6th Foreign Infantry Regiment

6th Foreign Infantry Regiment
6e régiment étranger d'infanterie
Regimental Insignia of 6e REI Type II
Active	1939–1940 1949–1955
Disbanded	1940 1955
Country	France
Branch	French Army
Type	Infantry
Size	3,300
Motto(s)	AD UNUM (All to one End)
Colors	Green & Red
Engagements	Camerone 1863 Battle of Messifre World War II Syria-Lebanon Campaign First Indochina War Algerian War

Each year, the Legion commemorates and celebrates Camarón in its headquarters in Aubagne and Bastille Day military parade in Paris; featuring the Pionniers leading and opening the way.

The 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment (French: 6^e Régiment Étranger d'Infanterie, 6^e REI) was a Foreign Legion infantry regiment that served in the French Army from 1939 to 1941 and again from 1949 to 1955.

History, creations, and several nominations

Main article: Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion

The 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment was formerly composed of 3,287 troops. It was part of the 192nd Infantry Division. The regimental organization included:

• HQ Staff, located in Homs
• The 1st Battalion, formerly the 4th Battalion of the 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment, was based at Al-Suwayda.
• The 2nd Battalion, formerly the 1st Battalion of the 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment, was based at Baalbek.
• The 3rd Battalion, once the 2nd Battalion of the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment, was garrisoned at Damascus.
• 4th Battalion, formerly 6th Battalion of the 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment, garrisoned at Homs and Palmyra.

This regiment was designated as the "Legion Regiment of the French Levant" (French: Régiment du Levant de La Légion étrangère).

On January 1, 1940, the regiment was formulated in two parts:

• A mountain regiment, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Barre, became on March 19th of the same year the 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment, 6^e R.E.I., integrated at the 192nd Infantry Division, 192^e D.I.; the regiment constituted:
  • 1 Headquarter Staff
  • 1 Command Company
  • 1 Regimental Company (created March 1940 and designated (French: compagnie régimentaire d’engins, C.R.E.))
  • 1 Exterior Company (designated CHR (French: compagnie hors rang, C.H.R.))
  • 1st Battalion
  • 2nd Battalion
• One motorized regiment typed outre-mer, which would become on March 19th of the Foreign Legion Groupement of the Levant (French: Groupement de Légion étrangère du Levant, G.L.E.L); the regiment constituted:
  • 1 Headquarter Staff
  • 1 Command Section
  • 3rd Battalion
  • 4th Battalion
  • Legion Special Section

On April 28, 1940, the 1st Marching Battalion of Foreign Volunteers (French: Bataillon de Marche des Volontaires étrangers, 1er BMVE), created in March 1940, was assigned to the 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment, 6^e R.E.I., and became the 11th Battalion of Foreign Volunteers (French: 11e bataillon de volontaires étrangers, 11e B.V.E.) until dissolution on October 16, 1940.

On January 1, 1941, the Foreign Legion Groupement of the Levant (French: Groupement de Légion étrangère du Levant, G.L.E.L.) and, under the authority of the 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment, created a Legion Artillery Group of the Levant (French: Groupe d’Artillerie de Légion du Levant, G.A.L.L.) compromising of 3 artillery batteries and reorganized the 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment: the "C.H.R." and the "C.R.E." were dissolved, and the command company became the regimental company.

The regiment left Lebanon on August 16, 1941, and rejoined Camp Idron (Pau) on August 25, before rejoining Sidi-bel-Abbès on December 3, 1941.

During the regiment's dissolution on December 31, 1941, the legionnaires of the 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment were assigned to the later reconstituted 1st Foreign Marching Infantry Regiment (French: 1e Régiment Etranger d'Infanterie de Marche, 1er R.E.I.M.) and the Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion (French: Régiment de Marche de la Légion Etrangère, R.M.L.E.).

The 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment, 6^e R.E.I., was recreated on April 1, 1949, in Tunisia. Accordingly, selection and dispatching were regularly done in order to reinforce Legion units engaged in combat in Indochina. In the meantime, while holding tenure in Tunisia, the regiment was assigned tasks revolving around maintaining order. Subsequently, the regiment was dissolved for a second time on June 30, 1955.

History of the garrisons, campaigns, and battles

Main article: Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion

The 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment, 6^e R.E.I., was founded on October 15, 1939, in Syria from elements of the disbanded 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment, 1er R.E.I., and the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment. The Regiment was established in part to handle the large number of foreign volunteers for French military service at the beginning of World War II, which numbered around 64,000 at the regiment's founding. The 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment remained loyal to Vichy France at the beginning of World War II while opposing fraternally allied and foreign forces from June 8th to July 24th, 1941, mainly within the cadre of the liberation of Lebanon. Following this, the 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment was disbanded on December 31st, 1941.

On the other hand, the regiment was founded once more in Tunisia on April 1, 1949. The regiment went on to fight in the First Indochina War. Following this service in Indochina, the regiment operated in Tunisia as part of French operations to maintain order. The regiment was disbanded on June 30, 1955.

Tradition

Regimental Insignia of the 6^e REI.

Insignia

• 
  Insignia of the Pionniers of the 1st Foreign Regiment.
• 
  Regimental Insignia of 6^e REI Type II

The insignia of the 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment is represented by the form of a hexagon, three Roman columns of the temple of Jupiter at Baalbek to the left of the insign, and the symbols of the Foreign Legion: red and green colors with the grenade with seven flames in the center.

Regimental Colors

Regimental Colors of the 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment, 6^e R.E.I

Honors

Battle Honors

• Camarón 1863
• Musseifer 1925
• Syria 1925-1926

Regimental Commander

Main articles: Foreign Legion Command and Honneur et Fidélité

6th Foreign Infantry Regiment, Formation I

• Colonel Imhaus (1/10/1939 - 20/12/1939)
• Lieutenant-colonel Barre (20/12/1939 - 10/1941 )
• Lieutenant-colonel Delore (10/1941 - 12/1941)

6th Foreign Engineer Regiment, Formation II

01 04/1949 au 01 07/1955

• Lieutenant-colonel René Babonneau
• Lieutenant-colonel Rossi
• Chef de bataillon Georgeon

Notable Officers

• Captain Pierre Segrétain, later regimental commander in the rank of chef de bataillon (commandant) of the 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion, killed in action in Indochina in October 1950 during the evacuation of Cao-Bang by the RC4.
• Lieutenant Pierre Jeanpierre, survivor of the battle of RC4, later regimental commander of Lieutenant Colonel of the 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment, killed in action in Algeria in May 1958.
• Sous-lieutenant then Lieutenant Pepin Lehalleur, 1st battalion of the 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment, who would become général.
• Lieutenant Houzel.
• Captain Serge Andolenko, headed the CR of the regiment in 1941, became général, after being regimental commander of the 5th Foreign Infantry Regiment in Algeria (1956-1958).

See also

• Major (France)
• French Foreign Legion Music Band (MLE)
• Raoul Magrin-Vernerey, the first regimental commander of the 13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion
• 1st Free French Division

References

• Porch, Douglas. The French Foreign Legion. New York: Harper Collins, 1991. ISBN 978-0-06-092308-2
• Windrow, Martin (1996). French Foreign Legion 1914–1945. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-761-9.

External links

• 6e REI - History & images of the 6e REI