Legion grouping Indochina-Maroc...

[Chris Boonzaier]

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.

[The Prussian]

Great! Maybe insignia from a german Légionnaire?

The letter K is untypical for non-german first names. K-H. = Karl-Heinz? ?

[Chris Boonzaier]

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

[The Prussian]

In Germany Karl-Heinz written with the hyphen is one name. Sometimes  written as Karlheinz too. But probably the French administration didn't know that.

[Chris Boonzaier]

1 hour ago, The Prussian said:

In Germany Karl-Heinz written with the hyphen is one name. Sometimes  written as Karlheinz too. But probably the French administration didn't know that.

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"

[Chris Boonzaier]

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

[The Prussian]

Wow! What a great found!!!!!

He served with different regiments of the LE. Unfortunately the place of birth will be unknown.

A friend of mine was in the Légion too (I met him in our local pub in the 90s), his name was Karl-Heinz, but I don´t know his last name.

He always was called "Ömmes". He was called by this nick-name since his time in the LE. He served with 2° BEP in Dien Bien Phu. I visited him once at his flat and he showed me some photos and documents to prove he told the truth.

He spoke french too. Unfortunately later he moved into another town and passed away a few years ago.

I must say, that I can´t remember the photos, to compare them with your photos.

Edited May 15, 2021 by The Prussian

[Chris Boonzaier]

37 minutes ago, The Prussian said:

Wow! What a great found!!!!!

He served with different regiments of the LE. Unfortunately the place of birth will be unknown.

 

Hi,

 

he has Lodz listed as place of birth

[The Prussian]

960km too far away. That doesn't fit to my friend Ömmes...

I didn´t read Lodz before. What does "Département" means in this case? In 1930 and 1956, Lodz belonged to Poland...

Thanks, Chris

Edited May 15, 2021 by The Prussian

[The Prussian]

I remember, Ömmes told me, he served with the 2.BEP, and then he was part of a heavy mortar company.

He showed me this well-known photo, which was published in several books and told me the half-naked man was him:

Of course I didn´t believe that, but the same day I visited him at his home and he showed me a couple of original photos, showing the same scene, each one taken from another angle, because the photographer did take a couple of photos. One of them shows that man with a visible face, and he told me he received those photos later when he returned to France. On the reverse was his name written. I don´t know, if I can believe that story, because only 17 men of that company would return from captivity.

http://foreignlegion.info/units/1cepml/

I can´t remember all of the stories he told, because it was in the 90s, but anyway this one a nice story while we had a couple of beers and Ricards. I won´t forget that guy, although his "sober-times" were pretty rare...

Edited May 15, 2021 by The Prussian