The 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment (french: 1
er Régiment Etranger de Parachutistes, 1er REP) was an airborne regiment of the
Foreign Legion in the
French Army
The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed Force ...
which dated its origins to 1948. The regiment fought in the
First Indochina War
The First Indochina War (generally known as the Indochina War in France, and as the Anti-French Resistance War in Vietnam) began in French Indochina from 19 December 1946 to 20 July 1954 between France and Việt Minh (Democratic Republic of Vi ...
as the three-time reconstituted 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion, the
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, or the Second Arab–Israeli war, also called the Tripartite Aggression ( ar, العدوان الثلاثي, Al-ʿUdwān aṯ-Ṯulāṯiyy) in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel,Also known as the Suez War or 1956 Wa ...
and
Algerian War
The Algerian War, also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence,( ar, الثورة الجزائرية '; '' ber, Tagrawla Tadzayrit''; french: Guerre d'Algérie or ') and sometimes in Algeria as the War of 1 November ...
, but was dissolved along with the
10th Parachute Division and
25th Parachute Division following the
generals' putsch
The Algiers putsch (french: Putsch d'Alger or ), also known as the Generals' putsch (''Putsch des généraux''), was a failed coup d'état intended to force French President Charles de Gaulle not to abandon French Algeria, along with the resi ...
against part of the French government in 1961.
Jeanpierre's regiment
Legion Lieutenant Colonel
Pierre Paul Jeanpierre (1912–1958), was considered the patron and symbol of the 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment. The camp of the 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment was named after him in 1959.
Successive unit designations
* 1 July 1948: Creation of the
1st Foreign Parachute Battalion (1er BEP, I Formation) (french: 1
er Bataillon étranger de parachutistes, 1
er BEP)
* 31 December 1950: Unit dissolved after its
destruction during the Route Coloniale 4 fighting in September–October 1950.
* 8 March 1951: Reconstitution of
1st Foreign Parachute Battalion (II Formation)
* 25 April 1954: At Dien Bien Phu, the 1er BEP is destroyed as a fighting unit and along with the remnants of the 2ème BEP forms the Foreign Parachute Battalion de Marche (French: ''Bataillon de Marche Étranger de Parachutistes, or BMEP'')
* 7 May 1954: The Battle of Dien Bien Phu ends, and the battalion's survivors become prisoners of the Việt Minh
* 19 May 1954: The
1st Foreign Parachute Battalion (III Formation) is recreated from reserves (that were not present at Dien Bien Phu), from legionnaires newly deployed to Indochina, and from para volunteers.
* May–December 1954: The 1er BEP is reorganized as a unit
* 1 September 1955: The unit is enlarged to a regiment and redesignated 1er REP
* 30 April 1961: Final disbanding of the 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment following the generals' putsch with
Hélie de Saint Marc
Hélie Denoix de Saint Marc or Hélie de Saint Marc, (11 February 1922 – 26 August 2013) was a senior member of the French resistance and a senior active officer of the French Army, having served in the French Foreign Legion, in particular at t ...
commanding.
History
On 13 May 1948 a Groupement d'Instruction de Parachutistes was formed at Khamis, near
Sidi Bel Abbès
Sidi Bel Abbès ( ar, سيدي بلعباس), also called Bel Abbès, is the capital (2005 pop. 200,000)''Sidi Bel Abbes'', lexicorient.com (Encyclopaedia of the Orient), internet article. of the Sidi Bel Abbès wilaya (2005 pop. 590,000), Alger ...
,
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
for the purpose of raising
two foreign parachute battalions.
The
1st Foreign Parachute Battalion (1
er BEP, I Formation) (french: 1er Bataillon Étranger de Parachutistes, 1
er BEP) was created on 1 July 1948, under the command of
Commandant
Commandant ( or ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ran ...
''Chef de bataillon''
Pierre Segrétain with adjoint battalion commander
Pierre Jeanpierre
Pierre Paul Jeanpierre (14 March 1912 – 29 May 1958) was a senior officer of the Foreign Legion.
