The Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion (RMLE) () was a French military unit that fought in World War I and World War II. Initially composed of marching regiments from the 1st Foreign Regiment (1er RE) of Sidi Bel Abbes and the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e RE) of Saida, Algeria, it re-formed as the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (3e REI).
The Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion was created on November 11, 1915 by merging: the 2nd Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment, and the 2nd Marching Regiment of the 2nd Foreign Regiment
...with a strength of 71 officers and 3,315 junior officiers, corporals and legionnaires.
The Marching Regiment became the first regiment of the French Army to wear the fourragere with colors of the Médaille militaire and one of the most decorated, along with the Régiment d'infanterie-chars de marine (RICM).
Creation and name
On November 11, 1915: the Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion (RMLE) was created by merging the remaining men of the 2nd Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment (2e RM 1er RE) with the 2nd Marching Regiment of the 2nd Foreign Regiment, (2e RM 2e RE). On November 15, 1920: the RMLE was designated the 3rd Foreign Regiment (3e RE). On June 20, 1922: the 3e RE was designated the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (3e REI) On December 5, 1942: a Colonial Infantry and Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade, (DBICLE) was created from the components of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment. Ten days later, on December 15, this demi-brigade was designated the 3rd Foreign Marching Infantry Regiment, (3e REIM). On July 1, 1943: the 3e REIM was redesignated the RMLE. On July 1, 1945: the regiment was redesignated the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment, (3e REI).
History, garrisons, campaigns and battles
World War I Throughout the course of World War I, the merger of the RMLE of 1915, the predecessor of the 4 Marching Regiments (1914–1915) which existed ephemerally, was in combat at the corps of the Moroccan Division supported by: 4th Tunisian Tirailleurs Regiment (4e Régiment de Tirailleurs Tunisiens, 4e RTT) 7th Algerian Tirailleurs Regiment (7e Régiment de Tirailleurs Algériens, 4e RTA) 8th Zouaves Regiment (8e Régiment de Zouaves, 8e RZ).
1914 August 1914-Formation
The marching regiment of the Foreign Legion (RMLE) of 1915 was constituted from at least 4 Marching Regiments formations created at the beginning of the war. With the addition of volunteers, the 1st Foreign Regiment (1er RE) of Sidi Bel Abbès and the 2nd Foreign Regiment, (2e RE), of Saïda, Algeria, provided demi-battalions as follows:
Marching Regiments of the 1st Foreign Regiment
The marching regiments of the 1st Foreign Regiment (1er RE) included:
1st Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment (1er Régiment de Marche du 1er Régiment Etranger, 1er RM 1er RE); 1913 – 1918. 2nd Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment, (2e Régiment de Marche du 1er Régiment Etranger, 2e RM 1erRE); 1914 – 1915. 3rd Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment, (3e Régiment de Marche du 1er Régiment Etranger, 3e RM 1er RE); 1914 – 1915. 4th Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment, (4e Régiment de Marche du 1er Régiment Etranger, 4e RM 1er RE); 1914 – 1915, otherwise known as the Garibaldi Legion (Légion Garibaldienne).
Marching Regiments of the 2nd Foreign Regiment The marching regiments that formed the 2nd Foreign Regiment, 2eRE RM included: 1st Marching Regiment of the 2nd Foreign Regiment, (1er Régiment de Marche du 2e Régiment Etranger, 1er RM 2e RE); 1907 – 1918). 2nd Marching Regiment of the 2nd Foreign Regiment, (2e Régiment de Marche du 2e Régiment Etranger, 2e RM 2e RE); 1914 – 1915).
Volunteers of 51 nationalities arrived from all over France, from recruiting depots in (Toulouse, Montélimar, Paris, Nîmes, Lyon, Avignon, Bayonne and Orléans). Almost 32,000 foreigners were regrouped in an early initial formation of the marching regiments of the Foreign Legion between August 1914 and April 1915. The most numerous nationality present were Italians, who made up an entire regiment (the 4th Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment in addition to forming major contingents within the other formed Marching Regiments. Other nationalities represented in significant numbers included Russian, Italian, Greek, Swiss, Belgian, Polish, Czech, Spanish, German, Turkish, Luxembourgers, American and British).
1915 The four marching regiments of 1915 were at the front from the end of 1914 to the end of 1915, distinguishing themselves at the Forest of Argonne (December 1914) Somme and Craonne (winter 1914–1915) Artois (May 1915) Champagne (September 1915).
