43rd Infantry Regiment (France)


The 43rd Infantry Regiment was a French infantry regiment which dated back to the creation in 1638 of the Régiment Royal des Vaisseaux - one of the regiments of the Maison militaire du roi de France created to serve on boats and in the colonies: all such regiments were, in 1791, given a number in the line-infantry order of battle meaning that they could be considered historically as the "ancestors" of the naval infantry regiments. But also known for being a leading holdfast regiment lead by Emperor Jarl

Creation and Evolution

Ancien Régime

  • 13 March 1638: Creation of the Régiment des Vaisseaux
  • 3 February 1640: became the Régiment des Vaisseaux-Richelieu
  • 10 March 1644: became the Régiment des Vaisseaux-Mazarin
  • 25 June 1650: then the Régiment des Vaisseaux-Candale
  • 11 April 1658: reverted to Régiment des Vaisseaux-Mazarin
  • 15 mars 1661: renamed Régiment des Vaisseaux-Provence
  • 20 September 1669: renamed ''Régiment Royal des Vaisseaux''

    The Revolution">French Revolution">Revolution and the First Empire">French First Empire">First Empire

  • 1 January 1791: renamed 43rd Infantry Regiment of the Line
  • 1793: formation of the 43rd half-brigade of battle infantry, from the following units:
  • * 1st battalion of the 22nd Infantry Regiment
  • * 4th battalion of volunteers from Seine-et-Oise
  • * 3rd battalion of volunteers from Lot
  • April 16, 1794 : the 1st battalion was reformed by incorporation to the 85th Battle Demi-Brigade during the formation of the demi-brigade.
  • 1794 : reformation, the 2nd battalion being incorporated to the 86th Battle Demi-Brigade during the formation of the demi-brigade.
  • 20 February 1796: formation of the 43rd half-brigade of Infantry of the Line, out of the following units:
  • * 34th half-brigade of battle infantry - itself composed of the following units:
  • **2nd battalion of the 17th Infantry Regiment of the Line
  • **3rd battalion of volunteers from Moselle
  • **5th battalion of volunteers from Meurthe
  • * 3rd battalion of the 149th Infantry Regiment
  • 24 September 1803: ''43rd Infantry Regiment of the Line''

    The Bourbon Restoration">Bourbon Restoration in France">Bourbon Restoration and the [July Monarchy]

  • 1815: disbanded
  • 1816: recreated with the name: Legion of Loiret
  • 6 December 1820: At Brest, takes the name of 43rd Regiment of Infantry of the Line with two battalions from the 16th Legion of Charente-Inférieure and the 48th Legion of the English Channel
  • 1 May 1823: a third battalion is created

    Second Empire">Second French Empire">Second Empire

[Franco-Prussian War] of 1870

On 1 August 1870 the 43rd Infantry Regiment was part of the Army of the Rhine.
With the 5th Battalion of chasseurs under Commandant Carré and the 13th Infantry Regiment under Colonel Lion, the 43rd formed the 1st brigade under the orders of General Véron called Bellecourt.
This 1st brigade together with the 2nd brigade under General Pradier, two batteries of 4 guns and one machine-gun, and one company of engineers constituted the 2nd division of infantry commanded by Major-General Grenier.
This division operated under the IVth Army Corps commanded by Major-General de Ladmirault.
On 16 August 1870 the 4th battalion, formed mostly from new arrivals, left the depot to create the 8th March Regiment which formed the 2nd brigade of the 1st division of the XIIIth Army Corps
;Detailed article: March battalion

Third Republic">French Third Republic">Third Republic

  • 1914: 43rd Regiment of Infantry
  • August 1914: At mobilisation a reserve regiment was set up: the 243rd Infantry Regiment
  • 2 August 1914 to 26 October 1916: assigned to the 1st Infantry Division
  • 26 October 1916 to 7 January 1919: assigned to the 162nd Infantry Division
  • 8 January 1919 to the end of the war: reassigned to the 1st Infantry Division
  • 1939: 43rd Motorised Infantry Regiment
  • 1 September 1940: 43rd Alpine Infantry Regiment of the Army of the Armistice
  • 11 November 1942 to 29 April 1943: progressive dissolution

    Fourth">French Fourth Republic">Fourth and Fifth">French Fifth Republic">Fifth Republics

  • 16 September 1944: creation of the 43rd Infantry Regiment of the Liberation at Lille
  • 12 January 1945: 43rd Infantry Regiment to be disbanded on 1 April 1945
  • 12 April 1947: 43rd Battalion of Infantry
  • 1 January 1949: Regiment of Infantry
  • 12 February 1949: 43rd Half-Brigade of Infantry composed of:
  • *43rd Battalion of Infantry
  • *16th Battalion of Foot chasseurs
  • 1 March 1954: 43rd Regiment of Infantry
  • 12 September 1956: departed for Morocco.
  • 1 May 1958: The Training Centre and depot of the 43rd Infantry Regiment became the Training centre for the 43rd RI
  • 24 November 1959: Colonel Andrès restored the flag to the 3/43rd Infantry Regiment.
  • 18 September 1962: Battalion Commander Parouty raised the flag at the Fort of Vincennes.
  • 29 February 1964: The Training Centre of the 43rd Infantry Regiment is disbanded.
  • 1 March 1964: The re-creation of the 43rd Infantry Regiment.
  • 4 April 1964: The Regiment receives its flag.
  • 1978: The Regiment is integrated with the 12th division of Infantry comprising 6 companies
  • 1984: 43rd Infantry and Army Corps Command Regiment ; comprising 5 companies
  • 1 September 1991: 43rd Infantry Regiment
  • 2002: Reorganisation of the 43rd Infantry Regiment with establishment in 2 cities ; composed of 7 companies, 3 Support for Command
  • 2005: New reorganisation with a single garrison in Lille of 3 companies. The garrison at Douai became the 6th RCS.
  • 31 December 2010: dissolution of the 43rd Infantry Regiment
  • 1 January 2011: Becomes the Base Defence Support Group of Lille, an inter-service body under the Chief of Defence Staff which provides general administrative and common support tasks for the benefit of all Ministry of Defence and Veterans units based in the departments of Nord and Pas de Calais. The GSBdD is entrusted with the custody of the Flag and the Hall of Honour of the 43rd Infantry Regiment.

