The (TDM, ) is a corps of the French Army that includes several specialities: infantry, artillery, armoured,

airborne Airborne or Airborn may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Airborne'' (1962 film), a 1962 American film directed by James Landis * ''Airborne'' (1993 film), a comedy–drama film * ''Airborne'' (1998 film), an action film sta ...

, engineering, and transmissions (Signals). Despite its name, it forms part of the Army, not the Navy. Intended for amphibious and overseas operations, the Troupes de marine have been, and still are, in all the fights of the French army. It has gradually become professionalized since 1970.

History

The were formerly known as the , with origins dating back to the (in reference to Troupes of

La Marine LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...

). The French colonies were under the control of the (the equivalent of the

British Admiralty The Admiralty was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy until 1964, historically under its titular head, the Lord High Admiral – one of the Great Officers of State. For much of it ...

), accordingly, marines defended the colonies.

Ancien Régime

Origin

Renamed then during the dismantling of the French Union (1958), their origin can actually be found in the (french: Compagnies Ordinaires de la Mer) (''Ordinary Sea Companies''), created in 1622 by

Cardinal Richelieu Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu (; 9 September 1585 – 4 December 1642), known as Cardinal Richelieu, was a French clergyman and statesman. He was also known as ''l'Éminence rouge'', or "the Red Eminence", a term derived from the ...

. These companies were used to embark on royal naval ships to serve the naval artillery and participate in the boarding of enemy ships. These companies were also in charge of guarding the various sea ports. Despite the fact that the artillery of the marines was limited in numbers compared to those of the infantry marines (fusiliers and grenadiers), the ship's marine artillerymen were the determining factor for the , being in charge of displacing and mounting the naval guns under the orders of the respective marine artillery officer in charge. In the 18th century, they constituted the who essentially spread to (particularity: these marines were recruited in Europe, with marine officers recruited then on the spot due to an excellent knowledge of the local environment). Since then the anchor has been with the Troupes as the official symbol because of the former links to the Royal Navy. Decimated along with the rest of the Marines during the Seven Years' War, these troops were transferred to the French Army under the Choiseul ministries, and after their emancipation at the end of 1760, they retained a large number of officers issued from the Ministère de la Guerre, which would reproduce and compensate for the losses endured assisting the colonies during the American Revolutionary War. An evolution in the mentality of the troops and an increasingly pronounced separation between the marines and their officers followed. A tentative close-up merger was attempted by two naval ship corps and their troops in 1786 with the companies of naval gunners assigned to ships of the Navy; however, the experiment came to little conclusion.

Ordinary Sea Companies and Troupes de la marine (1622–1673)

The separate companies of the and the founded by Colbert were based in

Dunkerque Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.Le Havre, Brest,

Rochefort Rochefort () may refer to: Places France * Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, in the Charente-Maritime department ** Arsenal de Rochefort, a former naval base and dockyard * Rochefort, Savoie in the Savoie department * Rochefort-du-Gard, in the Ga ...

and Toulon. They wore an off-white/grey uniform with blue facings . The 1670s saw significant changes in the organisation of the new corps, administered by Ministers Colbert and François-Michel le Tellier, Marquis de Louvois, respectively Naval State Secretary and the Secretary of State of War. The four regiments of the

la marine LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...

were transferred from the secretariat of La Marine to that of the secretariat of La Guerre. The regiments were no longer directly part of the French Navy although the designation was retained. During the Revolution, the La Marine, Royal-Marine, Royal-Vaisseux, and the ( re-baptized ) regiments were integrated definitively into the French Army, becoming respectively, the 11^e, 60^e, 43^e and 61^e regiments of de Ligne in 1791. The Marine Royale was a substantial force in 1671, consisting of 196 naval vessels. Colbert decided to create 100 companies of "guardian-soldiers" intended to form part of the crews of the larger naval vessels (french: Vaisseau). However, these men were redirected towards the French Army by Louvois in 1673. Starting from this date, senior naval and marine officers were obliged to separately recruit crews and marines for each ship. Using a system of «levées» (selective conscription) in the various sea ports, similar to the «

marine press Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military ...

», the naval and marine officers were able to man their ships. However, the system reached its limitations quickly. The recruits often lacked discipline and experience, and were discharged or deserted following their first voyage, wasting months of training. Until 1682 there was a serious shortage of experienced sailors and soldiers in the French Navy.

Free Marine Companies and Marine Artillery Corps (1690–1761)

The Marine units were recreated at the end of the 17th century by re-organization of the infantry units dedicated to guarding military harbors (the Warden-Soldiers Companies or , created in 1671) and the artillery units dedicated to coastal battery service (Bomb Companies or , created in 1689), naval artillery training (Apprentice Gunner Companies or , created in 1689) and naval artillery administration (Artillery Commissaries or , created in 1631). * (Free Marine Companies) created in 1690. Each company was tasked to guard a military harbor and its immediate coastline. Beginning in 1695, the Companies were organized in battalions around the major harbors ( Brest,

, Toulon). The Marine Companies and Battalions were dissolved in 1761. * (Marine Artillery Corps), created in 1692 to oversee the training and use of coastal artillery. The Corps was disbanded in 1761.

