9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment

9e Régiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes
Regimental insignia
Active	1956–1999
Country	France
Branch	French Army
Type	French Airborne Regiment
Part of	10th Parachute Division 25th Parachute Division 11th Parachute Brigade
Garrison/HQ	Quartier Capitaine-Beaumont, Pamiers
Motto	Normandie, en Avant ! (Normandy, Straight Ahead !)
Anniversaries	Saint Michael, September 29
Engagements	World War I World War II Algerian War Lebanese Civil War United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (1978-Present)^[1]^[2] Multinational Force in Lebanon
Commanders
Notable commanders	Jean Bréchignac
Insignia
Circled Winged Armed Dextrochere Insignia of the 11th Parachute Brigade worn on Maroon Berets. This Insignia is also worn by French Foreign Legion Paratroopers on Green Berets.
Abbreviation	11 BP

The 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment (French: 9e Régiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes, 9e RCP) was an airborne unit of the French Army that was part of the French Airborne Units and all three histories of the 10th Parachute Division, 25th Parachute Division and the 11th Parachute Brigade. It was formed during the Algerian War and fought its most notable engagement at the Battle of Frontiers in 1958 at Souk Ahras during which the sacrifice of Captain's Beaumont 3rd company earned naming the garrison of the 9th Parachute Chasseur in his honor. During the Algerian War, the 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment relieved the 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment (1st PCR) and became part of the 25th Parachute Division.^[3] The regiment didn’t take part in the 1961 Algiers Putsch. The regiment took part in numerous overseas operations before it merged in 1999. The 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment was the heir to the traditions, battle honours and decorations of the 9th Infantry Regiment created during the Ancien Régime.

Tribute to the 58 French paratroopers; 55 of the 3rd combat company of Capatain Jacky Thomas^[4]of the 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment and 3 of the 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment (R.C.P), Mort pour la France, in the 'Drakkar' building in Beirut on October 23, 1983

History

Main article: List of French paratrooper units

The 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment was created on 1 June 1956 in Algeria from the 4th Battalion of the 18th Parachute Chasseur Regiment and received its standard from Division Commander General Henri Sauvagnac (1956-1958) in Batna on 11 November.

The parachute regiment didn’t take part in the 1961 Algiers putsch and after the end of the Algerian War it moved to Toulouse on mainland France. The regiment later took part in numerous operations in Lebanon. The parachute regiment served extensively within the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFL)^[1] and the Multinational Force in 1983 where the regiment lost 3 paratroopers during the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing.^[5] Three years later, the parachute regiment was quick to take part again in the United Nations Interim Force Lebanon in 1986 and 1998-1999 while also participating in other foreign operations. The 9th parachute regiment merged in 1999 as part of a restructuring of the 11th Parachute Brigade of the French Army.

Timeline from 1956-1999

1956 : Regiment was created on June 1 as the 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment from the 18th Parachute Chasseur Regiment (18th RIPC) in Algeria.
1968 : the 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment based in Saint-Sulpice-la-Pointe deploys in a formed battalion to New Caledonia.
1979 : Reconnaissance and Support Company of the 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment deploys to Southern Lebanon on a peacekeeping mission under the United Nations Force Protection (UNIFIL) for a period of 6 months.
1981 : Installation of the 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment at base quartier Capitaine-Beaumont in Pamiers
1983 : The 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment participates in maintaining peace order in Southern Lebanon and particularly in Beirut.^[2]
1986 : Within the battle contingent forming the peacekeeping mission in Lebanon under the United Nations; the 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment under command orders of Colonel Godinot engages in several battle clashes against armed groups.
1987-1999 : The 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment deploys to the four corners of the globe engaged in numerous foreign military operations - Gabon, Central Africa Republic, Tchad, Burundi, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Ex-Yugoslavia, Irak, Turkey as much as in the Overseas departments and territories of France.^[2]
1993 : The 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment deploys to Mogadishu, Somalia.
1994 : The 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment under command orders of Colonel Oberto under BATINF 2 engages in Sarajevo under mandate United Nations Force Proctection.^[2]
1998 - 1999 : The 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment engages its Reconnaissance and Support Company one more time in maintaining order in Southern Lebanon in United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).^[2]
1999 : The 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment merges with the 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment part of the restructuring of the 11th Parachute Brigade in the French Army.

