Ancient history

3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment

The 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (3e REI) is the most decorated regiment of the Foreign Legion. It was created in 1920 and is heir to the Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion (RMLE).

Type infantry regiment
Role infantry
Strength 600
He has been stationed in the Commandant Forget district, in Kourou, French Guiana, since his arrival from Diégo-Suarez (Madagascar) in 1973.

Composed of both legionnaires and general regime units, it specializes in combat in the equatorial forest. Its main mission is to monitor the CSG (Guiana Space Center) during rocket launches; it is then deployed all around the center to protect the site.

The regiment also plays a key role in maintaining French sovereignty during presence missions on the Brazilian border as well as during operations aimed at dismantling clandestine gold panning sites.

Creation and denominations

On November 11, 1915, the Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion was created from the survivors of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Marching Regiments of the 1st Foreign and those of the 2nd Marching Regiment of the 2nd Foreign.
On November 15, 1920, the RMLE became the 3rd Foreign Regiment (3e RE) by changing its name.
On June 20, 1922, it became the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (3e REI).
On December 5, 1942, a half-brigade of the Foreign Legion and colonial infantry was created from personnel of the 3e REI. On December 15 of the same year, it became the 3rd Foreign Marching Infantry Regiment (3e REIM).
On July 1, 1943, the 3e REIM became the RMLE again.
At the end of the war, on July 1, 1945, the regiment resumed its name of 3e REI.

History of garrisons, campaigns and battles


First World War

1914
1915
1916

The RMLE took part in the capture of Belloy-en-Santerre on July 4, 1916.
1917
1918

The RMLE was engaged during the breakthrough of the Hindenburg line on September 14, 1918. It was then commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Rollet. It was during this attack that he won his 6th army citation and received the double fourragère in the colors of the Legion of Honor and the Croix de guerre 1914-1918.

It is also the first regiment of the French army to receive the fourragère in the colors of the Military Medal.

Between the wars

In 1920, the RMLE joined Morocco and changed its name. The fighting in the Rif and the pacification of Morocco will then be his daily lot.

World War II

At the beginning of 1943, he was integrated into the Algerian South East Front, commanded by Major General Robert Boissau (February April 1943) he was then one of the infantry elements of the Moroccan marching division during the Tunisia campaign (April May 1943). He participated, within the 5th Armored Division, itself incorporated into the 1st Army of General de Lattre de Tassigny, in the Liberation of France. He crossed the Rhine and was in the Arlberg (Austria) when the armistice sounded.

Indochina War

From December 1945, he joined the Indochinese peninsula and settled at the end of 1947 - after Operation Léa - in several posts around the RC4 (colonial road 4) and the RC3 (colonial road 3).

On April 1, 1948, the parachute company was created within the regiment. This unit was the first parachute legionnaire unit. On May 31, 1949, the parachute company will be dissolved and its personnel will be assigned to the newly created 1er BEP.

On July 25, 1948 at the Battle of Phu Tong Hoa, Captain Cardinal's company endured Viet Minh attacks for nine hours without yielding.
In October 1950, these were the tragic battles of Cao B? ng and Colonial Route 4, during which Battalion Commander Forget fell mortally wounded and almost all of the 3rd Battalion disappeared in the turmoil.
The regiment was still fighting at Dong Khe, Bac Khan and Dien Bien Phu. It will count up to five battalions lost in terms of manpower. Its flag gains four new citations at the order of the army and a new fourragère in the colors of the Military Medal.

War in Algeria

The regiment landed in Bône in December 1954. It was in charge of the difficult Aurès Nementchas sector. At the beginning of 1957, reduced to three battalions since the departure of the 3rd battalion for Madagascar, it intervened effectively in northern Constantine, along the Tunisian dam or during major operations. It was then part of the 11th Infantry Division, until April 1961. At the end of the Algerian campaign, it gave birth to the 3rd Marching Battalion of the Foreign Legion.
Madagascar and Guyana

In August 1962, the regiment officially garrisoned Diégo Suarez.

