1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment

1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment 1er Régiment étranger de cavalerie
Regimental badge of 1er REC
Active	1920 - present
Country	France
Allegiance	French Foreign Legion
Branch	French Army
Type	Armoured Cavalry
Role	Reconnaissance & fire support
Size	900 men
Part of	6th Light Armoured Brigade
Garrison/HQ	Quartier Labouche, Orange, Vaucluse, France
Nickname	Royal étranger
Motto	Nec pluribus impar
March	Regimental March : Marche du 1er REC. Legion Etrangere's March : Le Boudin
Anniversaries	Camerone Day (30 April), Saint-Georges Day and Christmas
Engagements	World War II First Indochina War Algerian War
Commanders
Current commander	Colonel Gilles Jaron
Insignia
Beret badge of the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment
Abbreviation	1er REC

The 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (French: 1er Régiment Étranger de Cavalerie, 1er REC) is the only cavalry regiment in the French Foreign Legion. As of 2009 it is the only armoured cavalry regiment of the 6th Light Armoured Brigade^[1]. It has been stationed at Quartier Labouche in Orange, Vaucluse, France since it moved from Mers-el-Kébir, Algeria in October 1967.^[2]

1 History
2 Organization
3 Equipment
4 Commanding officers
5 Honours
- 5.1 Battle Honours
- 5.2 Decorations
6 Notes
7 References
8 External links

History

The regiment was created in Tunisia in 1921^[3] around a cadre of Russian legionnaires, and soldiers from the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment. At the time the Legion was an infantry formation, and the idea of a Legion cavalry regiment met with some resistance from the French cavalry. However the regiment was deemed a useful way of making full use of the Legion's Russian White movement veterans, many of whom had extensive light cavalry experience from the Russian Civil War. The regiment was quickly accepted as a highly competent addition to the French cavalry.

The regiment subsequently served in the Indochina War and the Algerian War.

As part of the 6th Light Armoured Brigade the regiment took part in The Gulf War of 1991. They suffered no causalities.^[4]

Organization

The regiment is currently divided into 6 squadrons^[1] with an estimated manpower of 930 men.

ECL - Command and Logistics Squadron.
EEI - Brigade Reconnaissance and Light Squadron. (4 platoons)
Four Combat Squadrons each made up of 4 combat groups and a command group.
- 1er Esc - 1st Squadron
- 2e Esc - 2nd Squadron
- 3e Esc - 3rd Squadron
- 5e Esc - 4th Squadron

Equipment

Three squadrons are equipped with the AMX 10 RC, an armoured and wheeled vehicle with a 105mm gun.^[1] The EEI is equipped with the Panhard VBL.^[1]

Commanding officers

Colonel Perret (1921–1922)
Lieutenant Colonel Sala (1922–1923)
Colonel Maurel (1923–1925)
Colonel Sala (1925–1931)
Colonel Burnol (1931–1932)
Colonel Bonnefous (1932–1935)
Colonel Berger (1935–1940)
Colonel Levavasseur (1940–1943)
Colonel Miquel (1943–1945)
Major Lennuyeux (1945)
Colonel Robert (1945–1946)
Lieutenant Colonel Marion (1946–1948)
Lieutenant Colonel Doré (1948–1949)
Lieutenant Colonel de Battisti (1949–1951)
Lieutenant Colonel Royer (1951–1952)
Lieutenant Colonel Deluc (1952–1953)
Lieutenant Colonel Hardoin (1953–1954)
Lieutenant Colonel Coussaud de Massignac (1954–1956)
Major Ogier de Baulny (1956)
Lieutenant Colonel Spitzer (1956–1958)
Lieutenant Colonel de Blignères (1958–1960)
Lieutenant Colonel de la Chapelle (1960–1961)
Lieutenant Colonel Barazer de Lannurien (1961–1962)
Lieutenant Colonel de Monplanet (1962–1963)
Lieutenant Colonel de Froissard de Broissia (1963–1965)
Lieutenant Colonel Ansoborlo (1965–1967)

Lieutenant Colonel Bart (1967–1969)
Lieutenant Colonel Caillard d'Aillières (1969–1971)
Lieutenant Colonel Fesneau (1971–1973)
Lieutenant Colonel Lorho (1973–1975)
Lieutenant Colonel Devouges (1975–1977)
Lieutenant Colonel Le Corre (1977–1979)
Lieutenant Colonel Audemard d'Alançon (1979–1981)
Lieutenant Colonel de la Presle (1981–1983)
Lieutenant Colonel Ansart de Lessan (1983–1985)
Colonel Belloir (1985–1987)
Colonel Badie (1987–1989)
Colonel Ivanoff (1989–1991)
Colonel Yves de Kermabon (1991–1993)
Colonel Franceschi (1993–1995)
Colonel H. Clément-Bollée (1995–1997)
Colonel Colas des Francs (1997–1999)
Colonel B. Clément-Bollée (1999–2001)
Colonel Yakovlev (2001–2003)
Colonel de Saint-Chamas (2003–2005)
Colonel Windeck (2005–2007)
Colonel Dupont (2007–2009)
Colonel Gilles Jaron (2009-2011)

Honours

Battle Honours

Decorations

Croix de guerre 1939-1945 with 3 palms
Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures with 4 palms

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Le régiment". http://1rec.legion-etrangere.com/modules/info_liste.php?article_theme=31&idA=111&block=15&idA_SM=0&titre=le-1er-rec-aujourd-hui/. Retrieved 30-12-2011.
^ Windrow, Martin (1996). French Foreign Legion Since 1945. pp. 47.
^ Windrow, Martin (1999). French Foreign Legion 1914-1945. pp. 17.
^ Windrow, Martin (1996). French Foreign Legion Since 1945. pp. 50,51.

References

www.legion-etrangere.com
Porch, Douglas. The French Foreign Legion. New York: Harper Collins, 1991. ISBN 978-0-06-092308-2
Windrow, Martin. French Foreign Legion 1914-1945. London: Osprey Publishing, 1999. ISBN 1-85532-761-9
Windrow, Martin. French Foreign Legion since 1945. London: Osprey Publishing, 1996. ISBN 1-85532-621-3

External links

Official site - 1er Régiment étranger de cavalerie

French Foreign Legion

History of the French Foreign Legion— Képi Blanc (publication)

Current Foreign Legion Units

Administrative	1st Foreign Regiment — Foreign Legion Command — Foreign Legion Recruiting Group

Infantry	2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment — 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment — 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment — 13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade — Foreign Legion Detachment in Mayotte

Cavalry	1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment

Engineering	1st Foreign Engineer Regiment — 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment

Training	4th Foreign Regiment — Jungle Training Center — Combat Training Center at Arta Beach

Defunct Foreign Legion Units

Administrative and Training	Communal Depot of the Foreign Regiments

Airborne	1st Foreign Parachute Regiment — 3rd Foreign Parachute Regiment — 1st Foreign Parachute Heavy Mortar Company

Infantry	5th Foreign Infantry Regiment — 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment — 11th Foreign Infantry Regiment — 12th Foreign Infantry Regiment — 21st Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers — 22nd Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers — 23rd Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers

Cavalry	2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment — 97th Reconnaissance Group of the Infantry Division

Miscellaneous	Armored Train of the Foreign Legion — Disciplinary Company of the Foreign Regiments in the Far East