Chris Boonzaier

The two badges above were introduced in about 1961, the 2 REI seems to have abandoned the first and designed itself the 2nd... at almost the same time the badge below became the standard Badge for everyone (Cavalry in silver) other than the paras... but it seems they were seldom worn in Algeria and were adopted when the legion moved from North Africa in the mid 60s... here 2 terrible ones (the berets)... the first with a plasticky black rim, no longer leather... and the 2nd, an issue beret from the 80s.... In 1989 we were issued these in Aubagne... and wore them for the train ride to Castlenaudary... there the standard procedure was, upon a arrival an instructor would collect all beret sizes, then to to the PX and buy everyone a Beret with a pay advance.... next day everyone had to appear with a commercial beret more fitting to the "image" and not the big formless ones like from the 60s....

Good question... but I think the Germans only provide info to family.... I need to find someone named Schulz to request them! ?

OK... Beret 1 ... This is a late 50s early 60s one... with the first version Beret badge... the Legion paeas had the same badge as the normal French Paras, but other units had the Legion flame... this one for 2 REI ... for other regiments it stayed, but the 2nd REI changed very quickly to an own design reflecting their origins as a mounted unit... a mounted columns had been 2 Men one Mule, but by the beginning of the 1960s it meant trucks and Helicopters... so the later badge had a Mule shoe... and anyone knew to the regiment even today learns fast is for a mule... the mule sho badge was worn until the 2REI left its bases in the Sahara in 1968, the last French unit to leave Algeria.

Please add any items you may have. Here is an Iconic bit of headgear. Not restricted to the Legion, but issued in Indochina and Algeria... and old stocks used up to the 80s for units doing tours in Africa.... the "Chapeau de Brousse" (Bush hat) ... I really regret they were no longer issued in my era.... A really salty one, and a mint one from a store find... you occasionally find new ones in very small sizes. According to a French source the small ones were issued to indigenous troops in Indochina, and as that came to an end, they stayed in stores... Legionnaires in Laos wearing the Chapeau....

Hi, he has Lodz listed as place of birth

Here is the rest of the Group... colonial medal, indochina medal, CDG at divisional level, good conduct certificate, Infantry training

Sometimes people are imaginative ? I work with a Hans-Werner ... 12 years together and I only found out by chance he is not "Werner" but "hans-Wener"

Yup, on his Documents it is Karl Dilner... but it is possible on his German documents a Heinz is in there somewhere... I can not remember ever seeing a Legion Doc with a 2nd first name

Part of a document group for a Legionnaire who served in the 2 REI in indochina, and the 4REI in Morocco... The Calcon" or "Bonnet de Police" was the Legion Headgear until the Beret was introduced to all regiments in the late 50s... The leather for the 4 REI badge is in 3 pieces. Later they were made in one piece, green leather with red thread.

Thanks ? My legion field of interest is pretty narrow, so I will have a limited number of things I can cover.

When the Legion first went to Indochina after WW2 it was known as the RMLE ... then renamed 2 REI... the RMLE dadges were pretty small, the 1st Version of the 2REI badges pretty big... the two on the left are theater made.... The 2nd Version of the 2REI are a tad smaller.... the size of the RMLE badges....

First off, some restrikes... pretty dngerous is the DRAGO PARIS without the "Retirage" or restrike number...

The baggy pants and sandals of the Mounted troops of the 50s....

Here is some 1950s flair... I particularly like the 13 DBLE Strongpoint

The 4CMP above only existed from November 1940 until April 43... only Compagnie size makes it a very scarce badge. It was a motorised unit which fought in North Africa. Here is another very scarce one... but mot as scarce as the 4CMP... the Mechanised mounted company of the 4 REI, existing from 1934-1940...

Before Paratroopers became the elite of every army, the Foreign Legion had compagnies montées ... Intitially in Morocco, then Algeria as well the Companies consisted of selected legionnaires and composed of "Binom"... 2 Legionnaires with one Mule. During the marches one would walk, one would ride, and they would change every hour. It really upped the pace of Legion Columns... Later the compagnies montées became Compagnies Portees and were mounted on Dodge trucks and jeeps.... Here is the large Version of the CM of the 2 REI, the very short lived 4CMP of the 2REI and the CM of the 3 REI

Yup, not a place to go to.... Just arrived today....

Me, no, never got one. But I am still looking for older Legion docs with it.

I have wanted a doc to the RMLE for a long, long, long, long time......

History has 3 Field Regiment SAA (T.H.A.).

Regimental history has the same, but without the "V" ...

Ha! for years the history of the unit has taken space on my shelves and I have come close to ebaying it a dozen times... and now finally I get to use it!!!! ... and I can not answer the question... they served in various theaters and seem to have had many designations... do you have an exact year and month? All South Africans serving outside of Africa were volunteers Best Chris

Wow.... wow..... wow......

Here is some drago variation from 1945 till the 60s... the two on the right are restrikes, the one at the top right is not marked as such....

Some 3rd company, just for some variation