On September 11, 1973, he moved to Kourou, and left Madagascar, when strong anti-French currents were awakening on the island, led among others by the future Malagasy president, Admiral Didier Ratsiraka, a graduate of the Naval School of Brest. As soon as it arrived, the 3e REI pierced the eastern route through the forest, intended to connect Cayenne to the Brazilian border. It is also involved in the development of the Kourou space site. For this work, he received the vermeil medal from the National Center for Space Studies. Once the site is operational, the 3e REI will be an integral part of the armed security system during rocket launches (Operation Titan).

In October 1986, the equipment company was dissolved. The lighting and support company succeeded it and the Equatorial Forest Training Center occupied the Szuts camp on the banks of the Approuague. In 1998, the 3e REI lost its 3rd company which was replaced by the rotating company, itself replaced in June 2003 by two PROTERRE units. Finally, in 1999, the Lighting and Support Company (CEA) was dissolved.

From March 3 to June 27, 2004, the 2nd company was engaged in Operation Carbet, within the French battalion of the multinational interim force in Haiti.

From February 2007, the regiment was engaged in Operation Harpie in Guyana.

In July 2010, the 3rd company was re-created based on permanent legionnaires (stayed for 2 years).

Traditions

Currency

Legio Patria Nostra
The Legion is our homeland

3rd foreign infantry regiment:1) France first, 2) Legio patria nostra (The legion is our homeland)
3rd company of the 3rd foreign infantry regiment:Legio patria nostra (The legion is our homeland)
6th Company of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment:With a smile
7th Company of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment:Isidore
2nd battalion, 8th company of the 3rd foreign infantry regiment:Quo non ascendam
C.C.S of the 3rd foreign infantry regiment:1) Noël, 2) Selva

Flag

The names of the battles are inscribed in gold letters on the flag:

Camerone 1863
Artois 1915
Champagne 1915
The Somme 1916
The mountains of Verdun
Picardie-Soissonais 1918
Vauxaillon 1918
Morocco 1921-1934
Djebel Mansou 1943
Alsace 1944-1945
Stuttgart 1945
Indochina 1946-1954
AFN 1952-19622

Singing

"Anne-Marie of the 3rd foreigner"

Decorations

The 3e REI is currently (as of 2006) the most decorated regiment in the Foreign Legion and the second most decorated regiment in France, behind the RICM.

His flag carries :

the Cross of the Legion of Honor
the Military Medal
the Croix de guerre 1914-1918 with 9 palms
the Cross of war 1939-1945 with 3 palms
the War Cross for External Theaters of Operations with 4 palms
the Chérifien Military Merit (Morocco)
the War Cross of the Portuguese Order of the Tower and the Sword (Knight and Grand Cross) (Portugal)

the Catalan Volunteers Medal (Spain)
the blue Tie of the "Presidential Unit Citation", with the inscription "Rhine-Bavarian Alps" awarded on May 6, 1946 (United States)

the Vermeil Medal from the Kourou National Center for Space Studies awarded for the first time to a military formation.

Regiment personnel are authorized to wear:

the double fourragère in the colors of the Legion of Honor and the Croix de Guerre (rewarding his nine citations to the orders of the army during the First World War), with an olive in the colors of the Croix de Guerre 1939-45 (rewarding his three citations during the Second World War)
the fourragère in the colors of the Military Medal with olive in the colors of the TOE War Cross (rewarding his four citations during external conflicts)
the Blue badge or Distinguished Unit Citation (Presidential Unit Citation from January 10, 1957 American with inscription Rhine - Bavarian Alps

Regiment Party

The regiment's day is celebrated on September 14, the day commemorating the breakthrough of the Hindenburg Line in 1918.

List of corps commanders

Period 1915-1920:marching regiment
of the Foreign Legion

Period 1920 - 1943:3rd foreign infantry regiment

1920:Lieutenant-Colonel Rollet
1925:Lieutenant-Colonel François
1926:Lieutenant-Colonel Blanc
1928:Colonel Michet de La Baume
1932:Colonel Brillat-Savarin
1936:Colonel Mantoz
1939:Colonel Lales
1941:Colonel Levêque
1942:Lieutenant-Colonel Lambert (3rd REIM)

Period 1943-1945:marching regiment of the
Foreign Legion

3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment

1945:Lieutenant-Colonel Clément
1945:Colonel Lehur
1947:Lieutenant-Colonel Méric
1947:Lieutenant-Colonel Royer
1948:Lieutenant-Colonel Simon
1949:Colonel Constans
1950:Lieutenant-Colonel Jacquot
1951:Colonel Laimay