Royal Marine Corps (1769–1786)

The infantry and marine artillery units were briefly merged into a single marine corps in 1769. Some colonial units were created at the same time, organized along the same lines of artillery and infantry units. * (Royal Marine Artillery and Infantry Corps), created in 1769. Its name was changed in 1772 to (Royal Marine Corps). The Corps was organized in eight regiments, each centered on a harbor: (

Bayonne Bayonne (; eu, Baiona ; oc, label= Gascon, Baiona ; es, Bayona) is a city in Southwestern France near the Spanish border. It is a commune and one of two subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine re ...

, Bordeaux, Brest, Le Havre, Marseille,

, Saint-Malo and Toulon). The corps was broken down in 1774, in line with

Antoine de Sartine Antoine Raymond Jean Gualbert Gabriel de Sartine, comte d'Alby (12 July 1729 – 7 September 1801) was a French statesman who served as Lieutenant General of Police of Paris (1759–1774) during the reign of Louis XV and as Secretary of State f ...

's reform of the navy. * ("Royal Marine Infantry Corps), created in 1774 with the infantry units of the Royal Marine Corps, organized in three ''divisions'' centered on the only three military harbors remaining: Brest, Rochefort and Toulon. The Corps' name was changed to in 1782, but it remained an infantry-only unit. The corps was disbanded in 1786. * (Marine Artillery), created in 1774 with the artillery units of the Royal Marine Corps, organized in three ''divisions'' centered on the same three military harbors: Brest, Rochefort and Toulon. The Marine Artillerymen were tasked to serve aboard Navy ships as well as manning the coastal batteries. The commanding officers of the Marine Artillery were naval officers. The corps was dispanded in 1786. * Colonial Regiments ** "Cap", created 1766, became the 106th Infantry Regiment ** "Pondichéry", set up 1772, became the 107th Infantry Regiment ** "Martinique et Guadeloupe", created 1772, became the

109th Infantry Regiment The 109th Infantry Regiment ("Thirteenth Pennsylvania") is a parent infantry regiment of the United States Army, represented in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard by the 1st Battalion, 109th Infantry, part of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 28t ...

** "Port-au-Prince", created 1773, became

110th Infantry Regiment Eleven or 11 may refer to: *11 (number), the natural number following 10 and preceding 12 * one of the years 11 BC, AD 11, 1911, 2011, or any year ending in 11 Literature * ''Eleven'' (novel), a 2006 novel by British author David Llewellyn *'' ...

Revolution and First French Empire (1786–1816)

After 1786, the Marine units were often reduced to artillery units, except for some short-lived infantry regiments (1792–1794). * (Royal Sailors-Gunners Corps), created on 1 January 1786. The was an early attempt to use sailors for duties previously done by marines – soldiers specializing in naval and amphibious combat. This naval artillery corps was suppressed in 1792 and its duties transferred to a new marine unit. * (Marine Artillery and Infantry Corps), created in 1792. The Corps had four infantry regiments, two artillery regiments, two engineer companies and two training companies. The infantry units were transferred to the Army in 1794. * (Marine Artillery Corps), created in 1794 from the artillery units of the Artillery and Infantry Corps. It was organized in seven

half-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 ...

s and re-organized in four regiments in 1803. The Corps gained the title ''Impérial'' at

Napoléon I 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 ...

's coronation (1804) and ''Royal'' at Louis XVIII's return (1814 and 1815). These units fought for France during the French Revolutionary Wars and in all the Napoleonic Wars.

19th century

The colonial expansion of the 19th century saw the extensive use of French sailors and marines serving together in Southeast Asia, the Pacific, and West Africa. The were tasked with insuring the French presence in its Asian, African, and American colonies. The revolutionary period saw a definite division in 1792 between the reconstituted and the ships of the navy. Under Napoleon, the were used primarily as

line infantry Line infantry was the type of infantry that composed the basis of European land armies from the late 17th century to the mid-19th century. Maurice of Nassau and Gustavus Adolphus are generally regarded as its pioneers, while Turenne and Monte ...

. Following the disbandment of the Imperial Guard, under the Restoration, separate marine artillery () and marine infantry () units were created as part of a reorganization between 1818 and 1822. These two corps were popularly known as « bigors » and « marsouins » respectively. Starting in 1831, these two arms ceased to serve on board naval ships and were exclusively armed with regular army equipment and weapons. Their role was now to serve on land in the new French colonial territories, as well as defending the large naval ports and bases in France itself. The diverse colonial or exterior operations administered by the July Monarchy, essentially conducted by the Marines and their troops, led to the rehabilitation and the increase of the latter in 1846. The revolution of 1848 led to a draconian reduction in size. The Crimean War saw them, along with the equipment of naval vessels of the fleet, illustrating their capability during the Siege of Sevastopol while aiding the heavy artillery pieces ( to constitute a siege artillery ) to disembark from the naval vessels under the orders of

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

Charles Rigault de Genouilly. Honored since 1855, with the return of their staff of 1846, the marines demonstrated their capability during the expeditions of the Second French Empire. In 1870, marine artillery and infantry were for the first time regrouped in a grand unit: Blue Division of general Élie de Vassoigne, named after the blue uniforms worn by the soldiers to differentiate them from the line troops. Following the Franco-Prussian War, the marines participated to the construction of the second colonial empire of France.