He initially served in the French Army and fought during World War II, the First Indochina War, the Suez Crisis and the Algerian War, where he ...
while complementing the ranks with officers and legionnaires of the
Parachute Company of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag or, in a ram-air parachute, aerodynamic lift. A major application is to support people, for recreation or as a safety device for aviators, who ...
.
Indochina
The battalion boarded the transport ship ''Pasteur'' on 24 October 1948 at
Mers El Kébir
Mers El Kébir ( ar, المرسى الكبير, translit=al-Marsā al-Kabīr, lit=The Great Harbor ) is a port on the Mediterranean Sea, near Oran in Oran Province, northwest Algeria. It is famous for the attack on the French fleet in 1940, in t ...
, and arrived in
Indochina
Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula or Indochina, is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west an ...
on 12 November that same year. During the entire period of
conflict in Indochina, the unit primarily saw action in
Tonkin
Tonkin, also spelled ''Tongkin'', ''Tonquin'' or ''Tongking'', is an exonym referring to the northern region of Vietnam. During the 17th and 18th centuries, this term referred to the domain '' Đàng Ngoài'' under Trịnh lords' control, includ ...
(northern
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
).
As part of a consolidation of parachute-trained French formations the
Compagnie Parachutiste du 3e Régiment Etranger d'Infanterie was disbanded on 31 May 1949 and its men – 3
Legion
Legion may refer to:
Military
* Roman legion, the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army
* Spanish Legion, an elite military unit within the Spanish Army
* Legion of the United States, a reorganization of the United States Army from 179 ...
officers, 14
Sous-officiers and 92
Legion
Legion may refer to:
Military
* Roman legion, the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army
* Spanish Legion, an elite military unit within the Spanish Army
* Legion of the United States, a reorganization of the United States Army from 179 ...
corporals and legionnaires
– were transferred to 1
er BEP (I Formation).
On 16 September 1950, the French post at
Đông Khê was overrun, with only a small handful of survivors of the garrison making their way south to French lines at
That Khe. In response, on September 17 and 18, the battalion jumped on That Khe in order to reinforce the combat command under Lieutenant-colonel Lepage, operating out of
Lạng Sơn
Lạng Sơn () is a city in far northern Vietnam, which is the capital of Lạng Sơn Province. It is accessible by road and rail from Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, and it is the northernmost point on National Route 1.
History
Due to its ge ...
whose mission was to rescue the garrison of
Cao Bằng
Cao Bằng () is a city in northern Vietnam. It is the capital and largest settlement of Cao Bằng Province. It is located on the bank of the Bằng Giang river, and is around away from the border with China's Guangxi region. According to the ...
which was evacuating the city along the Route Coloniale 4 (RC4). Following a consolidation of French forces at That Khe, the battalion led the French forces north towards Đông Khê with plans to retake the town, hold it long enough to link up with French forces retreating from the north, and then evacuate south. Although the two French groups were able to link up, heavy Việt Minh interdiction on the roads and constant ambushes in the thick jungle forced the French off the roads in an attempt to bypass the town, during what became known as the
Battle of Route Coloniale 4
The Battle of Route Coloniale 4, also called the Autumn-Winter Border Campaign (''Chiến Dịch Biên Giới Thu Đông'') by the Viet Minh, was a battle of the First Indochina War. It took place along Route Coloniale 4 (RC4, also known as Hig ...
. In so doing, the entire battle group was forced into the Coc Xa gorge, where it was destroyed piecemeal. An attempt to reinforce the battle group occurred on the night of 8 October when approximately 570 additional reinforcements from the
3ème Bataillon Colonial de Commandos Parachutistes) were dropped near That Khe in an attempt to draw the Việt Minh forces away from the gorge, but this operation became hopelessly bogged down and the reinforcements were cut to pieces in turn. The unit was almost entirely destroyed in the subsequent battle in October around Đông Khê, with only 130 men of the battalion remaining of the original 500 who jumped.
