1st Foreign Regiment (France)

The 1st Foreign Regiment is a depot regiment of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. It is located at Aubagne.
The regiment is also responsible for running special institutions of the Legion. These include the magazine Képi Blanc, the Legion's Athletics Team, the Legion Military Band, the Legion Museum and numerous other Legion initiatives.

History

Royal Foreign Legion

Under the first restoration, the Bourbons only retained the Swiss foreign soldiers, as a mark of their loyal service rendered to France during four centuries, and with them also, four foreign regiments out of which one colonial, formed of Spanish and Portuguese. The eight reorganized foreign regiments by Napoleon at the Hundred Days formed in 1815 the Royal Foreign Legion, which became the Hohenlohe Legion, then in 1821 the Hohenlohe Regiment. Licensed in 1830, the latter contributed to form the twenty first light, then the French Foreign Legion. The Swiss regiments of the restoration disappeared in 1830, nevertheless, the Swiss were reincorporated again in the French Army from 1855 to 1859 under the successive denomination of 2nd Foreign Legion and 1st Foreign Regiment.

Creation and different nominations

On April 1, 1841 : creation of the 1st Foreign Regiment.
1859 : merged with the 2nd Foreign Regiment and became the Foreign Regiment.
1875 : became the French Foreign Legion.
January 1, 1885 : became again the 1st Foreign Regiment.
1st Regiment of the 1st Foreign Legion

1st Foreign Regiment of 1885

The 1st Regiment of the Foreign Legion was created in 1841 based on 3 battalions in the newly created 1831 Foreign Legion. The 1st Regiment of the Foreign Legion became in 1855 the 1st Regiment of the 1st Foreign Legion. This regiment merged with the 2nd Foreign Regiment in 1859 and became the Foreign Regiment,, then came the 1st and 2nd battalion of the Foreign Legion, in 1943.

1st Foreign Regiment of 1856

The 1st Foreign Regiment was created based on the 1st and 2nd Foreign Regiments of the 2nd Foreign Legion.

1st Foreign Regiment of 1955

The 1st Foreign Regiment was created based on the recreated 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment. This 1st Foreign Regiment gave formation on September 1, 1972, to the Foreign Legion Groupment which became the Foreign Legion Command on July 1, 1984. With the Foreign Legion Command, the 1st Foreign Regiment is the of the Foreign Legion. Being the Maison Mère means the regiment preserves tradition and serves as a basis for the entire Legion. Quartier Vienot of Aubagne and Sidi Bel Abbès were both named in honor of Colonel Raphaël Vienot. Aubagne also houses the French Foreign Legion Museum.
The 1st Foreign Regiment is a major cornerstone in the career paths of legionnaires. Legionnaires begin their careers at the 1st Foreign Regiment at the selection center of incorporation and confirm successful return upon completion of basic training before deploying to a legion operational regiment. Legionnaires also pass by the 1st Foreign Regiment each time a posting of a regiment changes, and also finalize in the same regiment their departure formalities at the end of active duty service.

Missions of the 1st Foreign Regiment

The 1st Foreign Regiment is an administrative regiment which major missions are the support of the Foreign Legion and directed by the Foreign Legion Command. However, during exterior and interior mission deployments requirements of units and regiments of the legion; the 1st Foreign Regiment usually also dispatches particular individuals or teams of specialists. In addition, the foreign regiment like all regiments of the French Army, does also engage in the alert phase mission of Vigipirate. The 1st Foreign Regiment also dispatches and supports world humanitarian missions around the globe during natural catastrophes and disasters.

History of the garrisons, campaigns and battles

1841 to 1852

The 1st Foreign Regiment 1^er was created in Aleria on April 1, 1841, from the first three Legion battalions.
On January 1, 1849, the 1^er RE, under the command of Colonel Émile Mellinet, was in garrison at Oran in Algeria.

Second Empire

On July 6, 1856, the regiment received the regimental flag colors "Emperor Napoleon III at the 1st Foreign" before initiating the campaign in Kabylie.
The foreign regiment first participated to the pacification of Algeria, then was funneled to the Crimean War where the regiment formed a brigade with the 2nd Foreign Regiment, as part of the 6th Division. The regiment participated to the Battle of Alma, and the Siege of Sevastopol. The regimental commander, colonel Vienot was killed in combat on May 1, 1855. The regiment took part in the seizure of the Malakoff tower on September 8, 1855. The regiment then took part in the Second Italian War of Independence in 1859, as part of the 2nd Infantry Division of the 2nd Army Corps of Patrice de MacMahon, Duke of Magenta. It fought in the Battle of Magenta. The regiment entered triumphantly into Milan on June 7, 1859.
Returning to Algeria, the regiment was licensed on December 14, 1861, by Imperial decree. The men were accordingly transferred to the 2nd Foreign Regiment which changed designation on January 1, 1862, to become the Foreign Regiment. During the Mexican expedition from 1861 to 1867, the foreign regiment embarked to Mexico where the latter arrived on March 25, 1863, at Veracruz. The 3rd combat company fought with distinction while sacrificing itself during the Battle of Camarón on April 30, 1863. The 1st and 2nd battalions participated in the siege of Oaxaca which capitulated in April 1865. The 2nd battalion lost on March 1, 1866, 102 men killed during the combat of Santa Isabel. On December 13 of the same year, the regiment left Mexico. During the Franco-Prussian War, the Legion engaged the conflict within delay. It was at the end of September 1870, that the regiment integrated the 15th Crops 1st Brigade, 2nd Division and was found making way towards Orléans on October and December 1870 then at Montbéliard in January 1871, where he forced the Germans to leave the city.