Marine Infantry and Marine Artillery Regiments (1816–1900)

The 21 February 1816, royal ordinance of Louis XVIII re-establishing authorized two regiments. This was increased to three regiments in 1838 and four in 1854. The 1st Regiment was located in Cherbourg, the 2nd in Brest, the 3rd in Rochefort and the 4th in Toulon. In 1890, was increased to eight regiments. , created in 1793, was formed into a single regiment in 1814. A second was added on 8 July 1893. Battles fought in this era included Bomarsund (1854) in the Baltic, Sea of Azoff and the Crimea (1855-56), Ki Hoa in China (1860), and the Battle of Puebla in Mexico (1863). Their most famous battle was

Bazeilles Bazeilles () is a commune in the Ardennes department in the Grand Est region of northern France. On 1 January 2017, the former communes of Rubécourt-et-Lamécourt and Villers-Cernay were merged into Bazeilles. The inhabitants of the commune are ...

(1870) in the Franco-Prussian War. The fought in the

Sino-French War The Sino-French War (, french: Guerre franco-chinoise, vi, Chiến tranh Pháp-Thanh), also known as the Tonkin War and Tonquin War, was a limited conflict fought from August 1884 to April 1885. There was no declaration of war. The Chinese arm ...

(August 1884 to April 1885) and during the period of undeclared hostilities in Tonkin (northern Vietnam) that preceded it. Between June 1883 and April 1886 the Tonkin Expeditionary Corps included several marine infantry battalions and marine artillery batteries. These units saw service in the Sơn Tây Campaign (December 1883), the Bắc Ninh Campaign (March 1884), the Capture of Hưng Hóa (April 1884), the Bắc Lệ ambush (June 1884), the Keelung Campaign (October 1884 to June 1885), the Battle of Yu Oc (November 1884), the

Battle of Núi Bop The Battle of Núi Bop (3–4 January 1885) was a French victory during the Sino-French War. The battle was fought to clear Chinese forces away from the French forward base at Chu, and was an essential preliminary to the Lạng Sơn Campaign i ...

(January 1885), the Lạng Sơn Campaign (February 1885) and the Pescadores Campaign (March 1885). In March 1885 the two marine infantry battalions in Lieutenant-Colonel Ange-Laurent Giovanninelli's 1st Brigade suffered heavy casualties storming the Chinese trenches at the

Battle of Hòa Mộc The Battle of Hòa Mộc (2 March 1885) was the most fiercely fought action of the Sino-French War (August 1884 – April 1885). At heavy cost, Colonel Giovanninelli's 1st Brigade of the Tonkin Expeditionary Corps defeated forces of the Black Flag ...

. The French victory at Hòa Mộc relieved 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 ...

, and was commemorated thereafter in an annual ceremony at Tuyên Quang in which a soldier of the French Foreign Legion (representing the besieged garrison) and a marine infantryman (representing the relief column) solemnly presented arms on the anniversary of the relief of the beleaguered French post. The French Navy itself, due to the trouble it was having in obtaining naval infantry detachments from the Ministry of the Navy, established the Fusiliers Marins in 1856. The were initially composed of sailors, senior rates and naval officers who undertook special infantry training to form the "marine" detachments aboard ships and conduct small scale landings. Unlike their anglophone contemporaries, they are graded by naval rates rather than adopting army ranks.

Transformation to Troupes Coloniales

In 1890 the Ministry of Colonies was separated from that of the Ministère de la Marine. This raised the question of to which authority the , who only now served in the colonies, should be responsible. By a decree dated 7 July 1900 the renamed troops were placed under the and were thus rebadged, now as part of the French Army, under one name – the , retaining the anchor badge as a reminder of their naval heritage. The were composed of two distinct corps. One was the colonial forces in metropolitan France, composed of Europeans who had voluntarily enlisted for successive service engagements of five years duration. These regulars (as opposed to conscripts) were assigned in small contingents to undertake tours of duty in the various French colonies outside North Africa. There they served either in (all white) units, or were employed as officers and NCOs in the recruitment, training and leadership of locally recruited indigenous troops ( tirailleurs, cipayes etc.). The proportion of European to "native" colonial troops were progressively reduced as additional locally recruited units were created during the late 19th and earlier 20th centuries. One problem of this system was the differences between the training and equipment required for colonial and European warfare. Service conditions in turn would differ between the various colonial territories in Africa and South East Asia. The two types of colonial troupes were however successfully employed in World War I and World War II, as well as the Indochina War and 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 ...