The battalion distinguished itself in its willingness to go to great lengths to evacuate their wounded through forbidding terrain, including an incident in which the men
rappelled down a 75-meter cliff at the Coc Xa gorge with the wounded strapped to their backs. Over the course of the battle and subsequent engagements between 17 September and 30 October, the unit lost 21 legion officers, 46 legion NCO's and warrant officers, and 420 legionnaires killed or wounded, including the battalion commander,
Pierre Segrétain leading and heading, killed in action the night of 7 October. Only isolated elements of the battalion were able to rejoin the French lines led by
Pierre Jeanpierre
Pierre Paul Jeanpierre (14 March 1912 – 29 May 1958) was a senior officer of the Foreign Legion.
He initially served in the French Army and fought during World War II, the First Indochina War, the Suez Crisis and the Algerian War, where he ...
, who would later command the regiment in Algeria. Having ceased to exist as a combat-worthy formation, the unit was disbanded on 31 December 1950.
The 1
er BEP reformed (II Formation) on 1 March 1951 from the survivors of the 1
er BEP (I Formation) (which had up to that point been attached to the 2
ème BEP), as well as legionnaires from the
2ème BEP and reinforcements newly arrived from North Africa. Thus the battalion consisted of 3 companies, including a headquarters formation, the 1st and 2nd companies, and a company composed of
Indochinese volunteers.
On 10 September 1951, the unit returned to combat during Operation Tulip, part of General
de Lattre de Tassigny's effort to put the
Việt Minh
The Việt Minh (; abbreviated from , chữ Nôm and Hán tự: ; french: Ligue pour l'indépendance du Viêt Nam, ) was a national independence coalition formed at Pác Bó by Hồ Chí Minh on 19 May 1941. Also known as the Việt Minh Fro ...
on the defensive around the Cho Ben pass, north of
Hòa Bình. The
operation
Operation or Operations may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity
* Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory
* ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Ma ...
was a tactical success with the battalion successfully assisting in the capture of Hòa Bình, but further counter-attacks by the Việt Minh in November convinced the French military command that they were overextended and as a result the area was evacuated, with the last units leaving Hòa Bình in February 1952.
Having reached an apparent stalemate in early 1952 around the
Red River Delta
The Red River Delta or Hong River Delta ( vi, Châu thổ sông Hồng) is the flat low-lying plain formed by the Red River and its distributaries merging with the Thái Bình River in northern Vietnam. ''Hồng'' (紅) is a Sino-Vietnamese wor ...
, the French command again decided to go on the offensive, giving the plan the code name
Operation Lorraine
Operation Lorraine was a French military operation of the First Indochina War.
Background
On 15 October 1952, a regiment of the Việt Minh 312th Division surrounded the French garrison at Gia Hoi 25 miles southeast of Nghĩa Lộ. In response on ...
. On 9 November 1952, the 1st BEP and other airborne formations were dropped into combat near Phu Doan, capturing a quantity of Việt Minh supplies and securing the area. However, the operation failed in drawing the Việt Minh into a large, set-battle (as the French commanders had hoped), and as such the operation was abandoned and the remaining French forces were withdrawn on 16 and 17 November. The battalion was one of the formations selected to hold the rearguard post at Nà Sản, where it sustained a
fierce assault from the Việt Minh between 23 November and 2 December 1952. The post was well-fortified and held in the face of overwhelming numbers, with the bloodied Việt Minh falling back after a week of fighting.
After falling back to the French defensive positions around the de Lattre line, the battalion was reorganized and reinforced, with a third company of legionnaires being added, bringing the total strength of the battalion to 4 combat companies:
3 Legion and
1 Indochinese. In addition, on 1 September 1953 the
1st Foreign Parachute Heavy Mortar Company was created and attached to the 1
er BEP (II Formation).
