1st Infantry Regiment (France)

Insignia of the 1st Infantry Regiment.

The 1st Infantry Regiment (1er régiment d'infanterie, abbreviated 1er RI) is an infantry regiment of the French Army It was created in 1882 by reneaming the légion de l’Ain which was raised in 1820.

It has no direct link to the 1er régiment d’infanterie de ligne of 1791, which was before that the régiment Colonel-Général which was linked to the bande de Picardie of the Ancien regime and which distinguished itself at the Battle of Fleurus (1794), the Battle of Messkirch (1800) and the Battle of Biberach (1800).. Nor is it linked to the 1er régiment d’infanterie de ligne formed in 1803 and disbanded in 1815.

The 1er RI is the only French infantry regiment to feature a squadron specialised in urban warfare, the Groupe Commando d'Investigation (CGI, "Investigation Commando Group"). The CGI is, with the Compagnie de Combat en zone Urbaine of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment, the benchmark for urban combat in the French military.

Honours

The flag bears the names of the battle in which the other 1st Infantry Regiments took part for the French Republic: Valmy 1792, Fleurus 1794, Moeskirch 1800, Biberach 1800, Miliana 1842, Guise 1914, Verdun-l'Yser 1916-1917, La Somme 1916, L'Ourcq 1918, Résistance Berry 1944, AFN 1952-1962.

The Fourragère of the Médaille militaire was attributed on 10 September 1918, and presented by General Castelneau on 19 October 1918 in Alsace, after the regiment was Mentioned in Despatches at the order of the Army for the fourth time. It is adorned of the olive of the Croix de Guerre 1914-1918, and of the olive of the Croix de Guerre 1939-1945 for two mentions in despatches awarded during the Phony War and in the French Resistance

Honours of the 1st Infantry Regiment
Regimental flag 
Fourragère of the Médaille militaire with olives of the croix de guerre 1914-1918 and 1939-1945