The 3rd Parachute Chasseur Regiment (french: 3^e Régiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes) or 3^e RCP was a French unit of Second World War known in the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

as the 3rd

SAS SAS or Sas may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''SAS'' (novel series), a French book series by Gérard de Villiers * ''Shimmer and Shine'', an American animated children's television series * Southern All Stars, a Japanese rock ba ...

Regiment and originally named the 3rd Air Infantry Battalion. Involved in the operations of the Liberation of France and

The Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, the unit was temporarily dissolved at the end of the conflict and was reorganized between 1979 and 1998.

Designations

* 6 June 1943: creation of the 3rd Air Infantry Battalion (3^e R.C.P). * 1 April 1944: the 3^e R.C.P. was designated as 3rd Parachute Chasseur Regiment. * Summer of 1945: dissolution of 3^e R.C.P. Effectifs are integrated into the

2nd Parachute Chasseur Regiment The 2nd Parachute Chasseur Regiment (french: 2e Régiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes) or 2e RCP, is one of the most decorated French units of the Second World War, the only land unit awarded the red fourragère in that war, including six citation ...

(2^e R.C.P). * 1979: unit recreated at the corps of the E.T.A.P. * 1998: dissolution of the 3^e R.C.P.

History

Successive garrisons

Camberly Camberley is a town in the Borough of Surrey Heath in Surrey, England, approximately south-west of Central London. The town is in the far west of the county, close to the borders of Hampshire and Berkshire. Once part of Windsor Forest, Camberl ...

Kilmarnock Kilmarnock (, sco, Kilmaurnock; gd, Cill Mheàrnaig (IPA: ʰʲɪʎˈveaːɾnəkʲ, "Marnock's church") is a large town and former burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland and is the administrative centre of East Ayrshire, East Ayrshire Council. ...

* Camp d'Auchinlech *

Nantes Nantes (, , ; Gallo: or ; ) is a city in Loire-Atlantique on the Loire, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 314,138 in Nantes proper and a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabita ...

World War II

Formation

At the end of 1942, while the 1st Air Infantry Battalion was being formed in England at the corps of the Free French Air Forces, Captain

Jean-Marie Bouvier Jean-Marie is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: * Jean-Marie Abgrall (born 1950), a French psychiatrist, criminologist, specialist in forensic medicine, cult expert, and graduate in criminal law * Jean-Marie C ...

and Captain Fournier assembled volunteers of the Free French Forces in

Cairo, Egypt Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...

. The unit, which was created in Rouïba, Algeria, was transferred to the

Tripolitania Tripolitania ( ar, طرابلس '; ber, Ṭrables, script=Latn; from Vulgar Latin: , from la, Regio Tripolitana, from grc-gre, Τριπολιτάνια), historically known as the Tripoli region, is a historic region and former province o ...

region in Libya and then to Mena Camp 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 ...

before rejoining again in Rouïba in October with an effective force of almost 600 men. Officially constituted on 6 June 1943, the 3rd Air Infantry Battalion joined Camp de

in England on 7 November. The unit, reduced to just 300 men, was commanded by Captain Château-Jobert. The 3rd Air Infantry Battalion and 1st Air Infantry Battalion, which was just redesignated as the 4th Air Infantry Battalion, were regrouped at the corps of a

Demi-Brigade A ''demi-brigade'' ( en, Half-brigade) is a military formation used by the French Army since the French Revolutionary Wars. The ''Demi-brigade'' amalgamated the various infantry organizations of the French Revolutionary infantry into a single ...

, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Durand, a veteran of the French Corps of Africa. Integrated into the British Forces, the two battalions were incorporated in the

Special Air Service The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling and in 1950, it was reconstituted as a corps. The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter-terro ...

Brigade of Brigadier Mac Leod in December 1943. The 3rd and 4th BIA were designated respectively as 3rd and 4th

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

SAS Regiments at the corps of the Brigade and the men gained access to the various SAS centers of instruction. The British parachute wings were obtained after eight jumps. The parachute wings insignia received by the newly reformed 3rd SAS Regiment was formulated by Captain Georges Bergé, made out of fabric and placed on the chest. At the end of the month of January 1944, the Demi-Brigade was transferred to

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. On 1 April, the two units were designated as '' Parachute Chasseur Regiments'' (RCP). The 3rd and 4th BIA became the 3rd Parachute Chasseur Regiment (3^eRCP) and

(2^eRCP) respectively. The mission of the SAS is that of commando nature. Contrary to the classical parachute troops, their mission was not to engage the enemy directly but to operate behind enemy lines in sabotage, clandestine, and harassment missions. With no main rear combat support, missions were led by small units, which engaged and withdrew from combat quickly, utilizing swift attacks. The composition of a regiment