On 21 November 1953, the unit was dropped as part of the second wave of French troops into the area around
Điện Biên Phủ
Điện Biên Phủ (, meaning: ''Established Frontier Prefecture''), is a city in the northwestern region of Vietnam. It is the capital of Điện Biên Province. The city is best known for the decisive Battle of Điện Biên Phủ, which occu ...
as part of
Operation Castor
Opération Castor was a French airborne operation in the First Indochina War. The operation established a fortified airhead in Điện Biên Province, in the north-west corner of Vietnam and was commanded by Brigadier General Jean Gilles. The ...
, with the objective of securing a World War II-era landing strip and drawing the Việt Minh into another pitched battle against a well-defended position. The operation was completed without incident, with the battalion digging in around Dien Bien Phu in late November 1953. During the
Battle of Dien Bien Phu, the battalion was divided into mobile fire-brigades, with the primary focus being the Huguette forts, specifically Huguette 5. The 1 CEPML was stationed at Dominique 2 until the 14th of March, 1954, at which point it was shifted to various locations in the fort. Despite furious resistance, the 1st BEP (II Formation) is destroyed for a second time on 7 May 1954 with the final fall of Dien Bien Phu camp. The unit (1
er BEP, II Formation) lost 316 legionnaires killed in action over the course of the siege, not including those who subsequently died in
captivity in Indochina.
Algeria
Following the
Geneva Conference, on 1 February 1955, 1er BEP (III Formation) embarked on the steamship ''Pasteur'' in
Saigon
, population_density_km2 = 4,292
, population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2
, population_demonym = Saigonese
, blank_name = GRP (Nominal)
, blank_info = 2019
, blank1_name = – Total
, blank1_ ...
and arrived at Mers el-Kebir on the 24th of the same month.
On 1 September 1955, the 1
er BEP (III Formation) was expanded to a regiment-level formation and re-designated 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment.
From that point on, the unit was based out of
Zéralda
Zeralda is a suburb of the city of Algiers in northern Algeria.
Notable people
* Mohamed Belhocine, Algerian medical scientist, professor of internal medicine and epidemiology.
* Abdelaziz Bouteflika, fifth President of Algeria (1999–2019). ...
.
On 6 November 1956, as part of the
10th Parachute Division, the regiment landed in
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
at
Port Said
Port Said ( ar, بورسعيد, Būrsaʿīd, ; grc, Πηλούσιον, Pēlousion) is a city that lies in northeast Egypt extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal. With an approximate population of 6 ...
and
Port Fuad
Port Fuad or Port Fouad ( ar, بورفؤاد ', ) is a city in Port Said Governorate, Egypt. Port Fuad is located in northeastern Egypt at the northwesternmost tip of the Sinai Peninsula on the Asian side of the Suez Canal, across from the city ...
as part of the French military force participating in the
Suez canal crisis. It was evacuated piecemeal between 10 and 22 December 1956, at which point the towns were handed over to
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
control.
From 1957 onwards, the regiment (1
er REP) was sent back to Algeria, first in
Algiers
Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...
, then in the ''djebel'' (mountains), and finally at
Guelma.
Regimental commander colonel
Buchond partnered with Jeanpierre to lead operations.
Following the petrol route in the Sahara, combat operations engage the regiment non-stop in the region of Guelma.
[Official Website of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment, History of the 2e REP, the 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment ''1er Régiment Etranger de Parachutiste''](_blank)
/ref> Their results were earned by the death of regimental commander ''Chef de Corps'' Legion Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
Pierre Paul Jeanpierre; who fell to the enemy on 28 May 1958; as well as legion officers, legion sous-officiers and a couple of hundred legionnaires.
On the eve of the generals' putsch
The Algiers putsch (french: Putsch d'Alger or ), also known as the Generals' putsch (''Putsch des généraux''), was a failed coup d'état intended to force French President Charles de Gaulle not to abandon French Algeria, along with the resi ...
of April 1961, the regiment (1er REP) was commanded by Hélie Denoix de Saint Marc, as Lt. Col. Guiraud was on leave.
