commissioned officers and 33
Cossacks
. Most of the remainder had served as regular
cavalrymen
with the Wrangle forces.
[6]
Beginning in 1925, the 1
er
REC was engaged as mounted cavalry in
Syria
(4th Squadron ) and in
Morocco
(3rd Squadron). In both theatres of operations, the Foreign Cavalry Regiment served with distinction, notably in the
Levant
at Messifre (September 17, 1925) and at Rachaya (from November 20 to 24, 1925). The
fanion
of the 1
er
REC received the
Croix de guerre des theatres d'operations exterieures
with 2 palms, the
fourragere
of the colors of the Croix de Guerre and the 1st Class
Lebanese Order of Merit Medal
.
[6]
From 1927 to 1934, the 1
er
REC saw active service in
Morocco
(3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Squadrons), followed by patrol work along the northern border of the Sahara.
[6]
In 1934 the 5th squadron was equipped with White-Laffly and Panhard armored cars. The remainder of the regiment retained horses and sabers.
World War II and Indochina War
[
edit
]
In 1939 the two existing regiments of Foreign Cavalry were still only partially motorized. However, in 1940, the 1
e
REC was dispatched to France as part of the
97th Reconnaissance Group of the Infantry Division
(97
e
GRDI). As such it was engaged in combat from May 18 (at the
Somme
) until the Armistice.
[6]
A citation issued at the orders of the Armed Forces praised the heroism of the Legionnaires during this period.
[6]
Following the
Battle of France
the 1
er
REC took up garrison duties in Tunisia.
[6]
In 1943, the regiment was re-equipped with U.S. material, consisted of one light tank squadron and four armored car squadrons. Its new role was that of divisional recce regiment of the newly raised
5th Armored Division
(5
e
DB).
In 1943, the 1
er
REC was engaged against the Germans in
Tunisia
.
[6]
In 1944, the 1
er
REC landed on the
cotes de Provence
as one of the French armored units participating in the Liberation of France.
[6]
At the end of
World War II
, the regimental colors were decorated with two new palms and the fourragere of the Croix de Guerre.
[6]
In 1946, the 1
er
REC embarked for
Indochina
.
[6]
The regimental squadrons plus two
autonomes groups
(detached units) served for nine years in
Cochinchina
and
Tonkin
.
[6]
Three new citations and the fourragere of the Croix de Guerre of TOE were added to the regimental colors, while the two
autonomes groups
earned 6 citations.
[6]
Algeria and the modernization of the Regiment
[
edit
]
After returning to French North Africa in 1954, the regiment was involved in the
Algerian War
for eight consecutive years of active service.
[6]
Following the
Evian Accords
and the independence of Algeria
[6]
the 1
er
REC regrouped at the base of
Mers El Kebir
. It was then reassigned, on October 17, 1967, to peacetime duty in metropolitan France for the first time.
The 1
er
REC was now based at
Orange
in the
Quartier Labouche
garrison.
[6]
Reattached to the 14th Infantry Division (14th DI) on January 1, 1976; the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment returned to
Africa
the same year, serving in
Djibouti
and then
Mayotte
.
[6]
In 1978 and 1979, the regiment participated in
Operation Tacaud
in
Tchad
where an Army citation was awarded.
[6]
During this period, the regiment received new equipment, including the
FAMAS
service rifle,
MILAN
anti-tank guided missiles,
VAB
armored personnel carriers, and the
AMX-10RC
armored car.
[6]
From May to October 1983, the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment served in three separate deployment areas: within the ranks of the
Multinational Force in Lebanon
; with a tactical command headquarters stationed in
Beirut
; in
Tchad
within the combat deployment cadre of
Operation Manta
; and in
Djibouti
.
[6]
Within the ranks of the FAR and Division Daguet
[
edit
]
The 6th Light Armoured Division (6
e
DLB) operating the left flank of the
34 nations
coalition
during the
Gulf War
.
The 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment remained within the
Force d'Action Rapide (FAR)
and was part of the
Division Daguet
.
