6th Foreign Infantry Regiment

6th Foreign Infantry Regiment
6th Foreign Regiment Regimental Badge
Active	1939-1940 1949-1955
Country	France
Allegiance	French Foreign Legion
Branch	French Army
Type	Infantry
Engagements	CAMERONE 1863 Syria-Lebanon Campaign
Disbanded	1940 1955

The 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment (French: 6^e Régiment Étranger d'Infanterie, 6^e REI) was an infantry regiment of the French Foreign Legion from 1939 to 1941 and again from 1949 to 1955.^[1]

1 History
2 Organization
3 See also
4 References

History

The 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment was founded on October 15, 1939 in Syria with the elements of the disbanded 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment and the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment.^[1]^[2] The 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment was established in part to handle the large number of foreign volunteers for French military service at the beginning of World War II, which numbered around 64,000 at the regiment's founding.^[2] The 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment remained loyal to Vichy France at the beginning of World War II. The 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment was disbanded on December 31, 1941. The regiment was founded once more in Tunisia on April 1, 1949. The 6th Foreign Infantry regiment went on to fight in the First Indochina War. Following its Indochina service, the regiment operated in Tunisia as part of French operations to maintain order in that country. The 6th Foreign Regiment was disbanded on June 30, 1955.

Organization

When first established the 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment consisted of 3,287 men. It was part of the 192nd Infantry Division. The regiment was organized as follows:

HQ Staff, located at Homs
1st Battalion, formerly of the 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment, garrisoned at Soeuid.
2nd Battalion, formerly of the 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment, garrisoned at Baalbeck.
3rd Battalion, formerly of the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment, garrisoned at Damascus.
4th Battalion, formerly of the 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment, garrisoned at Homs and Palmyra.

References

^ ^a ^b Windrow, Martin (1999). French Foreign Legion 1914 -1945. Osprey Publishing. pp. 21. ISBN 1-85532-761-9.
^ ^a ^b Porch, Douglas (1992).The French Foreign Legion: The Complete History of the Legendary Fighting Force, p. 446. HarperCollins, New York. ISBN 0-06-092308-3.

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

6th Foreign Infantry Regiment

Contents

History

Organization

See also

References