The ''27 bataillon de chasseurs alpins'' (27 BCA) is a

Chasseurs alpins The ''chasseurs alpins'' ( en, Alpine Rangers) are the elite mountain infantry force of the French Army. They are trained to operate in mountainous terrain and in urban warfare. History France created its own mountain corps in the late 19th ...

battalion of the

French Army History Early history The first permanent army, paid with regular wages, instead of feudal levies, was established under Charles VII of France, Charles VII in the 1420 to 1430s. The Kings of France needed reliable troops during and after the ...

. It is a heavily decorated unit, whose members wear the

fourragère The ''fourragère'' () is a military award, distinguishing military units as a whole, in the form of a braided cord. The award was first adopted by France, followed by other nations such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, and Luxembourg. Fou ...

of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleo ...

Organisation

The 27 BCA operated under the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade, which specialises in combat in extreme conditions, both in mountain and urban zones. The 27 BCA comprises * 6 combat companies, including one reserve intervention unit * Support Company * Command and Logistics Company * Administration and Support Unit * Fanfare du 27e Bataillon de Chasseurs Alpin

History

The 27 BCA was created after the Franco-Prussian War. It distinguished itself during the First World War, earning 9 mentions in despatches and the fourragère of the Legion of Honour. During the Second World War, it notably took part in the

Battles of Narvik The Battles of Narvik were fought from 9 April to 8 June 1940, as a naval battle in the Ofotfjord and as a land battle in the mountains surrounding the north Norwegian town of Narvik, as part of the Norwegian Campaign of the Second World War. ...

. After it was disbanded after

Case Anton Case Anton (german: link=no, Fall Anton) was the military occupation of France carried out by Germany and Italy in November 1942. It marked the end of the Vichy regime as a nominally-independent state and the disbanding of its army (the severe ...

, some of its elements trained the

Maquis des Glières The Maquis des Glières was a Free French Resistance group, which fought against the 1940–1944 German occupation of France in World War II. The name is also given to the military conflict that opposed Resistance fighters to German, Vichy and ...

; in subsequent combat against SS units the Battalion gained the motto of ''Vivre libre ou mourir'' ("live as free men, or die"). It took part in the

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 ...

, in Kabily, until 1962. Recently, the 27 BCA has been engaged in Afghanistan, notably taking part in the Battle of Alasay.

Commander

External links

Official site of the 27th BCA

Second Official site of the 27th BCA

Official Facebook page the 27th BCA
{{DEFAULTSORT:27e bataillon de chasseurs alpins Infantry battalions of France Mountain units and formations