[6]
On July 1984, the Royal etranger was incorporated into the
6th Light Armoured Division
(6
e
D.L.B).
[6]
Engaged in operation Daguet starting September 15, 1990; the regiment as whole was found complete in the desert of
Saudi Arabia
on November 6, 1990.
[6]
Following an initial preparatory phase, the regiment saw service as part of
Operation Desert Storm
.
[6]
On February 23, 1991; the regiment crossed the Iraqi frontier, reached its objective at the D'As Salman air base within 36 hours.
[6]
Victorious, the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment intact from personnel or material loss, decorated a new palm on the regimental colors.
[6]
From December 1992 to June 1993, the regiment served in Cambodia as part of the
United Nations
peacekeeping
force (APRONUC).
[6]
Operations post 1993
[
edit
]
Commemoration of the
Battle of Camaron
by the
1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment
at the
Roman
Theatre of
Orange
.
The 2nd Squadron of the Regiment served in
Sarajevo
as part of the United Nations Protection Force (FORPRONU) from October 1993 to February 1994, and subsequently with the cadre of BATINF from January to June 1995. From 1995 to 1996, the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment was engaged in the former
Yugoslavia
within the cadre of the force de reaction rapide (FRR) and in
Chad
as part of
Operation Epervier
. From May to September 1996, the 5th Squadron, recreated in July 1993, was first deployed in the
Central Africa Republic
during Operation Almandin II. The 1er REC also participated in
Guyane
,
Mayotte
and
Djibouti
. In 1997, the regiment served in the
Republic of Congo
assisting in the evacuation of refugees. During 1999 the regiment participated in operations with
NATO
forces in
Kosovo
, deploying one armored squadron (5
e
ESC) in the
Macedonia
, then dispatching the scouting squadron in Kosovo. Since then, the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment has participated in
Operation Licorne
in the Ivory Coast and in
(fr) Operation Pamir
in
Afghanistan
.
In January 2013, an AMX 10 RC unit from the regiment was deployed in
Mali
as part of
Operation Serval
, to counter an Islamist offensive against the local government and engaged in battle for control of the town of Diabaly.
[7]
As of June 2015, with nearly 1,000 men and advanced equipment, the Regiment is on permanent stand-by to undertake any mission being allocated to it.
Organization
[
edit
]
The regiment is currently divided into 7 squadrons
[8]
- Escadron de Commandement et de Logistique (ECL)
? Command and Logistics Squadron.
- 1
er
Escadron
? 1st Squadron (4 combat troops and a command troop)
- 2
e
Escadron
? 2nd Squadron (4 combat troops and a command troop)
- 3
e
Escadron
? 3rd Squadron (4 combat troops and a command troop)
- 5
e
Escadron
? 5th Squadron ( 4 combat troops and a command troop)
[9]
- Escadron d'eclairage et d'investigation de brigade (EEI)
? Brigade Reconnaissance Squadron. (4
troops
)
- Escadron d'Aide a l'Engagement (EAE)
? anti-tank squadron
Equipment
[
edit
]
Three squadrons are equipped with the
AMX 10 RC
, a light wheeled armoured vehicle armed with a 105mm gun.
[10]
The EEI is equipped with the
Panhard VBL
.