, which was similar in strength to a large

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

battalion, was in theory about 600 men. These were divided into one command company (squadron) composed of a section (troops) of transmission with a 12 team radio, one support section, one protection section and services, one motorized company with four platoons of 4 jeeps, and three combat companies each with a command section and two combat sections with four groups. The encadrement rate of the unit was twice as superior as that of a regular battalion. Counting sixty to sixty-five officers and seventy warrant officers, almost a fifth of the total effective force were officers. Each man was equipped with a Colt M1911, a

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

dagger, a carbine with folding buttstock or a Sten submachine gun. The collective armament included Bren guns and anti-tank arms like the Bazooka or

PIAT The Projector, Infantry, Anti Tank (PIAT) Mk I was a British man-portable anti-tank weapon developed during the Second World War. The PIAT was designed in 1942 in response to the British Army's need for a more effective infantry anti-tank weapon ...

Liberation of France

While the 2nd Parachute Chasseur Regiment was deployed in

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...

during the operations of disembarking in June 1944, the 3rd Parachute Chasseur Regiment was held temporarily in England. The 3rd Parachute Chasseur Regiment was entrusted with action covering the southern flank of the

U.S. 3rd Army The United States Army Central, formerly the Third United States Army, commonly referred to as the Third Army and as ARCENT, is a military formation of the United States Army which saw service in World War I and World War II, in the 1991 Gulf Wa ...

which had just disembarked in Normandy making way west across the country. Between 16 July and 7 October 1944, the regiment was dropped in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

along the line Nantes-Lyon. The mission of the regiment was to contain an opposing force of almost 100,000 men making way to the north. An initial detachment, at the orders of Captain Simon and constituted from a reinforced squadron, a Demi-Squadron from the 3rd squadron intervened in le Poitou and Limousin from mid-July, made way on Châteauroux and Issoudun at the beginning of September, before regrouping at the beginning of October south of Poche de Saint-Nazaire. The 2nd squadron of Captain

Pierre Sicaud Pierre Sicaud (14 March 1911 – 15 January 1998) was a French colonial administrator. During the Second World War, he joined the Free French Air Force as a parachutist and commanded a squadron of the SAS. He fought in Brittany and in the Netherla ...

was first parachuted on Finistère in the night of 4 August (near of

Plougastel-Daoulas Plougastel-Daoulas (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Finistère Departments of France, department, located in the administrative region of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany, northwestern France. Population Inhabitants of Ploug ...

Landerneau Landerneau (; br, Landerne, ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. It lies at the mouth of the Elorn River which divides the Breton provinces of Cornouaille and Léon, east of Brest. The name is from ...

et Morlaix). Their mission consisted of protecting bridges necessary to assure the progression of U.S. Armoured Units. The 2nd rejoined the 1st squadron and the command Demi-Squadron which remained deployed until 12 August around the cities of

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...

Chalon-sur-Saône Chalon-sur-Saône (, literally ''Chalon on Saône'') is a city in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. It is the largest city in the department; h ...

, Autun, and

Saint-Étienne Saint-Étienne (; frp, Sant-Etiève; oc, Sant Estève, ) is a city and the prefecture of the Loire department in eastern-central France, in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Saint-Étienne is the t ...

. Following a regrouping in the region of Aÿ Dizy and at

Épernay Épernay () is a commune in the Marne department of northern France, 130 km north-east of Paris on the mainline railway to Strasbourg. The town sits on the left bank of the Marne at the extremity of the Cubry valley which crosses it. Éperna ...

, the 3rd RCP paraded in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

on 11 November 1944. The casualty report of the regiment was moderate: 39 killed or missing in action and 72 wounded in action. The regiment placed 6,416 opposing forces out of combat, as well as 20 opposing tanks, 11 trains and a number of vehicles.

Liberation of The Netherlands

The two

regiments were then engaged in The Netherlands in

Operation Amherst Operation Amherst was a Free French and British SAS attack designed to capture intact Dutch canals, bridges and airfields during World War II. It was led by Brigadier Mike Calvert of Chindit The Chindits, officially as Long Range Penetratio ...

. The 696 SAS operators were parachuted on 19 different Landing Zones between Ommen and

Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of the northern part of t ...

. They preceded the 2nd

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

Corps while sowing confusion, preventing the opposition from establishing defensive lines and also preserving the status of bridges. The operation was a success for the Canadians, but the losses for the SAS regiments were heavy and represented more than 20% of the troops engaged. Accordingly, the 3rd RCP endured the loss of 12 killed, 40 missing, and 20 wounded. In June 1945, at the end of the Second World War, the airborne troops left the Allied front lines. On 6 August, the three Parachute Chasseurs regiments and the 4^e RIA SAS, which had just been permanently reattached to 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 For ...