1953:Colonel Marguet
1953:Lieutenant-Colonel de Bruc de Montplaisir
1953:Colonel Lalande
1954:Colonel Raberin
1955:Colonel Thomas
1956:Colonel Gaume
1958:Colonel de Corta
1960:Lieutenant -colonel Torquat de La Coulerie
1960:colonel Langlois
1962:lieutenant-colonel Mattei
1964:lieutenant-colonel Iacconi
1966:Colonel Letestu
1969:Colonel Bramoullé
1971:Colonel Charles-Dominé
1973 :colonel Billot
1975 :colonel Grosjean
1977 :colonel Girard
1979 :colonel Fouques-Duparc
1981:Colonel Gosset
1983:Colonel Guillo t
1985:Colonel Piquemal
1987:Lieutenant-Colonel Tresti
1989:Colonel Dubos
1991:Colonel Théry
1993:Colonel Serveille
1995:Colonel Lalanne-Berdouticq

1997:Colonel Houdet
1999:Lieutenant-Colonel de Guillebon
2001:Lieutenant-Colonel de Stabenrath
2003:Colonel Vincent Le Cour-Grandmaison
2005:Colonel Gomart
2007:Colonel Guyot
2009:Colonel de Bourdoncle de Saint-Salvy
2011:Colonel Lardet
2013:Colonel Walter

Personalities who served in the regiment

American poet Alan Seeger.
French poet Blaise Cendrars (Frédéric-Louis Sauser).
Prince Aage of Denmark.
General Rollet.
Guy Marchand, actor, singer
Commander Hélie Denoix of Saint Marc

The regiment today

Missions

External protection of the French Guiana space center which launches the Ariane rockets.
Guarantee of France's sovereignty in French Guiana:
Surveillance of the Brazilian border
Presence mission in difficult areas, particularly in the equatorial forest
Fight against illegal immigration and gold panning
Intervention missions in the West Indies - Guyana area or on the mainland.

Organization

The 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment has about 600 men, including 280 permanent legionnaires, the others being general regime units on short-term missions (MCD of about 4 months) in the territory.

It consists of:

The CCS or Command and Support Company, composed mainly of permanent legionnaires, brings together all the services necessary for the command of the regiment (communications, nurses, transport section, maintenance, etc.). It equips the GTMF (Maritime and River Transport Group for travel in coastal areas and on inland routes), the posts of Saint-Georges de l'Oyapock and Camopi. In addition, it has the CEFE (Equatorial Forest Training Center) which trains units in short-term missions, promotions from the Special Military School of Saint-Cyr as well as a number of foreign troops for combat in the forest. Its executives are all monitors or instructors of commando techniques and have, for the most part, completed internships in the jungle training centers of Brazil, Belize, Ecuador (country) or Colombia.

the 2nd Combat Company (unit of permanent legionnaires) made up of a command section, a support section (81 mm LLR mortars and Milan anti-tank missiles) of 3 combat sections and the regimental reconnaissance section from the September 1, 2007. This highly specialized unit carries out patrols in canoes and on foot, jointly with the gendarmerie on the borders. The sections will regularly train at the CEFE as well as in foreign Jungle combat centers.

the 3rd combat company (unit of permanent legionnaires) was reconstituted on July 28, 2010 after 13 years of dormancy.

the CA or Support Company is made up of elements on short-term missions (module rotating between the 54th RA of Hyères, the 57th RA of Bitche and the 93rd RAM of Varces). It consists of a command section, a SATCP section equipped with Mistral missiles (very short-range surface-to-air missiles), a SADA (anti-aircraft self-defense section) equipped with 20 mm guns and a section of engineering. It is responsible, via the DLASA (Surface-air artillery liaison detachment), under the orders of the territorial air authority, for the defense of the airspace of the Guiana Space Center.

Materials

P4 VLTT or P4 light all-terrain vehicle
VAB or armored forward vehicles)
81 mm mortars
Guns of 20 mm on carriages 53T2
MILAN anti-tank missiles
Mistral weapons system
2 NC1 radars
Repeating rifle PGM caliber 12.7 mm model F1 for snipers
INMARSAT, PR4G, MATHILDE and HF communication equipment


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