With the agreement of the officers, Cdt. de Saint-Marc activated the regiment alongside the mutineers, and began the generals' putsch on 21 April by marching on Algiers. Following the failure of the putsch, the regiment (1er REP) was disbanded on 30 April 1961, under the orders of Pierre Messmer
Pierre Joseph Auguste Messmer (; 20 March 191629 August 2007) was a French Gaullist politician. He served as Minister of Armies under Charles de Gaulle from 1960 to 1969 – the longest serving since Étienne François, duc de Choiseul under L ...
, the French Minister of Defense. Upon being notified that their regiment (1er REP) was to be disbanded and that they were to be reassigned, Legionnaires burned the Chinese pavilion acquired following the Siege of Tuyên Quang
The siege of Tuyên Quang was an important confrontation between the French and the Chinese armies in Tonkin (northern Vietnam) during the Sino-French War (August 1884 – April 1885). A French garrison of 630 men, including two companies of ...
in 1884 and also blew up their barracks. The relics from the Legion's history museum, including the wooden hand of Captain Jean Danjou
Jean Danjou (15 April 1828 – 30 April 1863) was a decorated captain of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. He commanded the two lieutenants and 62 legionnaires who fought the Battle of Camarón during the French intervention in Mexico, i ...
, accompanied the Legion to France. Also removed from Sidi Bel Abbès were the symbolic Legion remains of General Paul-Frédéric Rollet ("The Father of the Legion"), Prince Count Aage of Rosenborg
Prince Aage, Count of Rosenborg, (Aage Christian Alexander Robert; 10 June 1887 – 19 February 1940) was a Danish prince and officer of the French Foreign Legion. He was born in Copenhagen the eldest child and son of Prince Valdemar of Denmark and ...
, and Legionnaire Heinz Zimmermann (the last fatal casualty in Algeria).
It was during this time that the Legion acquired its parade song "''Non, je ne regrette rien
"Non, je ne regrette rien" (, Piaf's pronunciation , meaning "No, I do not regret anything") is a French song composed in 1956 by Charles Dumont, with lyrics by Michel Vaucaire. Édith Piaf's 1960 recording spent seven weeks atop the French Sin ...
''" ("No, I regret nothing"), a 1960 Édith Piaf
Édith Piaf (, , ; born Édith Giovanna Gassion, ; December 19, 1915– October 10, 1963) was a French singer, lyricist and actress. Noted as France's national chanteuse, she was one of the country's most widely known international stars.
Pia ...
song that their Sous-Officiers, Senior Corporals, Corporals and Legionnaires sang leaving their barracks for re-deployment following the Algiers putsch of 1961
The Algiers putsch (french: Putsch d'Alger or ), also known as the Generals' putsch (''Putsch des généraux''), was a failed coup d'état intended to force French President Charles de Gaulle not to abandon French Algeria, along with the resid ...
. The song has been a part of Legion heritage since then.
At that point, part of the regiment deserted and went over to the Organisation armée secrète
The ''Organisation Armée Secrète'' (OAS, "Secret Armed Organisation") was a far-right French dissident paramilitary organisation during the Algerian War. The OAS carried out terrorist attacks, including bombings and assassinations, in an atte ...
(OAS). Those who did not join in the putsch were escorted back to France and detained at Fort de Nogent.
The 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment, part of the 10th Parachute Division, was dissolved on 30 April 1961. Both the 10th Parachute Division and 25th Parachute Division were disbanded following the generals' putsch. However, the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment, while part of the dissolved 25th Parachute Division, remained in existence as the only foreign parachute regiment in France and the Legion.
Traditions
Except for the Legionnaires of the 1er REP that conserve the Green Beret
The green beret was the official headdress of the British Commandos of the Second World War. It is still worn by members of the Royal Marines after passing the Commando Course, and personnel from other units of the Royal Navy, Army and RAF wh ...