. The Construction Service of the marine artillery (which designed and engineered the naval artillery guns in the metropolitan arsenals), became an integral part of the colonial artillery following the reorganisation of 1900. In 1909 those colonial artillery officers who specialised in artillery design and manufacture work were transferred into the newly created "Engineers of Naval Artillery"; a newly created corps of the French Navy which subsequently merged with the Naval Engineer Corps (responsible for the construction of naval ships) during the Second World War. In 1905, the strength of the stationed in (the 19 military districts of metropolitan) France was marked at 2,123 officers and 26,581 other ranks. The strength maintained in the colonies amounts to 1,743 officers, 21,516 European troops and 47,868 native soldiers.

Troupes Coloniales (1900–1958)

By the time the Troupes were transferred to the Army the unit names changed from "Marine" to "Colonial" while the remained part of the French Navy. The were still used in occasional amphibious landings but this was because of the ready availability of units normally based near naval embarkation ports or in colonial garrisons. In the World War I Gallipoli campaign in the Dardanelles, the Corps expéditionnaire d'Orient was more than two-thirds including the 4th, 6th, 7th and 8th Colonial Infantry Regiments and Colonial Artillery. (The artillery element at Gallipoli did not contain any artillery units from the .) The were however far more likely to see action in African or Asian land campaigns or, during both World Wars, in France itself. In World War II, one Colonial unit did have "Marine" in its title – The Bataillon d'Infanterie de Marine du Pacifique (BIMP). Two divisions of the were trained in amphibious tactics by the Americans and performed amphibious landings at

Corsica Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...

(6th Moroccan Mountain Division) and Elba (9th Colonial Infantry Division – 9e DIC). Both these divisions also landed in southern France in the follow-on echelons of Operation Dragoon. The French wanted the United States to transport these two divisions to the Pacific to fight against the Japanese and later retake French Indochina, but transport was a problem. The distinguished themselves in both World Wars. The most decorated regimental colors of the

French Armed Forces The French Armed Forces (french: Forces armées françaises) encompass the Army, the Navy, the Air and Space Force and the Gendarmerie of the French Republic. The President of France heads the armed forces as Chief of the Armed Forces. Franc ...

are those of the Colonial Infantry Regiment of Morocco ( RICM) and the regimental colors of the

2nd Marine Infantry Regiment The 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment (french: 2e Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine, 2e RIMa) is an infantry regiment of the Troupes de marine in the French Army, the only regiment to bear 16 battle honours inscriptions of the regimental colors. The re ...

2^e RIMa. After 1945 the decolonization wars involved the colonial troops in Indochina, Algeria, and Madagascar. Following 1962, operations in Africa were undertaken by the again renamed and the ''Légion étrangère'' which were the only units mainly or entirely composed of "engaged" (non-conscript) soldiers. This was also the case in Tchad and in Lebanon and the former Yugoslavia before metropolitan troops started also to recruit volunteer soldiers. The cessation of obligatory military service after 2001 permitted the deployment of the remainder of the French Army in overseas operations.

End of Troupes Coloniales and recreation of Troupes de Marine

Troupes de Marine (1958– present)

With France divesting itself of its colonies, on 1 December 1958 the title of (Overseas Troops) replaced that of . Finally, on 4 May 1961, the historic designation of "Troupes de marine" was readopted, this time for all the . They became a major component in France's . In July 1963 the 9th Marine Infantry Brigade (9^e Brigade d'Infanterie de Marine) (9^e BIMa) of the was formed a French . It was named after and carried the insignia of the 9th Colonial Infantry Division (9^e DIC) that had performed a successful amphibious assault on Elba in World War II. The remaining overseas became part of the . In 1964 the was expanded by adding two airborne brigades and one motorized brigade and formed into the 11th , which became the 11th Parachute Division in 1971. The were removed from this division in 1976 to form a separate intervention force, and the was expanded on 1 January 1976 to form the (9e DIMa). This division was the amphibious component of the Force d'Intervention, which was renamed the Force d'Action Rapide (FAR) in 1983. Because of their overseas heritage and their use in the , the were mostly volunteer regulars, as in France, draftees are legally exempt from overseas duty. The conversion of the French Army into a smaller professional force led to the French Army's decision to make the brigade its largest formation and the was reduced in size on 1 July 1999 and became the 9th Light Armoured Marine Brigade (France) () and then back to the 9th Marine Infantry Brigade () in 2016. The are one of the "" (corps) of the French Army, which includes specialties associated with other corps (artillery, cavalry, signals, armour, paratroopers) but with overseas deployment as a specialisation.

Gallery

File:Marsouins 1870.gif, Marsouin in full

metropolitan Metropolitan may refer to: * Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories * Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England * Metropolitan county, a typ ...

dress, as worn until 1914. File:Troupes de marine detail.jpg, Officer and Marsouin (private) in colonial dress, late 19th century. Image:FrenchMarsouinsIndochina1888.jpg, Marine infantrymen in Tonkin, 1888. File:LaGuerreAMadagascar.jpg, French Marines in Madagascar (1894–1895). File:French Colonial army in Congo 1905.jpg, French colonial soldier in

Congo Congo or The Congo may refer to either of two countries that border the Congo River in central Africa: * Democratic Republic of the Congo, the larger country to the southeast, capital Kinshasa, formerly known as Zaire, sometimes referred to a ...

