Chris Boonzaier

Hi, Apparently the 1 hour on one hour off gave a column a few kms more per hour than a pure marching column... the rest apparently did wonders... and added to that, all their kit, food, water etc was carried by the mules, so no heavy carrying. Obviously not as fast as a galloping cavalry troop... but better than the poor bastard marching with all his gear.

On its return from Algeria in 1968 the regiment was disbanded, but then reformed in 1972, a table medal was created for the regiments resurrection... The Bronze Medal was a going away gift for Colonel Gilbert who was Regimental commander from 1974-1976

Better pics......

The large and small 2 Legion Regiment Compagnie Badges...

Hi Berets... the dark one Algeria period, the lighter one probably in the 70s.... the badge on the lighter one was introduced in the early 90s... you can see the beret had the earlier badge but he probably put the new badge on later for veterans reunions as it is the badge of the regiment he commanded

A few more leather fobs....

I was very happy to get this grouping, not all of it, but the central parts... His Medals, badges for most of the units he was in, what I think was the flag for his Regt Commanders car, and some commemorative table medals, one when the regiment was reconstituted in 1972 and one as a going away present when he left the regiment in 1976.

Almost as ugly as modern Australian medals ?

Obviously not Regimental colors, but seemed the right place for it.... A card sent in 1906, showing the Legion officers killed in combat up until that date. Excludes the died of tropical disease etc.

I wonder if this is just after the Putsch when the 1ere REP was disbanded... the men were sent to other regiments, I assume in this case 1 RE...

These date around the mid 50s... made in Algeria and sold on the Legion PX probably...

This is Pretty cool.... I just picked up a number of hand made wooden Legion wall insignia. They were made in Algeria during or just after the Indochina war when the regiments returned to North Africa. They are all very cool.. but of course the 2 Infantry Regiment is my favorite... and displays well with the Indochina badges....

The colours of the 1ere Regiment Etrangere....

Optically a whole different level... the Legion barracks in Oran, you can see a couple of additions and changes in the barracks.

A column of Legionnaire marching in the Bou Denib area, in Marocco, but close to the Algerian border.

Here are 3 Pre WW1 postcards showing the Colours of 2eme Regiment Etrangere, although the one card was mailed in the 1960s

The Legion Barracks at Beni Ounif and the Redoute and Camp at Le Kreider

That is fantastic on every level.... of course the BILA bit just makes it "cool times two" ... fantastic find.

Mama Mia... that one is to die for!!

Ahhh... the generic term being "Chaude Pisse"

Saida was very "residential" compared to the redoubt in the infamous Colomb Bechar..... Notice the badge of the 1 Regiment Etrangere...

AIXIA was a small firm founded (apparently) by an ex legionnaire. They made badges in the early 90s for 2-3 legion regiments. Not regular everyday badges, but usually cast out of silver, hand finished items. They usually made special occasion or "OPEX" (deployment) commemorative badges. They made a number of badges for the units who deployed to Cambodia in the early 90s, for the 3rd Compagnie 2REI in Zaire etc. They also made the Officers X-Mas gift badge for 2 REI in 1991, and the 150th Anniversary for the regiment in the same year (Which had the El Mounghar Skirmish info in the back). The badges were cast in silver and were all unique with the small imperfections which can be found in hand made products (See the finishing difference below the banner on the Baumier badge). The OPEX badges were commemorative in nature and were not to be worn. The 2 REI badge could be worn instead of the mass produced item if you had a taste for quality. Also shown are what seem to be a test strike for the Noel 91 2REI badge, and what looks to be one that did not pass the Quality control and had its loops snipped off. I assume the last was cast, had the loops added amd when it went onto the next stage was rejected due to casting imperfections and had its loops snipped and was never finished.

So the badge was rather short lived... Here is a Legion Barracks in Syria in 1923

Very occasionally one of these will turn up... a regimental badge in gold... these are factory made gold. Abvanced French collectors surmise they may have been gifts for dignitaries.

Details of the elusive "dissolution" badge...