Condottiere
LE
Latest recruiting picture for the FFL:
Last edited:
How does the 2 REP (FFL) compare to the British Paras?
- Thread starter The Badgers' Hole
- Start date
LE
WulfricSpot
LE
and of course no connection to the latest Mars landing event...
fantassin
LE
Between COVID and a relative dearth of recruits coming from other nations than Russia, Moldova, Ukraine, Brazil and Nepal that really constitute by far the largest providers of potential Légionnaires, the FFL really needs to tap into all recruiting sources.
The Réunion island probably holds quite a lot of promises ; the population is French, young, booming (0.8 million and growing fast) and composed of still quite tough individuals leaving in hilly, isolated locations for a number of them.
By comparison, Tahiti has a much smaller population (0.2 million) which has a tendency for obesity (40% of the adult population is overweight or obese) and associated diseases (diabetes…).
Joining the FFL has become a business and several « pipelines » aiming at preparing potential recruits to join the FFL have been identified in the past years.
The Réunion island probably holds quite a lot of promises ; the population is French, young, booming (0.8 million and growing fast) and composed of still quite tough individuals leaving in hilly, isolated locations for a number of them.
By comparison, Tahiti has a much smaller population (0.2 million) which has a tendency for obesity (40% of the adult population is overweight or obese) and associated diseases (diabetes…).
Joining the FFL has become a business and several « pipelines » aiming at preparing potential recruits to join the FFL have been identified in the past years.
Condottiere
LE
The Foreign Legion has been associated with Mars a lot longer than that!
Condottiere
LE
I'll bet that these "pipelines" are run by criminals and quasi-criminals bent on extracting the most money possible from gullible and naive young men, and many of whom would be unsuitable for recruitment and further service.
Condottiere
LE
Training on the small exercise area behind Camp Raffalli.
The VAB seen in the background is soon to be replaced (in light role units such as 2 REP) with the VBMR-L Serval: French Army Orders 364 Light VBMR Serval Armored Vehicles - DefPost
Army Guide
Army Guide - information about the main battle tanks, armoured vehicles and armament of the land forces and also the information concerning other army subjects - Serval VBMR Leger, Wheeled armoured personnel carrier, Armoured Vehicles
www.army-guide.com
Condottiere
LE
Ah, cochonne! Tiens voila du boudin!
Last edited:
Condottiere
LE
A few weeks ago, I posted a translation of an editorial in Kepi Blanc Magazine by General Lardet (COMLE, i.e. in English GOC FFL) on the theme of "Honour", which is one half of the Legon's motto “Honneur et Fidélité”. This month's edition of Kepi Blanc carries on with an editorial by him on the theme of "Fidelity", which I shall also endeavour to translate as accurately as possible.
Before I start I would like to point out that in French, the word "fidélité" can be both somewhat broader in meaning than in English and more nuanced. In English various translations can be found: loyalty, fidelity, faithfulness, precision, faith, trustworthiness, constancy, closeness, trustfulness, steadiness and tenacity. I would suggest that here the translation of "fidélité" can and does encompass all of them. I have therefore mainly used the very similar English term "fidelity" throughout although in general terms loyalty is the closer direct translation.
In order to save time, I have based my translation on the general gist provided by "Google Translate", but I have tried to maintain the flavour and meaning of the original text as much as possible. Any errors are my own.
(*) My Comment: Colonel Rollet was the Commanding Oficer of the Foreign Legion's Marching Regiment (RMLE) in WW1, this Regiment, an amalgam of fighting batallions drawn from 1 RE and 2 RE as well as thousands of fresh recruits over the course of the war became one of the two most highly decorated French units and was later turned into 3 REI. Later General Rollet became the Inspector General of the Foreign Legion and is regarded as the "Father of the modern Legion". He formalised many of the hitherto informal but traditional customs and practices of the Foreign Legion.
(**) My Comment: The Sacred Way or "La Voie Sacrée" is the name given to central path towards the monument for the dead on the Legion's parade ground at Aubagne
Before I start I would like to point out that in French, the word "fidélité" can be both somewhat broader in meaning than in English and more nuanced. In English various translations can be found: loyalty, fidelity, faithfulness, precision, faith, trustworthiness, constancy, closeness, trustfulness, steadiness and tenacity. I would suggest that here the translation of "fidélité" can and does encompass all of them. I have therefore mainly used the very similar English term "fidelity" throughout although in general terms loyalty is the closer direct translation.
In order to save time, I have based my translation on the general gist provided by "Google Translate", but I have tried to maintain the flavour and meaning of the original text as much as possible. Any errors are my own.
(*) My Comment: Colonel Rollet was the Commanding Oficer of the Foreign Legion's Marching Regiment (RMLE) in WW1, this Regiment, an amalgam of fighting batallions drawn from 1 RE and 2 RE as well as thousands of fresh recruits over the course of the war became one of the two most highly decorated French units and was later turned into 3 REI. Later General Rollet became the Inspector General of the Foreign Legion and is regarded as the "Father of the modern Legion". He formalised many of the hitherto informal but traditional customs and practices of the Foreign Legion.
(**) My Comment: The Sacred Way or "La Voie Sacrée" is the name given to central path towards the monument for the dead on the Legion's parade ground at Aubagne
Last edited:
Battle of Algiers regular French Paras
fantassin
LE
Based on LTC Bigeard's 3°régiment de parachutistes coloniaux
Condottiere
LE
Yes, the vast majority of troops involved in the Battle of Algiers, were French Regular Army with 3 RPC (now called 3 RPIMa) in a leading role. The only Foreign Legion unit to take part directly was 1 REP, as it was also in General Massu’s 10th Parachute Division, which had been assigned the task of clearing out the FLN from Algiers.
fantassin
LE
With one famous episode when 1er REP went for an explosive MOE in an FLN cache and unknowingly placed the charge against a wall behind which there was an FLN bomb stash....the whole block of building exploded to the bewilderment of the Legionnaires who had just applied a minimal PE charge to gain entry....
Bodenplatte
LE
Don't tell us they were only expected to blow the bloody doors off ?
Bodenplatte
LE
Condottiere
LE
As I understand it the term was already in use to denote the parade path towards regimental memorials prior to WW1. Happy to be corrected.
Bodenplatte
LE
Ok, thanks. I suppose its one of those terms which has been around forever, in one form or another, viz. Via Sacra going back to the times of the Roman Empire.
Maurice Barrès used the term in connection with the road from Bar-le-Duc to Verdun, and as a member of the Académie Française he was in a good place to coin a phrase which would catch on.
Condottiere
LE
Ali la Pointe!
fantassin
LE
Condottiere
LE
Not 2 REP, but 3 REI. Legionnaires on parade in French Guyana for a visit by the French Armed Forces Minister:
Similar threads