[10]
Traditions
[
edit
]
Insignias
[
edit
]
-
Regimental Insignia of the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment, 1
er
REC
-
Beret insignia of the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment, 1
er
REC
-
Regimental Colors
[
edit
]
Regimental Colors of the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment
Decorations
[
edit
]
-
-
Croix de guerre des theatres d'operations exterieures
Honors
[
edit
]
Battle Honors
[
edit
]
Regimental Commanders
[
edit
]
Tenure (1921 - 1939)
- 1921 ? 1922 :
Colonel
Perret
- 1922 ? 1923 :
Lieutenant Colonel
Sala
- 1923 ? 1925 : Colonel Maurel
- 1925 ? 1931 : Colonel Sala
- 1931 ? 1932 : Colonel Burnol
- 1932 ? 1935 : Colonel Bonnefous
|
Tenure (1935 - 1946)
- 1935 ? 1940 : Colonel Berger
- 1940 ? 1943 : Colonel Levavasseur
- 1943 ? 1945 : Colonel Miquel
- 1945 : Major Lennuyeux
- 1945 ? 1946 : Colonel Robert
- 1945 ? 1946 : Lieutenant Colonel Marion
|
Tenure (1948 - 1956)
- 1948 ? 1949 : Lieutenant Colonel Dore
- 1949 ? 1951 : Lieutenant Colonel de Battisti
- 1951 ? 1952 : Lieutenant Colonel Royer
- 1952 ? 1953 : Lieutenant Colonel Deluc
- 1953 ? 1954 : Lieutenant Colonel Hardoin
- 1954 ? 1956 : Lieutenant Colonel Coussaud de Massignac
|
Tenure (1955 - 1975)
- 1956 :
Commandant
Ogier de Baulny
- 1956 ? 1958 : Lieutenant Colonel Spitzer
- 1958 ? 1960 : Lieutenant Colonel Herve Le Barbier de Blignieres
- 1960 ? 1961 : Lieutenant Colonel de la Chapelle
- 1961 ? 1962 : Lieutenant Colonel Barazer de Lannurien
- 1962 ? 1963 : Lieutenant Colonel de Monplanet
- 1963 ? 1965 : Lieutenant Colonel de Froissard de Broissia
- 1965 ? 1967 : Lieutenant Colonel Ansoborlo
- 1967 ? 1969 : Lieutenant Colonel Bart
- 1969 ? 1971 : Lieutenant Colonel Caillard d'Aillieres
- 1971 ? 1973 : Lieutenant Colonel Fesneau
- 1973 ? 1975 : Lieutenant Colonel Lorho
|
Tenure (1975 - 1995)
- 1975 ? 1977 : Lieutenant Colonel Devouges
- 1977 ? 1979 : Lieutenant Colonel
Raymond Le Corre
- 1979 ? 1981 : Lieutenant Colonel Audemard d'Alancon
- 1981 ? 1983 : Lieutenant Colonel de la Presle
- 1983 ? 1985 : Lieutenant Colonel Ansart de Lessan
- 1985 ? 1987 : Colonel Belloir
- 1987 ? 1989 : Colonel Badie
- 1989 ? 1991 : Colonel Ivanoff
- 1991 ? 1993 : Colonel Yves de Kermabon
- 1993 ? 1995 : Colonel
Franceschi
|
Tenure (1995?present)
- 1995 ? 1997 : Colonel H. Clement-Bollee
- 1997 ? 1999 : Colonel Colas des Francs
- 1999 ? 2001 : Colonel Bertrand Clement-Bollee
- 2001 ? 2003 : Colonel Yakovlev
- 2003 ? 2005 : Colonel
de Saint-Chamas
- 2005 ? 2007 : Colonel Windeck
- 2007 ? 2009 : Colonel Dupont
- 2009 ? 2011 : Colonel Gilles Jaron
- 2011 ? 2013 : Colonel Jean-Christophe Bechon
- 2013 ? 2015 : Lieutenant Colonel Remi Bouzereau
[15]
- 2015 - 2017 : Colonel Valentin Seiler
- 2017 - 2019 : Colonel Olivier Baudet
|
- 2019 - 2021 : Colonel Meunier
- 2021 - 2023 : Colonel Leinukugel Le Cocq
See also
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
[1]
Official Website of the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment, Section Le Chef de Corps
- ^
"1er regiment etranger de cavalerie - Armee de terre"
.
www.defense.gouv.fr
. Retrieved
2022-03-21
.
- ^
"1er Regiment Etranger de Cavalerie - Armee de terre"
.
www.defense.gouv.fr
.
Archived
from the original on 2022-01-15
. Retrieved
2022-01-15
.
- ^
"1er Regiment Etranger de Cavalerie | Information"
. Retrieved
2022-03-26
.
- ^
"La garrison - 1er Regiment Etranger de Cavalerie - Armee de terre"
.
www.defense.gouv.fr
.