1871 to 1914

During the Paris Commune in 1871, the regiment participated with Armée Versaillaise to the semaine sanglante. The commander-in-chief of the Armée Versaillaise was Marshal of France Patrice de Mac Mahon. The regiment then returned to Algeria in June 1871. On January 1, 1885, the "French Foreign Legion", named given to the "Foreign Regiment" on March 13, 1875, doubled in two foreign regiments constituted each of 4 battalions and one depot company. During the Expedition of Madagascar in 1895–1896, the foreign regiment with the 2nd Foreign Regiment, formed a Marching Battalion, which depended on the Algerian Regiment, of the Army of Africa under the orders of Colonel Oudri of the 2nd Foreign Regiment.
In 1881, the 1st Foreign Regiment was combat engaged in Morocco and South Oran. The 1st Foreign Regiment combat engaged in 1900 during the Battle of the Oasis, again in South-Oran and the Moroccan confines. On January 27, 1906, the 3rd combat company of the 1st Foreign Regiment crushed the enemy which participated to the combat of El Moungar.
At the beginning of 1883, the 1st and 2nd battalions of the 1st Foreign Regiment were sent to Tonkin. They apprehended Sontay on December 16, 1883. From January 26 to March 3, 1884, 600 men of Tuyen-Quang out of which 390 Legionnaires repelled 20,000 Chinese regulars.
In 1892, the 1st Foreign Regiment was engaged in Dahomey and disembarked at Cotonu on August 22. They combat engaged in September and October. 800 Legionnaires of Colonel Fauraux faced thousands of combatants and re-embarked victorious on November 17.
Between 1892 and 1894, the companies of the 1st Foreign Regiment intervened as well in Sudan. On July 1, 1893, the legionnaires of Lieutenant Betheder and Sergent Minnaêrt fought with ferocity at Bossé. They lost 60 killed and wounded which earned this heroic Sergent the decoration of the Légion d'honneur for his bravery under fire.
In 1895–1896, the regiment was part of the expedition which went on to the conquest of Madagascar. While combats were effective, climatic conditions were terrible and caused ravages. The losses through diseases were significant. The Legionnaires exhausted themselves and gave their full without complaints. It was customary to say that in the Expeditionary Corps : " when a French trooper entered the hospital, it would be for repatriation, a Tirailleur would enter for medical treatment, and a Legionnaire would only enter for dying". The pacification debuted in 1895 and endured till 1905, date of permanent return of units of the 1st Foreign Regiment to Algeria.
The Moroccan époque debuted in 1906. In August 1907, Chef de bataillon Provost was killed at Casablanca while repelling a violent attack. In 1908, the 1st Foreign Regiment 1^er RE distinguished capability at Menabah. In 1911, the 22nd combat company of Captain Labordette endured the loss of 29 including their company commander at Alouana.

First World War

The regiment was not directly combat engaged in World War I. However, the regiment continued to combat administer the institution and supply men for the ensemble of foreign units engaged in the conflict. In 1914, the 1st Foreign Regiment formed the constitution totality or most of the corps of many units.
In Morocco : The 1st Foreign Regiment 1^er RE supplied the entire of the 1st Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment, 1^er RM 1^er RE. These units combat engaged for 4 years at the cost of 272 killed at Taza or Sidi-Amar. The 1st Marching Regiment was dissolved on February 15, 1918, and the battalions and mounted companies became autonomous.
In France: The 1st Foreign Regiment formed the corps constitution of the 2nd Marching Regiment, 3rd Marching Regiment and 4th Marching Regiment combat engaged in France, out of which the essential constitution was formed of foreign volunteers for the duration of the war. Between March and July 1915, the 3rd and 4th Marching Regiments disappeared after terrible losses. The 2nd Marching Regiment which was cited at 2 occasions was annihilated with his foreign brother regiment 2nd Marching Regiment of the 2nd Foreign Regiment 2^e RM 2^e RE in September 1915 during combats of Navarrin. The survivors constituted the renowned Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion which was entrusted to Colonel Paul-Frédéric Rollet. The RMLE would be the second most decorated unit of the French Army.
In the Orient: A provisional regiment was formed of troops of the Army of Africa, with the title of 1^er Régiment de Marche d'Afrique. The first two battalions were from the Zouaves, and the third battalion was formed of men from the Foreign Legion. This composite infantry battalion would be engaged with other units of the Corps expéditionnaire d'Orient in the Orient. The unit was originally formed of 2 companies of 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment and 2 companies of the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment. The battalion headquarters company hailed from the 1^er REI and the battalion commander from the 2^e REI. Losing 815 men under fire, the Legion Battalion of 1^er RMA was cited 3 consecutive times out of which 2 at the orders of the army before being disbanded on 30 September 1917.
In Tonkin, these attacks were led by Annamese agitators between August 1915 and July 1918. These action would repeat themselves until 1940. The 4th Battalion lost 216 men during this period.