(1905)

Nicknames

soldiers are known in French as (" Harbour porpoise"), allegedly because, like porpoises, they accompany ships without really being part of the crew. Marine Gunners are known as , a nickname whose origin is disputed. It could come from which was the order given for loading the guns on a ship. It could also come from ( winkle in English), either due to their toughness and unwillingness to desert their positions in combat or because their duties usually had them stuck on coastal rocks.

Composition

The include: * Infanterie de Marine ** Infantry (, abbreviation: -IMa) ** Light Cavalry (, abbreviation: -IMa). The

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

units of use the military ranks of the infantry, unlike the rest of the Army cavalry. In military slang, they don't refer to themselves as cavalry but as "armored colonials" (). ** Airborne Infantry (, abbreviation: -PIMa) * ** Artillery (, abbreviation: -AMa) * Recently, an engineer corps regiment became the first engineer regiment to inherit from Marine traditions. It's the 6ème Régiment du Génie.

Uniform

The modern uniform is the same as for other units of the French Army (light beige, plain green or woodland or desert camouflage according to circumstances). Distinctive features are a gold metal fouled anchor badge on a dark blue beret (Marine paratroopers wear red berets and their badge is a composite of the gold metal anchor and the silver wing of airborne units). This is worn either on the beret or embroidered on the front of the kepi. The modern full dress includes a dark blue kepi, yellow fringed epaulettes (official colour name is daffodil) and a navy blue cravat (scarf worn around the neck). A red waist sash is also sometimes worn by certain units with a history of colonial service in Africa and Indo-China. Historically, the uniform consisted of a blue kepi with red piping, double breasted navy blue tunic, lighter blue trousers, and yellow epaulettes. Worn by all ranks until 1914, the blue uniform was reissued for regular personnel in 1930 and is still worn by bandsmen. This traditional uniform gave the nickname of "the Blue Division" to the units involved in the 1870 Franco-Prussian War. The pith helmet was worn overseas during the colonial period, with blue, khaki or white uniforms according to circumstances. Until the early 1960s a dark blue (forage/side cap) with red piping and anchor badge was the usual distinction of the .

Gallery

File:Marche_du_Tchad_15-08-11.jpg, Troupes de marine on parade File:Béret des T.D.M.jpg, Beret of all the French Army's , except paratroopers. File:Fourragere 1er RIMa 2007 07 14.jpg, The distinctive badge with an anchor and the yellow epaulettes of the . This uniform is only used for parades. File:Calot des troupes coloniales.jpg, "Traditional" garrison cap (calot) File:Insigne infanterie de marine.png, Shoulder Patch of all marines (and infantry, paratroopers and light cavalry before the 2000s). File:Artillerie de Marine.jpg, Shoulder patch of the marine artillery before the 2000s. This patch is sometimes still worn but not official anymore. File:Képi troupe de marine de caporal - chef ou de sergent.JPG, Képi of a first sergeant in the TDM with gold piping

Kepi and traditional epaulettes

The modern kepi is presented to new recruits in a solemn ceremony. It is worn by officers and non-commissioned officers when another headdress is not prescribed. The kepi is entirely dark blue – a very dark blue, often mistaken for black – with a red (privates and corporals) or gold (non-commissioned officers and officers) trimming. All kepis display the anchor insignia of the Marines. When not being worn the kepi is expected to be positioned so that the anchor is always visible. The "traditional" epaulettes used by the TdM are gold for officers and NCOs and wool of "daffodil" yellow for other ranks. This colour and pattern is derived from the historic epaulettes of the Metropolitan light infantry.

Golden Spurs

The officers of marine "mounted" units (that is to say those formerly using horses, or currently armored vehicles) have the privilege of wearing gold spurs for certain occasions. This differs from the usual French cavalry practice of wearing silver spurs. Tradition has it that Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom requested this distinction for the marine troops from Emperor Napoleon III to honor the branch after the

Battle of Balaclava The Battle of Balaclava, fought on 25 October 1854 during the Crimean War, was part of the Siege of Sevastopol (1854–55), an Allied attempt to capture the port and fortress of Sevastopol, Russian Empire, Russia's principal naval base on the Bl ...

in the Crimea (1854) where marine infantry saved British troops from destruction. Insigne puis galons de caporal puis caporal chef des troupes de marine

Insigne puis galons de caporal puis caporal chef des troupes de marine

Sword

The officers and senior non-commissioned-officer can wear, in special circumstances, a sword as a part of their dress uniform. This sword has a straight-edge blade, in contrast to other Army Corps' curved sabers and thus similar to those of the Royal Marines and the rest of the British Armed Forces. Since the Second World War, the sword is very rarely used.