Archived
from the original on 2022-01-15
. Retrieved
2022-01-15
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
o
p
q
r
s
t
u
v
w
x
y
z
aa
[2]
Archived
2014-01-06 at the
Wayback Machine
Official Website of the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment, Section Historique 1er Regiment etranger de cavalerie
- ^
Harding, Andrew (16 January 2013).
"Mali Conflict: 'French Fighting Islamists in Mali'
"
. BBC News
. Retrieved
16 January
2013
.
- ^
"1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment | Foreign Legion Information"
. Retrieved
2022-03-27
.
- ^
"De nouvelles unites pour la Legion etrangere"
. Foreign Legion
. Retrieved
2015-12-27
.
- ^
a
b
"Le regiment"
. Archived from
the original
on 2012-04-26
. Retrieved
2011-12-30
.
- ^
Par analogie avec les dispositions intervenues a l'occasion des hostilites qui se sont deroulees entre 1914 et 1918, il est decide, en avril 1945, de commemorer par une fourragere les actions d'eclat ayant entraine l'octroi d'au moins deux citations a l'ordre de l'armee aux regiments ou unites formant corps en operations depuis le 2 septembre 1939. Il ne s'agit pas a proprement parler d'une fourragere nouvelle. En effet la forme et les couleurs de la fourragere 1914-1918 (Il n'existe pas de fourragere aux couleurs du ruban de la croix de guerre 1939-1945 actuellement, mais il y a eu une fourragere aux couleurs de cette derniere, mais qui a ete abandonnee au debut des annees 1950, car elle apportait une certaine confusion, alors pour simplifier, le systeme des olives a ete mis en place) sont maintenues mais il est cree un systeme d'olives qui placees au-dessus du ferret permettent de differencier l'origine de ces deux fourrageres.
- ^
"article sur le site de la Legion etrangere"
. Archived from
the original
on 2013-01-24
. Retrieved
2015-06-30
.
- ^
"Decision n°|12350/SGA/DPMA/SHD/DAT du 14 septembre 2007 relative aux inscriptions de noms de batailles sur les drapeaux et etendards des corps de troupe de l'armee de terre, du service de sante des armees et du service des essences des armees,
[[:fr:Bulletin officiel des armees]]
, n°|27, 9 novembre 2007"
. Archived from
the original
on 2014-02-21
. Retrieved
2015-06-30
.
- ^
"Edition Chronologique n°|45 du 29 octobre 2010". Le Ministere de la Defense instruction n°|1515/DEF/EMA/OL/2 du 23 septembre 1983, modifiee, sur les filiations et l'heritage des traditions des unites; decision n°|010318 /DEF/CAB/SDBG/CPAG du 15 juillet 2008 portant creation d'une commission des emblemes. Art 1er. L'inscription "Koweit 1990-1991" est attribuee aux drapeaux et etendards des formations des armees enumerees ci-dessous. 2e R.E.I, 1er R.E.C, 6e R.E.G, 3e R.I.Ma, 1er R.P.I.Ma, 11e R.A.Ma, 4e Regiment de dragon, 1er Regiment de Spahis, 6e Regiment de Commandement et de Soutien, 1er R.H.C, 3e R.H.C, puis les formations de l'Armee de l'Air les 5e, 7e, 11e escadre de chasse, la 33e escadre de reconnaissance et les 61e et 64e escadre de transport. Le present arrete sera publie au
Bulletin officiel des armees
, Herve Morin.
- ^
[3]
Official Website of the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment. Section Ancien Chefs de Corps
References
[
edit
]
- www.legion-etrangere.com
- Porch, Douglas (1991).
The French Foreign Legion
. New York: Harper Collins.
ISBN
978-0-06-092308-2
.
- Windrow, Martin (1996).
French Foreign Legion 1914?1945
. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.
ISBN
1-85532-761-9
.
- Windrow, Martin (1996).
French Foreign Legion Since 1945
. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.
ISBN
1-85532-621-3
.
External links
[
edit
]
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