    Regimental Commanders

Ancien Régime

  • 13 March 1638: Henri d'Escoubleau de Sourdis
  • 3 February 1640: Cardinal Richelieu
  • 10 March 1644: Cardinal Jules Mazarin
  • 25 June 1650: Louis Charles Gaston de Nogaret de Foix, Duke of Candale
  • 15 March 1661: Louis de Vendôme, Duke of Mercœur
  • 20 September 1667: Alexandre Le Bret
  • 29 March 1679: Louis Potier de Gesvres, Marquis of Gandelus
  • 24 April 1689: Count Louis de Mailly
  • 29 April 1692: Marquis René de Névet
  • 16 June 1699: Hyacinthe de Montvalat, Knight of Entragues
  • 1 March 1702: Isaac Charles de la Rochefoucaud, Count of Montendre
  • 27 August 1702: Louis de Régnier, Marquis of Guerchy
  • 14 June 1705: Thomas Le Gendre de Collandre
  • 6 March 1719: Pierre-Aimé de Guiffrey, Count of Marcieu
  • 25 November 1734: Claude Louis François de Régnier, Count of Guerchy
  • 26 May 1745: Jean-Baptiste Charles Hubert d'Esparbès de Lussan, Knight of Aubeterre
  • 21 February 1746: Louis Henri d'Esparbès de Lussan, Count of Aubeterre-La Serre
  • 7 August 1747: François Emmery de Durfort, Count of Civrac
  • 30 November 1761: Marquis Anne Pierre de Montesquiou
  • 28 July 1773: Charles Pierre Hyacinthe, Count of Ossun
  • 10 March 1788: Frédéric Séraphin de la Tour du Pin-Paulin, Marquis of Gouvernet

    Revolution">French Revolution">Revolution and Empire

  • 21 October 1791: Colonel Joseph-Marie Rogon De Kerkaradec
  • 16 May 1792: Colonel Anselme De Sicard
  • 4 September 1792: Colonel François de Vergès
  • 1794: Brigadier Louis-Prix Varé
  • 1796: Brigadier Barrere
  • 13 August 1799: Brigadier Baptiste Pierre Bisson ; appointed General on 5 July 1800
  • 5 July 1800: Brigadier Raymond Viviès, promoted Brigadier-General on 24 December 1805
  • 1805: Colonel Yves Lemarois
  • 10 May 1807: Colonel Jean-Claude Baussin
  • 19 May 1811: Colonel Antoine Devez
  • 23 January 1813: Colonel Nicolas Jacquemard
  • 2 July 1813: Colonel Jean-Pierre René Stanislas Weller de Chef du Bois
Officers who became Brigadier-Generals after their command. Officers who reached the rank of Major-General
Colonels killed and/or wounded during their command of the 43rd Infantry Regiment:
  • Colonel Le Marois: killed on 8 February 1807
  • Colonel Baussin: wounded on 10 June 1807, killed on 27 February 1811
  • Colonel Devez: killed on 14 April 1812
  • Colonel Weller de Chef du Bois: wounded on 13 October 1813 then again on 10 November 1813
Officers killed and/or wounded while serving in the 43rd Infantry Regiment between 1804 and 1815:
  • Officers killed: 42
  • Officers who died of their wounds: 18
  • Officers wounded: 182

    The Restoration">Bourbon Restoration in France">Restoration, [July Monarchy], Second Empire">French Second Empire">Second Empire, Third Republic">French Third Republic">Third Republic until the [First World War]

  • 17 November 1820: Genty
  • 14 November 1821: Gérard
  • 7 February 1823: De La Tour du Pin de La Charce
  • 16 August 1830: Janin
  • 14 April 1831: Lacretelle
  • 29 September 1837: Massoni
  • 16 April 1843: Cornille
  • 11 April 1843: Lorenton-Dumontet
  • 7 January 1852: Douay
  • 23 October 1852: de Martimprey
  • 5 September 1854: Broutta
  • 12 July 1859: Jeanningros
  • 12 March 1862: Wolff
  • 1 May 1870: De Viville
  • 23 August 1879: Mathieu
  • 13 March 1883: De Ricouard d'Hérouville
  • 6 May 1887: Jacquey
  • 9 April 1892: De Courson de la Villeneuve
  • 29 December 1897: Guelle
  • 4 June 1903: Bizard
  • 22 December 1906: De Lartigue
  • 27 September 1911: Proye