Red Beret

The armored, artillery and infantry regiments of the Marines wear dark blue berets with golden anchor insignia. The parachute regiments of the Marines ( 1^e RPIMa, 2^e RPIMa, 3^e RPIMa, 8^e RPIMa) wear a red beret with anchor and wing insignia, except the 1^e RPIMa, a Special Forces regiment, where soldiers wear a purple beret. The red beret was first introduced to the Free French Paratroopers of the SAS in August 1944, at the 2^e RCP during a parade on 11 November 1944, this regiment for a first time dressed this beret with the insignia of the SAS. However, these paratroopers then belonged to the Air Force. In Indochina, the Infantry Metropolitan SAS Demi-Brigade retained the practice, which was readopted by the 1st SAS Parachute Demi-Brigade in 1948. The red beret, which was officially introduced as the standard uniform headdress on all Paratroopers in Indochina in 1952 by Général

Jean de Lattre de Tassigny Jean Joseph Marie Gabriel de Lattre de Tassigny (2 February 1889 – 11 January 1952) was a French général d'armée during World War II and the First Indochina War. He was posthumously elevated to the dignity of Marshal of France in 1952. As ...

(except for the Legion), became the norm for all airborne contingents of the French Army in 1957, with

legionnaires The French Foreign Legion (french: Légion étrangère) is a corps of the French Army which comprises several specialties: infantry, cavalry, engineers, airborne troops. It was created in 1831 to allow foreign nationals into the French Army. It ...

paratroopers retaining their traditional green beret, and the 1^e RPIMa which transitioned to a purple beret in 2015. File:Parachutistes coloniaux-béret modèle 1962.jpg, Beret badge worn by the paratroops of the French colonial troops.(Obsolete) File:Parachutistes coloniaux-béret.jpg, Current Beret badge worn by the Marine paratroops File:Béret de parachutiste des troupes de marine (france).jpg, red beret (Amaranth) of marine paratroops (France). Image:French milouf DF-ST-99-05514.JPEG, Marine parachutists in Rwanda. File:Compagnies du 1er RPIMa.JPG, The companies of the 1st Parachute Regiment of Marine Infantry, in 2008 in Bayonne. File:Garde du drapeau du 1er RPIMa.JPG, Color Guard of the 1st Parachute Regiment of Marine Infantry November 11, 2008, in Bayonne. File:RPIM-img 1026.jpg, Jumping uniform and equipment worn by parachutists of the Marine paratroops. File:Prise d'arme des compagnie du 1er RPIMa.JPG, Ceremonial parade of companies of the 1st Parachute Regiment of Marine Infantry, in 2008 at Bayonne. File:Colonel Harivongs , colonel Vidaud ..JPG, Change of command of Colonel of the 1st Parachute Regiment of Marine Infantry, in 2008 at Bayonne. File:Brevet Parachutiste.jpg, French military parachutist badge

Marsouins, Bigors and Biffins

The nickname used by Marsouins and Bigors for the other branches of the French Army is biffins (slang for ragmen). The name originated in the nineteenth century when sailors of the Fleet and Marine Infantry and Artillerymen, proud of their own smart appearance, accused the soldiers of the Army of being slovenly by comparison. The Legion is excused this nickname, probably reflecting a special relation between Marsouins and legionnaires.

Traditions

''The Feast of the Marines: in the name of God, long live the colonials!'' This expression is believed to have originated with the famous missionary Charles de Foucauld who, when rescued by colonial troops, exclaimed "In the name of God, the great colonials!". Annual ceremonies celebrating the marine troops take place on 31 August and 1 September – the anniversary of the Blue Division. On 31 August detachments of all marine units parade at

Fréjus Fréjus (; ) is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. In 2019, it had a population of 54,458. It neighbours Saint-Raphaël, effectively forming one urban agglomeration. The north of ...

where the Museum of Marine Troops is located. On 1 September veterans hold a ceremony at

in Ardennes.

The anchor of gold

As a naval symbol since ancient times, the anchor appeared on the uniforms of French sailors from the late eighteenth century. The Marine Infantry and Artillery troops adopted this insignia at the same time and it remains the modern symbol of the . * 1772: a royal ordinance provides for the port anchor badge on the uniforms of the French Royal Navy, including the Marine Regiment. * 1900: the anchor is carried by the Colonial Infantry with their transfer to the Army. * 1916: the Colonial Troops adopt the badge of an anchor over a flaming grenade (the latter being a traditional distinction of elite troops). * 1919: All officers of the Colonial Troops adopt a gold anchor on their kepis. * 1920: an anchor entwined with a cable becomes the common badge of Colonial Troops. * 1933: Colonial Artillery gunners no longer wear the grenade insignia. * 1935: the anchor insignia appears alone on the armbands worn by

Staff Staff may refer to: Pole * Staff, a weapon used in stick-fighting ** Quarterstaff, a European pole weapon * Staff of office, a pole that indicates a position * Staff (railway signalling), a token authorizing a locomotive driver to use a particula ...

officers of the Colonial Troops. * 1939: the anchor no longer to be worn with an intwined cable. * 1945: the anchor officially sanctioned to be worn on all the attributes (including headgear and uniforms) of the Colonial Troops. * 1953: approval of a "traditional" anchor design for the CT. * 1962: introduction of the TDM beret, regulated by the Corps, with the gold anchor badge as the DUI (

Distinctive unit insignia A distinctive unit insignia (DUI) is a metallic Heraldry, heraldic badge or device worn by soldiers in the United States Army. The DUI design is derived from the coat of arms authorized for a unit. DUIs may also be called "distinctive insignia" (D ...