Traditions

The Archangel Michael featured in Mont Saint-Michel and the Insignia of the 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment.

Except for the Legionnaires of the 1e REG, 2e REG, 2e REP that conserve the Green Beret; the remainder of the French army metropolitan and marine paratroopers forming the 11th Parachute Brigade wear the Red Beret.

Circled Winged Armed Dextrochere worn on Red Beret of French Army Metropolitan Paratroopers
French and Foreign Legion Parachute Brevet.
Circled Winged Armed Dextrochere worn on Foreign Beret of Foreign Legion 2e REP excluding Foreign Paratrooper Berets of 1e REG and 2e REG DINOPS and GCM.

The Archangel Saint Michael, patron of the French paratroopers is celebrated on September 29.

The prière du Para (Prayer of the Paratrooper) was written by André Zirnheld in 1938.

Insignias

Just like the paratrooper Brevet of the French Army; the Insignia of French Paratroopers was created in 1946. The French Army Insignia of metropolitan Paratroopers represents a closed <<winged armed dextrochere>>, meaning a "right winged arm" armed with a sword pointing upwards. The Insignia makes reference to the Patron of Paratroopers. In fact, the Insignia represents <<the right Arm of Saint Michael>>, the Archangel which according to Liturgy is the <<Armed Arm of God>>. This Insignia is the symbol of righteous combat and fidelity to superior missions. The French Army Insignia of Marine Infantry Paratroopers is backgrounded by a Marine Anchor.

The paratroopers of the regiment wear the red berets with the Fourragère with colors of the Croix de Guerre.

Insignia of the 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment
Shoulder Arm Insignia of the 25th Parachute Division of France
Shoulder Arm Insignia of the 10th Parachute Division of France

Regimental Colors

Regimental Song

The regimental song is "En avant Normandie".

the 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment at Laval, Mayenne for the general assembly in March 2012.
Ancien Flag honors at a Ceremony
Ceremony held by the old combatants of the 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment at Laval in March 2012
Ceremony held by the old combatants of the 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment at Laval in March 2012

Decorations

Croix de guerre 1914–1918 with three palms, one vermeil star and one argent star
Gold Medal of the City of Milan

Croix de guerre 1914-1918
Médaille d'or de la ville de Milan

Honours

Battle honours

9th Infantry Regiment

9th Parachute Regiment

AFN 1952–1962

Regimental Commanders

Circled Winged Armed Dextrochere worn on Red Beret of French Metropolitan Paratroopers

Name	Rank	Tenure	Note
Buchond	Lieutenant Colonel	1956-1959	Operations with Pierre Jeanpierre and 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment
Jean Bréchignac	Lieutenant Colonel	1959-1961
Defert	Lieutenant Colonel	1961
Cordier	Lieutenant Colonel	1961-1965
Audema	Lieutenant Colonel	1965-1967
Barthez	Lieutenant Colonel	1967-1969
Liron	Lieutenant Colonel	1969-1971
Lartigue	Lieutenant Colonel	1971-1973
Guichard	Lieutenant Colonel	1973-1975
Granger	Lieutenant Colonel	1975-1977

Name	Rank	Tenure	Note
Bechu	Lieutenant Colonel	1977-1979
De Courreges	Lieutenant Colonel	1979-1981
Loridon	Lieutenant Colonel	1981-1983
Pormente	Lieutenant Colonel	1983-1985
Godinot	Lieutenant Colonel	1985-1987
Pinatel	Lieutenant Colonel	1987-1989
Champtiaux	Lieutenant Colonel	1989-1991
Amarger	Lieutenant Colonel	1991-1993
Oberto	Lieutenant Colonel	1993-1995
Buchoud	Lieutenant Colonel	1995-1997
Servera	Lieutenant Colonel	1997-1999

Notable officers and chasseurs

References

1 2 United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon Peacekeeping in between the Blue Line
1 2 3 4 5 Badges by company and mission of the 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment
↑ Collectif, Histoire des parachutistes français, Société de Production Littéraire, 1975. In Histoire des parachutistes français(History of French Paratroopers), pages 496 and 541
↑ French paratrooper Captain Jacky Thomas
↑ Official Website of the 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment (1st RCP); list of fallen and injured paratroopers by rank and regiment including 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment (9th RCP disbanded 1999 and merged with 1st RCP)

External links

History of the 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment and 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment

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