1st Foreign Regiment
1st Foreign regiment (1er Régiment étranger) |
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Regimental badge of 1er RE
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Active | 1841 - present |
Country | France |
Allegiance | French Foreign Legion |
Branch | French Army |
Part of | Foreign Legion Command |
Garrison/HQ | Aubagne |
Motto | Honneur et Fidélité |
Colors | Green & Red |
March | Nous sommes tous des volontaires (We are all volunteers) |
Anniversaries | Camerone Day (April 30) and Christmas |
Engagements | Crimean War
Second Italian War of Independence World War I |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders |
Raphaël Viénot Paul-Frédéric Rollet |
Insignia | |
Beret badge of the 1st Foreign Regiment | |
Abbreviation | 1er RE |
The 1st Foreign Regiment (French: 1er Régiment étranger, 1er RE) is the oldest and most senior regiment of the French Foreign Legion.
The regiment is also in charge of special institutions of the legion to include the magazine Képi Blanc, the Legion's Athletics Team (ATHLEG) and the Military band.
Contents
History, creation and different nominations
Royal Foreign Regiments
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1st Foreign Regiment Pionniers
The Legion retook since 1831 the tradition of Pionniers.
1st Regiment of the 1st Foreign Legion
1st Foreign Regiment of 1885
The 1st Regiment of the Foreign Legion was created in 1841 based on 3 battalions in the newly created 1831 Foreign Legion.[1] The 1st Regiment of the Foreign Legion became in 1855 the 1st Regiment of the 1st Foreign Legion.[1] This regimet merged with the 2nd Foreign Regiment (2e R.E.), (1856-1861) in 1859 and became the Foreign Regiment (R.E), (1862-1875), then came the 1st and 2nd battalion of the Foreign Legion (L.E), (1875-1884) which produced the 1st Foreign Regiment of 1885 that consequently became the 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment in 1922 and the 1st Foreign Marching Infantry Regiment in 1943.[1]
1st Foreign Regiment of 1856
The 1st Foreign Regiment (1e R.E.) (1856-1861) was created based on the 1st and 2nd Foreign Regiments of the 2nd Foreign Legion.[1]
1st Foreign Regiment of 1955
The 1st Foreign Regiment (1e R.E) (1955–present) was created based on the recreated 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment (1946-1955).[1] This 1st Foreign Regiment gave formation on September 1, 1972 to the Foreign Legion Groupment (G.L.E) which became the Foreign Legion Command (C.O.M.L.E) on July 1, 1984.[1] With the Foreign Legion Command, the 1st Foreign Regiment constitute the <<Maison Mère>> (Mother House) of the Foreign Legion.[2]
This expression inherited from Sidi Bel Abbès comes from the primordial role the regiment plays in conserving tradition and rendering the 1st Foreign Regiment a genuine turning plateau for the ensemble of the Foreign Legion.[2][3] Quartier (garrison) fr of Aubagne and Sidi Bel Abbès; both named in honor of colonel Viénot who was shot straight in front heading the assault of the regiment during the Siege of Sevastopol along with 14 out of 18 legion officers following behind him. Aubagne also houses the French Foreign Legion Museum.[2]
Created in 1841 and stationed in Aubagne since 1962, the 1st Foreign Regiment is the patron of all Foreign Legion regiments.[2] Beyond this historical aspect, the 1st Foreign Regiment represents a major cornerstone in the career paths of legionnaires.[2] The legionnaires initiate their careers from the 1st Foreign Regiment at the selection center of incorporation while also confirming successful return upon completion of basic training before deploying to a legion operational regiment.[2] Legionnaires also pass by the 1st Foreign Regiment each time a posting of a regiment changes, and also finalize in the same regiment their departure formalities at the end of active duty service.
Missions of the 1st Foreign Regiment
The 1st Foreign Regiment, is a regiment with essentially an administrative vocation which major missions are the support of the Foreign Legion and the Foreign Legion Command.[3] However, during exterior and interior misson deployments of units and regiments of the legion; the 1st Foreign Regiment usually also dispatches particular individuals or teams of specialists (O.M.L.T).[3] In addition, the foreign regiment like all regiments of the French Army, does also engage in the alert phase mission of Vigipirate.[3] The 1st Foreign Regiment also dispatches and supports global humanitarian missions around the world during natural catastrophe and disasters.[3]
Organisation
The regiment consists of three companies, as follows:[4]
- Pionniers Sections of Tradition
- Compagnie de Commandement et des Services Régimentaire (CCSR) - Regimental Command and Services Company
- Compagnie des Services de la Légion Étrangère (CSLE) - Foreign Legion Services Company
- Compagnie Administrative du Personnel de la Légion Étrangère (CAPLE) - Foreign Legion Personnel Administration Company
It also runs the following:[4]
- Institution des Invalides de la Légion Étrangère (IILE) à Puyloubier - Foreign Legion Invalid Institution, at Puyloubier
- Centre d’Hébergement et d’Accueil de la Légion Étrangère (CHALE) à la Ciotat - Foreign Legion Accommodation & Welcome Center, at Ciotat
- Centre des Permissionnaires de la Légion Étrangère de la Malmousque (CPLEM) à Marseille - Foreign Legion Leave Center, at Malmousque
Also reported within the regiment is the Foreign Legion Emergency Staff and Statistics Division, a Legion intelligence section.
Tradition
Insignia
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Écusson de la 31e brigade.jpg
The 31st Brigade, the first inter-arm brigade commanded by Foreign Legion Groupment G.L.E featuring Poseidon
between Foreign Legion colors (Green and Red, left) and Troupes de marine colors (Blue and Red,right). -
Pionniers of the 1st Foreign Regiment
The insignia of the 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment, (1e R.E.I), (1950-1955) retakes the symbolics of the Foreign Legion with the grenade with 7 flames and the red and green colors. The regiment is inidicated inside the grenade while the globe commemorates the relic of the Foreign Legion in Sidi Bel Abbès.