; the remainder of the French army metropolitan and marine paratroopers forming the 10th Parachute Division, the 25th Parachute Division and the 11th Parachute Brigade wear the Red Beret.
File:Brevet Parachutiste.jpg, French Parachute Brevet.
Insignias
The insignia of the French metropolitan Paratroopers represents a closed "winged armed dextrochere", meaning a "right winged arm" armed with a sword pointing upwards. The Insignia makes reference to the Patron of Paratroopers. In fact, the Insignia represents "the right Arm of Saint Michael", the Archangel
Archangels () are the second lowest rank of angel in the hierarchy of angels. The word ''archangel'' itself is usually associated with the Abrahamic religions, but beings that are very similar to archangels are found in a number of other relig ...
which according to Liturgy
Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...
is the "Armed Arm of God". This Insignia is the symbol of righteous combat and fidelity to superior missions.
File:Insigne de la 10e division parachutiste.jpg, Insignia of the 10th Parachute Division of France
File:Insigne1erBEP.jpg, 1er BEP
Image:Cie_para_3REI.JPG,
File:Insigne du 1° REP.jpg, 1er REP
Image:Insigne_1°CEPML.jpg,
Regimental and Battalion Songs
Chant de Marche: Contre les Viets featuring:[1er Régiment Etranger de Parachutistes](_blank)
/ref>
I
Contre les Viets, contre l'ennemi,
Partout où le devoir fait signe,
Soldats de France, soldats de pays,
Nous remonterons vers les lignes.
Refrain
O légionnaires, le combat qui commence,
Met dans nos âmes, enthousiasme et vaillance,
Peuvent pleuvoir grenades et gravats,
Notre victoire en aura plus d'éclat.
Peuvent pleuvoir grenades et gravats,
Notre victoire en aura plus d'éclat.
II
Et si la mort nous frappe en chemin,
Si nos doigts sanglants se crispent au sol,
Un dernier rêve: adieu à demain,
Nous souhaiterons faire école.
Refrain
III
Malgré les balles, malgré les obus,
Sous les rafales ou sous les bombes,
Nous avançons vers le même but,
Dédaignant l'appel de la tombe.
Refrain
Decorations
* Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures with 5 palms
Battle Honours
* Camérone 1863[Camerone is a Battle Honour shared by all Foreign Legion Regiments, no matter when it was formed.]
* Indochine 1949–1954
* AFN 1952–1962
Battalion and regimental commanders
''Note (*): Legion officers killed heading their battalions and regiments''
![Insigne1erBEP](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/Insigne1erBEP.jpg)
1er BEP
1er Bataillon Etranger de Parachutistes Tenure ( 1948–1955 ) – I, II, III Formations -
* 1948–1950: chef de bataillon Segrétain(*) (I Formation, 1er BEP)
** Acting second-in-command Adjoint: Pierre Jeanpierre
Pierre Paul Jeanpierre (14 March 1912 – 29 May 1958) was a senior officer of the Foreign Legion.
He initially served in the French Army and fought during World War II, the First Indochina War, the Suez Crisis and the Algerian War, where he ...
* 1950–1950: captain Raffalli
* 1950–1950: captain Vieules
* 1951–1952: chef de bataillon Darmuzai
* 1952–1953: chef de bataillon Brothier
* 1953–1954: chef de bataillon Guiraud
* 1954–1954: captain Chalony (par intérim)
* 1954–1954: captain Hélie Denoix de Saint-Marc (by interim)
* 1954–1954: captain Germain
* November 1, 1954: chef de bataillon Pierre Jeanpierre
Pierre Paul Jeanpierre (14 March 1912 – 29 May 1958) was a senior officer of the Foreign Legion.
He initially served in the French Army and fought during World War II, the First Indochina War, the Suez Crisis and the Algerian War, where he ...
(II Formation, 1er BEP)
* May 19, 1954 – September 1, 1955: chef de bataillon Pierre Jeanpierre
Pierre Paul Jeanpierre (14 March 1912 – 29 May 1958) was a senior officer of the Foreign Legion.