). * 1985: "traditional" anchor now permitted to be carried on pennants and guidons as a badge.

Location

The particular role of this branch of the French Army is to consolidate various specialties: infantry, artillery, cavalry (armored), parachute forces, signals and engineers. These specialties, which are consolidated in the branch, form separate arms in the rest of the Army.

Current units

The

État-major spécialisé pour l'outre-mer et l'étranger The Specialized Staff for Overseas and Foreign Affairs (french: État-major spécialisé pour l'outre-mer et l'étranger, EMSOME) was historically dedicated to training the French Army in interculturality and was the maison mere (mother-parent) o ...

(EMSOME), the Specialized Staff for Overseas and Foreign, functions as the ''Troupes de marine'' headquarters, and also directs Foreign Legion forces overseas. The General commanding the EMSOME is nicknamed the "Father of the Marine Corps" (le Père de l'Arme des TDM). * Régiment de Marche du Tchad in

Meyenheim Meyenheim () is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It lies on the Ill river, 12km east of Soultz-Haut-Rhin. See also * Communes of the Haut-Rhin département The following is a list of the 366 commune ...

(mechanized infantry) * Régiment d'infanterie-chars de marine (RICM) in

Poitiers Poitiers (, , , ; Poitevin: ''Poetàe'') is a city on the River Clain in west-central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and the historical centre of Poitou. In 2017 it had a population of 88,291. Its agglomerat ...

(light armoured) * 1er Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine (1er RPIMa) in

(airborne/special forces) * 3e Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine} (3e RPIMa) in Carcassonne (airborne infantry) * 8e Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine (8e RPIMa) in Castres (airborne infantry) * 1er Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine (1^er RIMa) in

Angoulême Angoulême (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Engoulaeme''; oc, Engoleime) is a communes of France, commune, the Prefectures of France, prefecture of the Charente Departments of France, department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern Franc ...

(light armoured) * ( 2^e RIMa) in

Le Mans Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...

(infantry) * ( 3^e RIMa) in Vannes (infantry) * ( 21^e RIMa) in

(infantry) * ( 1^er RAMa) in Châlons-en-Champagne (artillery) * ( 3^e RAMa) in Canjuers (artillery) * ( 11^e RAMa) in Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier (artillery) * 6e Régiment du Génie – (Marine Sappers) in Angers (engineers) * Overseas: ** ( 2^e RPIMa) in Pierrefonds (Réunion) (airborne infantry) ** ( 5^e RIAOM) in Djibouti ** ( 6^e BIMa) in

Libreville Libreville is the capital and largest city of Gabon. Occupying in the northwestern province of Estuaire, Libreville is a port on the Komo River, near the Gulf of Guinea. As of the 2013 census, its population was 703,904. The area has been inh ...

( Gabon) (infantry) ** ( 9^e RIMa) in

Cayenne Cayenne (; ; gcr, Kayenn) is the capital city of French Guiana, an overseas region and Overseas department, department of France located in South America. The city stands on a former island at the mouth of the Cayenne River on the Atlantic Oc ...

( French Guiana) (infantry) ** ( 33^e RIMa) in

Fort-de-France Fort-de-France (, , ; gcf, label=Martinican Creole, Fodfwans) is a Communes of France, commune and the capital city of Martinique, an overseas department and region of France located in the Caribbean. It is also one of the major cities in the ...

( Martinique) (infantry) ** – ( RIMaP-NC) in Nouméa New Caledonia (infantry) ** ( RIMaP-P) in

Papeete Papeete (Tahitian language, Tahitian: ''Papeete'', pronounced ) is the capital city of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of the France, French Republic in the Pacific Ocean. The Communes of France, commune of Papeete is located on the isl ...

(infantry)

Dissolved units with their traditions trusted to other units

* * * * * * *

Other Parachute Marine units dissolved

* Battalions and Colonial Parachute Groups (B.C.C.P, G.C.C.P & B.P.C) * ( 5^e RPIMa) * ( 6^e RPIMa) * ( 7^e RPIMa) File:Garde du drapeau du 22e BIMa novembre 2008.GIF, Color Guard of the 22nd battalion of marines, November 11, 2008, in Nantes. Image:21e RIMa Bastille Day 2008.jpg, 21st Regiment of marine infantry, Bastille Day 2008 military parade on the Champs-Élysées, Paris. Image:Defile de certaine compagnies du 2e RIMa.jpg, Parade of Companies of the 2nd Marine Regiment, change of command. File:French Task Force Korrigan 2blog-post-8-13.jpg, Military marine troops French Task Force, August 13, 2009, GTIA Korrigan (French forces in Afghanistan ; 3^e RIMa). Image:Frenchbugler.JPG, Clarion marine troops in Kuwait after the Operation Desert Storm. File:Ceremonie-de-creation-du-battle-group-richelieu.jpg, Ceremony of creation of battle group Richelieu, 2nd Regiment of Marines, before departure to Afghanistan. File:Bgroup1.JPG, The dissolution ceremony at Le Mans July 7, 2011, the battalion / battle group Richelieu of the 2nd Regiment of Marines after return from Afghanistan. File:Bgroup2.JPG, Following the dissolution of the battalion. File:Bgroup3.JPG, Following the dissolution of the battalion. File:Bgroup5.JPG, Following the dissolution of the battalion.