The current isnginia of the 1st Foreign Regiment, (1e R.E), retakes the symbloic ruban of the Commemorative medal of the Mexico Expedition created in 1863. This insignia was initially destined for the 3rd company of the 4th Foreign Regiment in 1936. The inisgnia becomes that of the Autonomous Group of the Foreign Legion, (G.A.L.E) and then is adopted by the 1st Foreign Regiment, (1e R.E.) in 1955.
The insignia makes reference to a white diamond shape on which figures the arms of Mexico (a black Circaetus holding a serpent) and a roman saltire with Foreign Legion and Mexican colors.
Regimental Colors
Regimental Song
Chant de Marche : Nous sommes tous des volontaires featuring:[5]
Nous sommes tous des volontaires,
Les gars du 1er étranger,
Notre devise est légendaire,
Honneur Fidélité - Fidélité,
Marchons légionnaires,
Dans la boue, dans le sable brûlant, (bis)
Marchons l'âme légère, (bis)
Et le cœur vaillant, (bis)
Marchons légionnaires. (bis)
Nous marchons gaiement en cadence,
Malgré le vent malgré la pluie,
Les meilleurs soldats de la France,
Sont là devant vous, les voici.
Partout où le combat fait rage,
L'on voit le 1er étranger,
Exemple d'héroïsme, de courage,
Se couvrir de glorieux lauriers.
Gardons dans le fond de nos âmes,
Le souvenir de nos aînés,
Et pour la grenade à sept flammes,
Loyal prêt à tout sacrifier.
Decorations
- Legion of Honour on April 28, 1906
- Croix de guerre 1939–1945 (France) with 1 palm[6]
- Gold Medal of the City of Milan since March 9, 1909
- Cross with swords of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
Honors
Battle honours
- Sevastopol 1855[6]
- Kabilie 1857
- Magenta 1859
- Camerone 1863
- Extrême-Orient 1884-1885
- Dahomy-Maroc 1892-1907, 1925
- Madagascar 1895-1905
- Orient 1915-17
- AFN 1952-1962
Foreign Legion and Regimental Commanders
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Tenure (1841-1955)
1st Regiment of the 1st Foreign Legion Tenure (1841 -1856)[7]
1st Foreign Regiment Tenure (1856-1862)[7]
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Foreign Regiment Tenure (1862-1875)[7]
Foreign Legion Tenure (1875-1884)[7]
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1st Foreign Regiment Tenure (1885-1942)[7]
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1st Foreign Marching Infantry Regiment Tenure (1943)[7]
1st Foreign Infantry Regiment Tenure (recreated 1949-1955)[7]
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Tenure (1955-present)
Notable personalities having served in the 1st Foreign Regiment
- Captain Jean Danjou
- Peter I of Serbia
- Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener
- Brigadier General Giuseppe Garibaldi II with his 5 brothers, 2 of whom were killed in combats at Argonne in 1915.
- Eugene Bullard
- Pierre Segretain
- Pierre Jeanpierre
Gallery
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Place d'armes of garrison (quartier) Vienot at Aubagne
See also
- Swiss Guard
- 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment
- 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment
- 6th Foreign Engineer Regiment
- 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment
- 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment
- 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment
- 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment
- 13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion
- Foreign Legion Detachment in Mayotte
- Foreign Legion Recruiting Group
- List of French paratrooper units
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 [1] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Affiliations of the 1st Foreign Regiment
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 [2] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regiment History
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 [3] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, the 1st Foreign Regiment
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ [4] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Chant du 1er Régiment étranger
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 [5] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regimental Colors and decorations
- ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 [6] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Foreign Legion and Regimental Commanders (1841-1955)
- ↑ [7] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regimental Commanders (1955-present)
- ↑ [8] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regimental Commanders (1955-present)
- ↑ [9] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regimental Commanders (1955-present)
- ↑ [10] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regimental Commanders (1955-present)
- ↑ [11] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regimental Commanders (1955-present)
- ↑ [12] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regimental Commanders (1955-present)
- ↑ [13] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regimental Commanders (1955-present)
- ↑ [14] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regimental Commanders (1955-present)
- ↑ [15] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regimental Commanders (1955-present)
- ↑ [16] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regimental Commanders (1955-present)
- ↑ [17] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regimental Commanders (1955-present)
- ↑ [18] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regimental Commanders (1955-present)
- ↑ [19] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regimental Commanders (1955-present)
- ↑ [20] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regimental Commanders (1955-present)
- ↑ [21] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regimental Commanders (1955-present)
- ↑ [22] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regimental Commanders (1955-present)
- ↑ [23] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regimental Commanders (1955-present)
- ↑ [24] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regimental Commanders (1955-present)
- ↑ [25] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regimental Commanders (1955-present)
- ↑ [26] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regimental Commanders (1955-present)
- ↑ [27] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regimental Commanders (1955-present)
- ↑ [28] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regimental Commanders (1955-present)
- ↑ [29] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regimental Commanders (1955-present)
- ↑ [30] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regimental Commanders (1955-present)
- ↑ [31] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regimental Commanders (1955-present)
- ↑ [32] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regimental Commanders (1955-present)
- ↑ [33] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regimental Commanders (1955-present)
- ↑ [34] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regimental Commanders (1955-present)
- ↑ [35] Official Website of the 1st Foreign Regiment, Regimental Commanders (1955-present)
- www.legion-etrangere.com
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External links
- Official website - 1er Régiment étranger
- French Foreign Legion recruitment portal
- Képi Blanc magazine