He initially served in the French Army and fought during World War II, the First Indochina War, the Suez Crisis and the Algerian War, where he ...
(III Formation, 1er BEP)
![Insigne du 1° REP](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Insigne_du_1%C2%B0_REP.jpg)
1er REP
1st Foreign Parachute Regiment Tenure (1955–1961)Official Website of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment, History of the 2e REP, 1er Régiment Etranger de Parachutiste, Les Chefs de Corps
/ref>
* September 1, 1955 – February 6, 1956: battalion commander ''chef de bataillon'' commandant
Commandant ( or ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ran ...
Pierre Paul Jeanpierre
* 1956–1957: lieutenant colonel Brothier
* 1957–1958: Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
Pierre Paul Jeanpierre (*)
* 1958–1958: Commandant
Commandant ( or ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ran ...
Jacques Morin
* 1958–1959: lieutenant colonel Brothier
* 1959–1960: lieutenant colonel Dufour
* 1960–1961: lieutenant colonel Guiraud
* April 20, 1961 – April 30, 1961: commandant
Commandant ( or ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ran ...
Hélie Denoix de Saint Marc
Notable officers and legionnaires
* Erwan Bergot
Erwan Bergot (27 January 19301 May 1993) was a French Army officer and author; he served in the French Army during the First Indochina War and Algerian War.
Biography
Born to a Breton family in Bordeaux, Erwan Bergot volunteered to serve in In ...
* Jean Luciani
* Jean-Marie Le Pen
Jean Louis Marie Le Pen (, born 20 June 1928) is a French far-right politician who served as President of the National Front from 1972 to 2011. He also served as Honorary President of the National Front from 2011 to 2015.
Le Pen graduated fro ...
(Lieutenant)
* Jacques Peyrat
Jacques Peyrat (born 18 October 1931 in Belfort) is a French politician and lawyer who was Mayor (France), mayor of Nice from 1995 to 2008 and has been Senate of France, senator from the Alpes-Maritimes from 1998 to 2008.
Jacques Peyrat came fro ...
(Lieutenant in the 1e BEP)
* Pierre Sergent (Captain)
* Rémy Raffalli
Barthélémy "Rémy" Raffalli (16 March 1913 – 10 September 1952) was a French Army major who fought in World War II and the First Indochina War.
Early life and pre-war service
He entered the Saint-Cyr Military School on 1 October 1933 as part ...
* Hélie de Saint Marc
Hélie Denoix de Saint Marc or Hélie de Saint Marc, (11 February 1922 – 26 August 2013) was a senior member of the French resistance and a senior active officer of the French Army, having served in the French Foreign Legion, in particular at t ...
(Commandant – ''Major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
'')
* Roger Faulques
Roger Louis Faulques (14 December 1924 – 6 November 2011) René Faulques, was a French Army Colonel, a graduate of the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr, a paratrooper officer of the French Foreign Legion, and a mercenary. He fought in Wo ...
(Commandant – ''Major'')
* Louis Stien (Lieutenant in the 1er BEP)
* Adjudant
Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commissioned ...
Szuts (1er REP, 3ème REI)
* Adjudant
Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commissioned ...
Tasnady (1er REP)
* Adjudant Chef Valko, (1er REP, 5ème REI)
* Tony Hunter-Choat
Notes
References
* Braby, Wayne & Windrow, Martin. ''French Foreign Legion Paratroops.'' Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 1985.
External links
1st Foreign Parachute Regiment, Chef de Corps, Gallery
1er REP
– History & images of the 1er REP
History of the 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment, 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment, 14th Parachute Chasseur Regiment and 18th Parachute Chasseur Regiment
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foreign Parachute Regiment, 1st
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag or, in a ram-air parachute, aerodynamic lift. A major application is to support people, for recreation or as a safety device for aviators, who ...
Parachute infantry regiments of France
Military units and formations established in 1948
Military units and formations disestablished in 1961
Parachute Regiment,1st Foreign