France Shoulder straps french foreign legion, what is missing ?

[dedehansen]

Also from the same estate as the cloth badge.

Shoulder strap with something missing ?!

[dedehansen]

Detail from a portrait unfortunately blurry

[dedehansen]

And finally the whole rest person

Regards

Andreas

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Hello Andreas.

The blank spot was occupied by the regimental crest of the regiment the wearer belonged to previously or which was the one the wearer was most attached to when serving in it at some time earlier. A tradition which carried on in the 1950'ies which the photo seems to show. The insignia appears to be that of the 3. REI ( 3.Regiment Etranger d'Infanterie ), the second highest decorated regiment of the French Army.

Your man wears decorations of the Indochina and North Africa conflicts and he served beyond the five years original enlistment.

Bernhard H. Holst

Edited July 10, 2014 by Bernhard H.Holst

[dedehansen]

Thanks Bernhard,

Herward S. is the shown person.

He served with different unit from the french foreign legion.

I tried to restore the sholder straps but insigna doesn´t figure it is

to lathy. But there was another insigna whitch match 100 %.

I know that it isn´t the insigna from the photo but it came with the whole group.

May be the shoulder straps aren´t these from the photo.

KR

Andreas

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Hello Andreas.

Note the dark strip on the bottom of the insignia shown in the picture of Sgt. S. . The insignia of the 1.Bataillon de Marche du 1.RE has the dark strip on the top of the insignia. So my guess is that it is not the latter one that he wears.

Bernhard H. Holst

Edited July 11, 2014 by Bernhard H.Holst

[dedehansen]

Hello Bernhard,

here are all the insignias that went with the estate.

I think that on the photo is the insignia from the 3. REI.

But as I tried to fix the 3. REI insignia on the shoulder strap

I had to note, that it doesn´t fit. Ist was to lathy for the traces

but the insignia from the 1. Bataillon de Marche du 1. RE fit 100 %.

So I think that they are now ok, but not these from the photo.

Andreas

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Hello Andreas.

As he kept several of the 3.REI he most likely spent a lot of time with that regiment and then the 5..REI. Both regiments served in Algeria after 1955. The paratrooper insignia may be just a souvenir like I kept some myself. The Bataillon de Marche probably after 1954 in Algeria followed by service again in 3.REI or 5.REI. That is how I see it.

Bernhard H. Holst