The Free French Camel Corps (french: Corps de Méharistes Français Libres) was a

méhariste Méhariste is a French word that roughly translates to camel cavalry. The word is most commonly used as a designation of military units. French camel corps Origins France created a corps of méhariste camel companies (''Compagnies Méharistes ...

camel cavalry Camel cavalry, or camelry (french: méharistes, ), is a generic designation for armed forces using camels as a means of transportation. Sometimes warriors or soldiers of this type also fought from camel-back with spears, bows or rifles. Came ...

unit of the

Free French forces __NOTOC__ The French Liberation Army (french: Armée française de la Libération or AFL) was the reunified French Army that arose from the merging of the Armée d'Afrique with the prior Free French Forces (french: Forces françaises libres, l ...

, founded by among others Captain Edouard Dieffenbach, under command of General Charles de Gaulle during

World War II 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 opposing ...

History

Co-founded in

Djibouti Djibouti, ar, جيبوتي ', french: link=no, Djibouti, so, Jabuuti officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red ...

by Alsatian

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

veteran Captain Edouard Dieffenbach as deputy commander, first set up as the Free French Camel Platoon (french: Peloton méhariste français libre), the unit was later renamed the Free French Camel Corps (french: Corps de méharistes français libres). It was active from September 1941 to February 1942, with initial strength estimated to about 15-20 camels along with riders. Among the troops, apart from Edouard Dieffenbach, was Lieutenant Magendie, Adjutant Emile Cayre, Sergents Battaglini, Sergeant Carbuccia (a Corsican who was killed in action for France in the Italian Campaign), Corporal Farner, physician, Commander Griveau and about 14 other compatriots. The unit was stationed in areas equivalent to today's

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

and Eritrea, then under occupation. The unit notably fought alongside the British

Somaliland Camel Corps The Somaliland Camel Corps (SCC) was a Rayid unit of the British Army based in British Somaliland. It lasted from the early 20th century until 1944. Beginnings and the Dervish rebellion In 1888, after signing successive treaties with the then r ...

and saw action in East Africa and

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

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Free French Forces Camel cavalry {{france-mil-unit-stub

History

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