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The 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment () was an airborne regiment of the Foreign Legion in the
French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...
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, and alternatively internationally as the French-Indochina War) was fought between French Fourth Republic, France and Việ ...
as the three-time reconstituted 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion, the
Suez Crisis The Suez Crisis, also known as the Second Arab–Israeli War, the Tripartite Aggression in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel, was a British–French–Israeli invasion of Egypt in 1956. Israel invaded on 29 October, having done so w ...
and
Algerian War The Algerian War (also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence) ''; '' (and sometimes in Algeria as the ''War of 1 November'') was an armed conflict between France and the Algerian National Liberation Front (Algeri ...
, but was dissolved along with the 10th Parachute Division and 25th Parachute Division following the generals' putsch 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) () * 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 commanding.


History

On 13 May 1948 a Groupement d'Instruction de Parachutistes was formed at Khamis, near Sidi Bel Abbès,
Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
for the purpose of raising two foreign parachute battalions. The 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion (1er BEP, I Formation) () 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 ...
''Chef de bataillon'' Pierre Segrétain with adjoint battalion commander Pierre Jeanpierre while complementing the ranks with officers and legionnaires of the Parachute Company of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment.


Indochina

The battalion boarded the transport ship ''Pasteur'' on 24 October 1948 at Mers El Kébir, and arrived in
Indochina Mainland Southeast Asia (historically known as Indochina and the Indochinese Peninsula) 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 th ...
on 12 November that same year. During the entire period of conflict in Indochina, the unit primarily saw action in Tonkin (northern
Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
). 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 officers, 14 Sous-officiers and 92 Legion corporals and legionnaires – were transferred to 1er 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 ''That'' is an English language word used for several grammar, grammatical purposes. These include use as an adjective, conjunction (grammar), conjunction, pronoun, adverb and intensifier; it has distance from the speaker, as opposed to words li ...
. 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 whose mission was to rescue the garrison of Cao Bằng 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. 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, 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 1er BEP reformed (II Formation) on 1 March 1951 from the survivors of the 1er BEP (I Formation) (which had up to that point been attached to the 2ème 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 on the defensive around the Cho Ben pass, north of Hòa Bình. The operation 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 French command again decided to go on the offensive, giving the plan the code name Operation Lorraine. 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 1er 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 (, vi-hantu, ) is a city in the Northwest (Vietnam), northwestern region of Vietnam. It is the capital of Điện Biên Province. The city is best known for the decisive Battle of Dien Bien Phu, Battle of Điện Biên Phủ ...
as part of
Operation Castor Operation Castor was a successful French Union's airborne operation in the First Indochina War. This operation of France and the State of Vietnam established a fortified airhead in Điện Biên Province against the communist Việt Minh, ...
, 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 (1er 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 Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025. The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...
and arrived at Mers el-Kebir on the 24th of the same month. On 1 September 1955, the 1er 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. On 6 November 1956, as part of the 10th Parachute Division, the regiment landed in
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
at
Port Said Port Said ( , , ) is a port city that lies in the northeast Egypt extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, straddling the west bank of the northern mouth of the Suez Canal. The city is the capital city, capital of the Port S ...
and Port Fuad 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 the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
control. From 1957 onwards, the regiment (1er REP) was sent back to Algeria, first in
Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...
, 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. Their results were earned by the death of regimental commander ''Chef de Corps'' Legion Lieutenant Colonel 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 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, 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 in 1884 and also blew up their barracks. The relics from the Legion's history museum, including the wooden hand of Captain Jean Danjou, 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, 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''" ("No, I regret nothing"), a 1960 Édith Piaf song that their Sous-Officiers, Senior Corporals, Corporals and Legionnaires sang leaving their barracks for re-deployment following the Algiers putsch of 1961. 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 Army Organisation") was a far-right dissident French paramilitary and terrorist organisation during the Algerian War, founded in 1961 by Raoul Salan, Pierre Lagaillarde and Jean-Jacques S ...
(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 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 Catholic hierarchy of angels, based on and put forward by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite in the 5th or 6th century in his book ''De Coelesti Hierarchia'' (''On the Celestial Hierarchy'') ...
which according to
Liturgy Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and participation in the sacred through activities reflecting praise, thanksgiving, remembra ...
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
/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 1863Camerone 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''

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 * 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 (II Formation, 1er BEP) * May 19, 1954 – September 1, 1955: chef de bataillon Pierre Jeanpierre (III Formation, 1er BEP)
1er REP
1st Foreign Parachute Regiment Tenure (1955–1961) * 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 ...
Pierre Paul Jeanpierre * 1956–1957: lieutenant colonel Brothier * 1957–1958: Lieutenant Colonel 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 ...
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 ...
Hélie Denoix de Saint Marc


Notable officers and legionnaires

* Erwan Bergot * Jean Luciani *
Jean-Marie Le Pen Jean Louis Marie Le Pen (20 June 1928 – 7 January 2025), commonly known as Jean-Marie Le Pen (), was a French politician, lawyer and activist. He founded the far-right National Front (now National Rally) party and served as the party's presi ...
(Lieutenant) * Jacques Peyrat (Lieutenant in the 1e BEP) * Pierre Sergent (Captain) * Rémy Raffalli * Hélie de Saint Marc (Commandant – ''
Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...
'') * Roger Faulques (Commandant – ''Major'') * Louis Stien (Lieutenant in the 1er BEP) * Adjudant Szuts (1er REP, 3ème REI) * Adjudant 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 designed to slow an object's descent through an atmosphere by creating Drag (physics), drag or aerodynamic Lift (force), lift. It is primarily used to safely support people exiting aircraft at height, but also serves va ...
Parachute infantry regiments of France Military units and formations established in 1948 Military units and formations disestablished in 1961