, were incorporated into the newly created 24th Airborne Division. Returned to their new reserve garrison with the induction of volunteers for the duration of the war, it was not possible to the maintain the entirety of the units. The 3rd Parachute Chasseur Regiment was then dissolved and absorbed by the 2nd Parachute Chasseur Regiment, with command entrusted to Lieutenant-Colonel de Bollardière. On 2 October 1945, during an honorary ceremony in honor of the

regiments of the 24th Airborne Division, Brigadier Calvert bestowed the

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

Chapeau A chapeau is a flat-topped hat once worn by senior clerics. In heraldry In European ecclesiastical heraldry, it is used as a mark of ecclesiastical dignity, especially that of cardinals, where it is called the ''red chapeau''. It is worn over th ...

on the 3rd RCP and that of

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

on the 2nd RCP.

Post War

The 3rd RCP was recreated in 1979 at the corps of the airportable instruction center for which the regiment supplied support and logistics. Even though the regiment's principal mission revolved around ensuring the protection of the territory, the regiment also operated out of its principal area. In 1996, the regiment was briefly designated as "École des troupes aéroportées, the 3e Régiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes" ( ETAP/3e RCP). The unit was again dissolved in 1998 within the cadre of the reorganization of the armed forces. The traditions of the 3rd RCP were readopted by the Center of Commando Instruction (CEC) of Givet in August 2006 (by dissolution of the 9th Zouave Regiment, a former unit of tradition of the CEC) until the dissolution of the latter in 2009.

Traditions

Motto

"Who dares wins" is the general motto of the British SAS, translated in French to "''Qui ose gagne''".

Insignia

During the Second World War, the men of the 3rd RCP did not display any insignia which was specific to the unit. Incorporated into the British forces, the men of the regiment wore British uniforms and harbored the SAS insignia on their beret while carrying the parachute brevet of the Free French Forces on their chest. Sometimes, the SAS wings were used to reward their participation in war operations. The specific insignia of the 3rd Parachute Chasseur Regiment wasn't created until the rebirth of the unit in 1979. The symbolic insignia of the regiment recalls largely the origin of the SAS of the Second World War. File:Insigne des SAS Français en 44.jpg, Beret Insignia of French SAS File:Brevet parachutiste FFL.jpg, Parachute Brevet of the FFL File:Patch de bras du 3e RCP.JPG, Arm patch of the 3^e RCP File:Wings SAS.jpg, Operational SAS wings

Regimental Colours

The regimental colors of the French SAS was bestowed to the two Air Infantry Battalions by General

Martial Valin Martial Henri Valin (14 May 1898 in Limoges – 19 September 1980 in Neuilly-sur-Seine) was a French Air Force general. He initially served as a cavalryman in the First World War. After nine years cavalry service in the ''chasseurs d'Afrique'', ...

of the Free French Air Forces. Entrusted to the

Guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

of the 4th Air Infantry Battalion 4th BIA, the regimental colours were then transferred to the 2nd Parachute Chasseur Regiment, then to the SAS Parachute Demi-Brigade of Indochina, the heir of the

1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment The 1er Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine ( en, 1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment) or 1er RPIMa is a unit of the French Army Special Forces Command, therefore part of the Special Operations Command. Heirs to the Free Frenc ...

. The shared SAS Regimental Colours is the most decorated of the Second World War. Colors of the regiment include: * Knight of the

Légion d'honneur 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 Napoleon ...

* Compagnon de la Libération *

Croix de guerre 1939-1945 Croix (French for "cross") may refer to: Belgium * Croix-lez-Rouveroy, a village in municipality of Estinnes in the province of Hainaut France * Croix, Nord, in the Nord department * Croix, Territoire de Belfort, in the Territoire de Belfort depa ...

with 7 palms avec sept palmes * Croix de guerre Belge 1939-1945 *

Bronze Star The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

(U.S.) * Medal of the Order of the Netherlands Lion, as well as: ** Fourragere with colors bearing the Légion d'Honneur with olive 39-45 ** Fourragere T.O.E ** Fourragere of the Compagnon de la Libération since 18 June 1996

Honors

The regimental colors bear the following 7 inscriptions obtained for 7 citations at the orders of the armed forces: * Crete 1942 * Libya 1942 * South Tunisia 1943 * France 1944 * Ardennes 1945 * Holland 1945 * Indochina 1946-1954 To differentiate the unit, Château Jobert fabricated specific

fanion A fanion is a small flag used by the French military; the equivalent of an American guidon or British company colour. The name derives from the Italian word gonfanone, or gonfanon. They were often attached to a small staff which was placed in the ...

in 1944 and 1945. The 3rd Parachute Chasseur Regiment nevertheless received the respective Regimental Colors only until February 15, 1982. Inscribed on the regimental colors of the 3rd RCP were: * France 1944 * Holland 1945 Regimental colors of the 3rd RCP are decorated with the

with 2 palms and bears wearing the Fourragere with colors of the Croix de guerre 1914-1918 with olive 1939-1945.

