The 6th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (6e RPIMa) is a French parachute regiment created in Quimper on May 16, 1948 under the name of 6e BCCP and whose affiliation dates back to the Special Air Service (SAS) of the Second World War .
This unit particularly distinguished itself during the wars in Indochina and Algeria.
Creation and different denominations
May 16, 1948, creation in Quimper of the 6th BCCP (6th Colonial Parachute Commando Battalion).
October 1, 1950, becomes the 6th GCCP (6th Colonial Parachute Commando Group).
March 1, 1951, becomes 6th BPC (6th Colonial Parachute Battalion). /> July 5, 1952, the 6th BPC was reformed in Saint-Brieuc and became the famous Bigeard battalion.
May 8, 1954, the battalion was again disbanded after the fall of Dien Bien Phu.
August 1, 1955, the remainder of the battalion reinforced by elements of the IV/6e RTS form the 6th RPC (6th Colonial Parachute Regiment) in Marrakech, Morocco
July 10, 1957 , the 6th R.P.C joined the 10th D.P
December 1, 1958, it became 6th RPIMa.
June 30, 1998, dissolutio n of the regiment within the framework of the restructuring and professionalization of the Army.
History of garrisons, campaigns and battles
Successive garrisons
Battalions
1948:Quimper
…
1952:Saint-Brieuc
…
1954:Bayonne
Regiments
1955:Marrakech
1957:Chréa (Blida)
1961:Philippeville
1961:Verdun
1962:Mont-de-Marsan
Indochina War
The colonial parachute battalions originate from the 1st colonial parachute commando demi-brigade established in Brittany and itself heir to the parachutists of Free France, the SAS demi-brigade and the grouping of shock parachute battalions. /P>
The 6th BCCP embarked on June 27, 1949 and landed in Saigon on July 28. He distinguished himself at Pho Trach and at Chaple in the Annam centre, then at Mao Khé in Tonkin, where, on March 30, 1951, the battalion resisted the attacks of four Vietminh regiments for a whole night. After five hours of hand-to-hand combat, the enemy withdrew giving up 400 killed, the 6th BPC lost 51 killed and 97 wounded1.
The battalion was dissolved on August 20, 1951 when it embarked for the metropolis.
Recreated on July 5, 1952, the battalion distinguished itself at Tu Lê in October 1952 as part of the Battle of Nasan and then at Langson in July 1953.
The 6th Para jumped twice on Dien Bien Phu:on November 20, 1953, on the "Drop Zone" "Natacha" during Operation Castor for the investment of the "bowl", and on March 16, 1954 in the midst of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. Despite heroic fights on the PA "Eliane" and "Huguette" the 6th BPC is destroyed and is again dissolved.
War in Algeria
The 6th Colonial Parachute Regiment was created in Marrakech on August 1, 1955 from the remainder of the 6th BPC from Bayonne and reinforcements from the 4th Battalion of the 6th Senegalese Rifle Regiment.
In July 1957, the regiment moved to Algeria and settled in 1957 in Chréa near Blida, which it left in May 1961 for Philippeville.
He participated in the "Kabylie 16" operation, in the Bordj Menaïel region, from January 6 to 11, 1959, where 330 independence fighters were put out of action. Then, on March 28, 1959, in the Djelfa-Bou Saâda sector, during a violent engagement, putting out of action the head of wilaya III Colonel Amirouche and Colonel Si El Haouès at the head of 200 combatants separatists. The regiment was parachuted into Akfadou in July 1959, as a curtain raiser for Operation Twins.
Since 1962
On July 6, 1961, the 6th RPIMa left Algeria for Verdun before being transferred on December 18, 1962 to Mont-de-Marsan in the former training base of the colonial parachute brigade.
It was then the only regiment in France capable of being directly operational in external theaters of operations with conscripts from the contingent, which gave it its reputation for excellence.
The 6th RPIMa was dissolved in Mont-de-Marsan on June 30, 1998 following the new structuring of the army and its professionalization.
Traditions
The feast of the naval troops is celebrated on the occasion of the anniversary of the battle of Bazeilles, this village which was recaptured four times and abandoned on orders, on August 31 and September 1, 1870.
And in the Name of God, long live the colonial, the Porpoises and the Bigors have God himself as their patron saint. This battle cry ends the intimate ceremonies that are part of regimental life. Its origin is a thanksgiving of the Reverend Father Charles de Foucauld, missionary, seeing the colonial units come to his aid one day when he was in difficulty with a local tribe.
Currency
Believe and dare
Insignia
Insignia of the 6th BCCP
Insignia of the 6th RPC
Insignia of the 6th RPIMa
Parachute certificate
CT Para Beret Insignia
Former CT Para Beret Insignia
Shoulder Insignia
A parachute, wings and a navy anchor symbolize his membership in the airborne troops of the navy infantry. A low sword and an SAS inscription worn on his hilt recalls his affiliation with SAS units.
Its insignia has never been modified, apart from the inscription which was successively "BCCP" then "RPC" and finally "RPIMa".
Drapeau
The regiment is the heir of the 6th BCCP created in 1948 and the 6th RPC. The flag of the 6th RPIMa, heir to the 6th parachute battalion bears the inscription "INDOCHINE" with 5 citations to the order of the army for the following facts:
1950 Pho Trach and Chaple
1951 Mao Khé
1952 Tu Lé
1953 Langson
1954 Dien Bien Phu
The regimental flag was handed over to Colonel Romain-Desfossés in Blida on November 5, 1957 by General Gilles
In eleven years of campaigning, he lost 23 officers, 70 non-commissioned officers and 480 parachute porpoises.
Decorations
His tie is decorated with the Croix de guerre of the theaters of external operations with 5 palms and is adorned with the fourragère in the colors of the ribbon of the Military Medal and the fourragère in the colors of the ribbon of the Croix de guerre of the theaters of external operations.
Leaders
6th BCCP - 6th GCCP - 6th BPC4
1948 - 1950:Vernières battalion commander
1950 - 1951:Captain Balbin
1952 - 1954:Bigeard battalion commander
1954 - 1954:Captain Porcher
1954 - 1955:Major Chaudrut
6th RPC - 6th RPIMa
1955 - 1958:Lt-Colonel Romain-Desfossés
1958 - 1959:Lt-Colonel Ducasse
1959 - 1962:Lt-Colonel Balbin
1962 - 1963:Lt-Colonel Picherit
1963 - 1965 Lt-Colonel Bley
1965 - 1967 Lt-Colonel Le Guillou
1967 - 1969 Lt-Colonel Ziegler
1969 - 1971 Lt-Colonel De Llamby
1971 - 1973 Lt-Colonel Vincendon
1973 - 1975 Lt-Colonel de Tonquedec
1975 - 1977 Lt-Colonel Béal
1977 - 1979 Lt-Colonel Dentin
1979 - 1981 Lt-Colonel Bertin
1981 - 1983 Lt-Colonel Serpol
1983 - 1985 Lt-Colonel Urwald
1985 - 1987 Lt-colonel Quadri
1987 - 1989 Lt-colonel Bordron
1989 - 1991 Lt-colonel Gandouly
1991 - 1993 Lt-Colonel Perrin
1993 - 1995 Lt-Colonel Champenois
1995 - 1997 Lt-Colonel Caille
1997 - 1998 Lt-Colonel Dumousseau
Achievements
Bandera de Tu Le (Preamble to the Battle of Na San)
Battle of Dien Bien Phu
Personalities who served in the regiment
General Marcel Bigeard
Passi (military service)
Thibault de Montbrial
René Resciniti de Says