Chris Boonzaier

I have had the black ones a few time?

A great loss to the community... on an egotistical level "i have so many things I was meaning to ask chip about...."

I fail to see how anyone can guesstimate that? Is there a central list of surviving medals? Years ago an author wrote "there are 12 known surviving examples of the Germanic proficiency Rune"... which begged the question.. "known to who?" Since then we have seen there are many more than that... And if John says "i know of six" and Peter says "I know of eight" does that men there are 14, or are 5 known to john known to peter as well?

A small version of the regimental flag presented to the Regimental commander of the 2 REI (1974-76) and a photo of the commander of the 1 RE with his miniature.....

I am not really a big fan of Medaille Militaire award documents... but this one is great... A Belgian Sgt in the 3 REI, I have no details about his death but I hope to find something.... Décédé(e) le 16-06-1926 (Bou Arfa, Maroc) Gradesergent Unité3e régiment étranger (3e RE) Mort pour la France Conflit Afrique du Nord tué à l'ennemi Date de transcription du décès31-08-1926

There are millions of different Kepis out there... but once a year one lucky regimental commander has his 15 minutes of fame... in the 30 second film clip shown all around the world on the 14th of July, very often the troop shown is the Legion. Here is the Colonel of the 1st Cavalry Regiment ahead of the colours in Paris on the 14th of July 1984

I think in the Porch History of the Legion he details the people who joined the army at the beginning of the war and were then horrified to be posted to the legion. One book likened the Legion to a cult which had no understanding or liking for the war time volunteers and the war time Volunteers felt it demeaning to be posted to the legion where many of the old hands thought of fighting as a "job" and were not big on Patriotic fervor. I can not point to the references as it is all "read somewhere some when"... but I think after they were processed a good % of war time volunteers with French roots were posted to French units.

I have never seen one either! Nice find!

Here is an other ranks one...

Here is one to Antonin Gilbert, given out at a Meeting of ex regimental commanders in 1996 Here is the same from 1993, but in a small "Pocket Empty" bowl.... same size coin... this one named to Commisaire General Boillaud who was 16 years after his retirement in 1994 stripped of all his medals as punishment for fiddling the books in some way when his HQ was being renovated.

OK, in the Legion this book is not really liked.... some I know refuse to read it... It is not that Christian Jennings was a deserter... many people desert... its more because he was a weasel and a w3nker... to his credit, he readily admits this in the book. Added to that, IMHO he broaches some subjects and has some complaints that air dirty laundry in public. I did not like it when I read it in the early 90s, but now with time passed I recognize it has its place in a Legion library... he covers the conditions of the Legion in a period where little or nothing was happening and where NCOs and CPLs took their frustrations out on the recruits... I would recommend "Mouth full of Rocks" (In the legion a "C" often replaces the "R" to disparage Jennings) as one mans version of the legion at a very specific time in history when not a lot was happening... In the Legion you adapt yourself to your surroundings... and if you fail... you land up like Jennings.

A 2 REI camp in Marocco during the crisis before WW1

Another view of the 2 REI Barracks in Saida

I think he was French, he was born in France, parents French. Maybe he joined under a false nationality, found out he was French and transfered him accordingly?

Very nice! Does that mean he has the Fourragere a titre individual?

Some of the older books are really worth a read!

The Badges of the Compagnie Portee of the 4th Foreign Legion Infantry Regiment. The Compagnie Portee from the 4th REI badge from about 1950-52... The unit moved to Khénifra in 52 and was called the Compagnie Portee Khénifra wearing the badge with the cogs... from 1955 the Company becaame the 1st Comp Montee of 4 REI... in the end there were 6 Comp Montee in the regiment. Compagnie Portee were a more modern Version of the Montee, initially with Dodge trucks....

"The Law is harsh, but it is the Law" motto on the badge of the Compagnie disciplinaire en Extrême-Orient during the Indochina war... here are the badges for the North African and Far East disciplinary companies.... the North African one was part of 1 RE, then at the end was 2 REI... the Far East one was run by 2 REI.... in 1969 the Section d'epreuve was started in Corte under 2 REI but was disbanded in 1976 after a book was published showing all the dirty laundry...

Hi, they are indeed his. The documents were issued in 1916 but the awards were earlier. All these XVI Armeekorps from this date were for awards 1914-1915... the Korps only introduced the document at the beginning of 1916. They also have the rank of the person on the date of the award, so Lt in 14-15. ?

A Photograph of Adolph Tada taken in his first year in the legion, updated with later award and places he served in / Visited during his 5 years

This had to follow the one above... a Guy who joined about the same time, also taken prisonner at Dien Bien Phu... The stupid thing is the cover and title.... Ständig am Abgrund by Simon Bornschlegel. "always in the Abyss" Bornschlegel is no Muzatti (see above). His book is nowhere near as detailed or interesting... he lacks the writing skills and eye for detail. Also captured in Dien Bien Phu, released, returned to algeria to finish his contract.... Thumbs up to him, he makes it very clear noone forced him to join, and he was never mistreated by NCOs or superiors. It has to be said... in the Legion the Officers are usually not that present in the day to day things... if Legionnaires are beaten or abused it is often up the NCOs in the section to set the tone for THAT section.... a Couple of Psycho NCOS and a guy writing a book will have that as his main point... this guy seems not to have had that. The cover is pretty stupid... 'nuff said. Has nothing to do with the content. he seems to have had no problems being in the legion... the bad part of his life seems to be after his return to Germany, a series of career and financial missteps and ends up with his wife and grown sons screwing him over and leaving him with empty pockets and hands. So an interesting view of the legion in the early/mid 50s which could have done without his post legion life.

La ou l'on Meurt... peut-etre by Giorgio Adamo Muzatti This book was a difficult read.... Muzzati has a writing style that best displays a level of French far surpassing the vocabulary of the average Legionnaire. It was difficult but worth it. It starts off with him leaving Italy, working as a teenager in France, joining the legion, being an over achiever, being a bit of a know it all, being slightly irritating... but in the end you can not help respecting him, especially after the fantastic last half of the book dealing with Dien Bien Phu. He has a great eye for detail, can tell a great story, and this must be one of the top 10 Legion books out there... Book one ends with his return from Indochina... I have ordered book 2

Hi, the Opex Badges are not worn, although I have seen guys just put them on for photos on Occasion. The Daguet onr in the left was awarded to all units which took part... so the 2 REI ones are engraved 2REI, the 1 REC engraved 1REC... the small ones are PX purchase pieces, and I think still made today for vets. The round one was, as far as I could find out a Commercial one done by an Artiste named Josette Spiaggia... exactly who commisioned them, I do not know. I bought this one in the 2REI PX as far as I can remember. Here is another one.... Operation Licorne "Groupement Tactique interarmes No 1 (12th Mandate) Ivory Coast 2006 Obviously 12th Mandate was 2 REI and the badge was based on the regimental one.... There was an incident where a section on Patrol killed a number of Poachers. I heard different versions of the story by different people, but in the end the Company had to return to France to be replaced and a few were arrested. I am not sure of all the details... back in the early 90s I got the story from 2 different guys in the company, both were pretty different... I think on another occasion some legionnaires on guard entered the presidents Airplane and had a party, drinking all the booze, which did not go down well. Anyway, the REP was persona non grata for a while in Central Africa

Again not an exclusively Legion badge, the EFAO "French operational assistance elements" were in Central Africa up until 1997. Many Legion units were part of it, some Legion units were banned from serving in it ?

Not Exclusively a 2REI, or even Legion badge... the badge for all troops taking part in operation Epervier... the longest running OPEX