Decorations

The 3rd RCP obtained two citations at the orders of the Armed Air Force for action during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and accordingly obtained two citations of the croix de guerre with palm. The first citation was bestowed for combat between 16 July and 7 October 1944. The second citation was bestowed for actions in The Netherlands during April 1945 while leading in front of

troops. This last citation was accompanied with the right to bear the fourragere with colors of the croix de guerre. The unit also obtained on 9 May 1950, for the same operation, the Royal Dutch

Bronze Lion The Bronze Lion ( nl, Bronzen Leeuw) is a high Royal Dutch award, intended for servicemen who have shown extreme bravery and leadership in battle favouring The Netherlands; in some special cases it can be awarded to Dutch or foreign civilians. It ...

.In ''Chasseurs parachutistes 1935 - 2005'' page 62.

Notable Members

Commanders

* 1943–1943: Commandant

* 1943–1944: Commandant Pierre Chateau-Jobert * 1944–1945: Lieutenant-Colonel

Jacques Pâris de Bollardière Jacques Pâris de Bollardière (16 December 190722 February 1986) was a French Army general, famous for his advocacy of non-violence during the 1960s. Biography Early life Bollardière was born in 1907 in Brittany, into a family with a tradition ...

* 1979–1981: Colonel Baulain * 1981–1983: Colonel Chiama * 1983–1985: Colonel Menage * 1985–1987: Colonel Coiffet * 1987–1989: Colonel Charrier * 1989–1990: Colonel de Badts de Cugnac * 1991–1994: Colonel Chanteclair * 1994–1996: Colonel Bourgain * 1996–1998: Colonel Menard * 1998–1998: Lieutenant-Colonel Rideau

Other Personnel

(1896–1964) * Pierre Chateau-Jobert (1912–2005). *

Edgard Tupët-Thomé Edgard Tupët-Thomé (19 April 1920 – 9 September 2020) was a French militant. He served in the Free French Forces. Biography After he obtained his bachelor's degree, Tupët-Thomé entered the École supérieure de théologie catholique de Reim ...

, Lieutenant-Commandant in charge of 2nd company, 3rd Air Infantry Battalion

References

Sources and bibliographies

* Paul Bonnecarrère, ''Qui ose vaincra'', Fayard, 1971. * Pierre Chateau-Jobert, Feux et lumière sur ma trace, Presses de la Cité,1978, . * Collectif, ''Histoire des parachutistes français'', Société de Production Littéraire, 1975. * Pierre Dufour, ''Chasseurs Parachutistes 1935-2005'', éditions Lavauzelle, 2005–. * Roger Flamand, ''Paras de la France libre'', Éditions Presses de la Cité, 1976–. * David Portier, ''Les Parachutistes SAS de la France Libre 1940-1945'', Éditions Nimrod, September 2010

''Esquisse d'un bilan réévalué de l'action des parachutistes français en Bretagne: mission militaire et/ou politique '',En Envor, revue d'histoire contemporaine en Bretagne, n°2, été 2013, article en ligne, Olivier Porteau. * Franck Segrétain, ''Opération Amherst, avril 1945 le raid des 2e et 3e RCP sur les Pays-Bas''. Revue ''Ligne de front'' n°24, mai-juin 2010. ISSN 1953-0544 * Edgard Tupët-Thomé'', Spécial Air Service, l'épopée d'un parachutiste en zone occupée de 1940 à 1945'', éd.Grasset, 1980, 346.p. Réédition par Alain Bétry, éd. Atlante, 2011, 250.p. {{ISBN, 9782246252610 * Serge Vaculik, ''Béret rouge–Scènes de la vie des commandos parachutistes S.A.S.'', Éditions Arthaud, 1952.

External links

Historique du 3e SAS sur le site France libre

Site consacré aux parachutistes SAS de la France Libre 1940–1945

Site ''chemin de mémoire parachutistes'' consacré aux parachutisme militaire

* ttp://www.quiosegagne.asso.fr/ Site de l'Association des Anciens Parachutistes Troupes de Marine et anciens de la Brigade des Parachutistes Coloniaux héritiers des SAS
Helferin terrible story at Axis History Forum
Parachute infantry regiments of France Military units and formations established in 1943 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945 Military units and formations established in 1979 Military units and formations disestablished in 1998