Anthem

(traditional) This song is sung at a brisk pace to marching music : In battle or storm, : The chorus of male songs, (repeat) : Our soul always ready to danger, : Brave and lightning guns. : Men of iron that nothing weary : We look death in the face, : In the roaring storm or rough fight. Forward! : To make a soldier of Marine : You need in the chest : The heart of a sailor and that of a soldier. : Often in the torrid zone, : The tooth tiger or lion : Fever or ball homicide : Just decimate our battalions. : So to the motherland, : We see, contorted with agony, : In a supreme effort to turn our front. Forward! : And we regret unanimous : Dear France, O sublime country! : This is for you to have one life to give. Troupes de marine

: Be proud soldier in the Navy, : Love thy victory bugles : And your face illuminated by burnished, : The brilliance of great deeds. : From the Bosphorus to Martinique, : From Senegal to the Pacific : We see your flag colors shine. Forward! : The glory took you under his wing, : For the honor always faithful, Soldat de marine

: You die in battle or you come back victorious. : In every battle in the Crimea, : We too have taken part : De Malakoff under fire, : We were climbing the walls. : At the sight of our uniforms, : That the fire or sword deforms, : The enemy turned pale, stepped back many times. Forward! : And on our foreheads that shines, : We can see the triple crown : The laurels of Podor, of Inkerman and Alma. : When Prussia inundating France, : About Us unleashed its fury, : At his balls as his spears : We have opposed our hearts. : And when the battle roared, : Our forehead, wounded by shrapnel, : Bloody, but untamed, defied the winners. Forward! : A Bazeilles The Cluze and Neuville, : When fighting against one hundred thousand, : The success betrays us but we kept the honor. Site troupe marine

: Constantly ready for any fight; : Valiant soldiers of our major ports, : No nothing can kill you : Who do you count your dead point : You reduce Chinese, Kanaka, : In Madagascar you, Annam and Tonkin. Forward! : Also under the sky its dome : Joined still halo : Son-Tay and Nouméa, Tamatave and Beijing : A day will come, dear hope, : Where the ardent call of bugles, : Will rise to our France : Avengers ... and we will. : So for us, oh what a feast! : We will give younger sisters, : For the victories of Jena, Auerstadt, Stettin. Forward! : Yes we love the holy wars : For the blood of heroes, our fathers, : In our blood on fire, do not flow in vain

Values of the Marine Troops

Formed initially to be deployed for service on France's overseas territories to maintain French interests, the marine troops have acquired a culture of openness. In addition, foreign missions have required the weapon it covers areas of varied specialties (combat infantry and armor, fire support, communications ...) the exercise of which, today, reinforces a long history of professionalism. Transcending the concept of mastering military equipment and technologies, the marine troops unite around a single symbol, the traditional golden anchor, that for those who serve marks a unique style whose main features are: * A brotherhood of gun mindset maintained by simple and warm human relationships between comrades in arms; * An ability to adapt to the most unusual situations, a true lifestyle product of history and operational experience repeated; * A "military humanism", perpetuating culture of others including the ability to make contacts with the most diverse populations and to gain their trust. This military humanism embodied by the tradition of multiculturalism are today carried on by the Specialised Headquarters for Overseas and Foreign Units ( État-major spécialisé pour l’outre-mer et l’étranger). These high values of identity give meaning to the commitment of the Marsouin and Bigord and always based natural vocation of the marine troops serving both in the French overseas territories and abroad.

Sources

* , Paris: Charles-Lavauzelle, 1991, or . * Serge Saint-Michel & Rene Le Honzec, * CEHD (), , Paris, Lavauzelle, 2001, 444 p., * , Paris, H. Charles-Lavauzelle, 1903. * Louis Beausza, , Paris, L. Fournier et cie., 1939. * Marcel Vigneras, ''Rearming the French'', Office of the Chief of Military History, Dept. of the Army, 1957 * John C. Cornelius, Richard J. Sommers, Michael Winey, ''The Military Forces of France'', Washington, GPO, 1977. * Anthony Clayton, ''France, Soldiers and Africa'', London; Washington: Brassey's Defence Publishers, 1988, or . * Comité national des traditions des troupes de marine, , Paris:C. Lavauzelle, 1995, or .

References

External links

*
Unofficial site
(managed by the national federation of veterans of oversea and marine troops) *

*
Website of the in Fréjus
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Troupes De Marine French Army Arms of the French Army Military units and formations established in 1622 1622 establishments in France