An entire additional foreign regiment for the French Army was provided by the All-Italian, the very leading first, 4th Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment () under regimental commander Lieutenant-Colonel Peppino Garibaldi. This unit had its baptism by fire at Argonne where the first 40 Italian legionnaires were killed in action.
On November 11, 1915 a decision was made by the Chief of the Defence Staff (France) Joseph Joffre, to merge the remaining men of the 2nd Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment with the 2nd Marching Regiment of the 2nd Foreign Regiment to form the Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion (RMLE).
1916 July 1916 - The RMLE was formed of three battalions each with four combat companies which engaged in the Battle of the Somme. Regimental Commander Lieutenant-Colonel Cot 1st battalion: Commandant (Major) Ruelland (killed in action July 9) 2nd battalion: Commandant Waddell 3rd battalion: Commandant Mouchet (killed in action July 6)
On July 4 during the siege of Belloy-en-Santerre, the 3rd Battalion was completely destroyed and lost their commandant. In this battle American poet Alan Seeger was also killed. He had volunteered for the Foreign Legion throughout the duration of the World War I and was the author of the poem "I Have A Rendez-vous with Death". On July 7, the 1st battalion launched the attack on Boyau de Chancelier and lost the battalion commandant. Mid-July, the regiment only counted three combat companies per battalion and was pulled back from the front to reconstitute battle formations. From July 4 to the 9, the regiment lost 1368 of 3000 men (14 officers killed and 22 wounded, 431 legionnaires killed or missing and 901 wounded).
1917 April 1917 – Aubérive Regimental Commander Lieutenant-Colonel Duriez (killed April 17) 1st battalion: Commandant 2nd battalion: Commandant James Waddell 3rd battalion: Commandant Deville then Captain Lannurien
The battle lasted from the April 17 to 21 and put out of commission half of the 1500 legionnaires of the RMLE and they lost their regimental commander, who was replaced by Commandant Deville.
August 1917 – Battle of Verdun
Regimental Commander Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Frédéric Rollet 1st battalion: Commandant Husson de Sampigny 2nd battalion: Commandant Waddell 3rd battalion: Commandant Deville On August 20, the regiment was in charge of counterattacking to save the city. Entrenched in front of the regiment were four enemy regiments. On the 21st, the regiment attained all set objectives and pierced the front, spearheading up to 3.5 km into the line. With that, the regiment earned a 6th citation at the orders of the armed forces and was decorated the regimental colors with the Légion d'honneur.
1918 April 1918 – Le bois de Hangard
The 131st Infantry Division marched against the village of Hangard and cote 99. While not a surprise, an urgent response was present to contain at best. The Moroccan Division launched into battle with no prior preparation. The RMLEo covered the right wing of the Moroccan Division. The objective of the regiment was Le bois de Hangard. The German response was immediate; exchange of fire was continuous. The survivors of the 1st battalion lead their progression charging, followed by the 11th combat company of the 3rd battalion. Legion officers were lost first leading assaults and the legionnaires would find themselves often deprived of their lead. Legionnaire Kemmler, a Luxembourgian volunteer, a medic in the Machine gun section, took charge of the lead. Even though wounded, Kemmler took command of injured legionnaires and despite the environment, managed to dress and maintain the atmosphere around the men. Accordingly, the legionnaires found their lead and made front valiantly until the arrival of an adjudant. Consequently, the assault of the regiment was saved. The nights and days that succeeded until 6 May, revolved around maintaining positions and repelling a series of incessant counter-attacks. The siege of "Le bois de Hangard" on April 26 witnessed the destruction of the 1st and 2nd battalions; losses for the regiment included 822 men out of which thirteen officers.
May–June 1918 – La Montagne de Paris
On 29 May, the Moroccan Division and the RMLE had to block an advancement towards Villers-Cotterêts while taking position on the "Montagne de Paris". The attack was launched at dawn following a storming incessant rainy series of artillery round batteries. Superior in number forces, opposing forces succeeded in reaching the vicinity of legion positions. Forced to economize their ammunitions, Legionnaires endured 47 killed, 219 wounded and 70 missing in two days of combat. Losses for the legion increased to those of the previous month, almost 1250 men. Nevertheless, the RMLE succeeded in maintaining its positions and blocked the German advance in the Legion's designated combat area sectors.
Until 31 May, on a 5 km stretch, the RMLE, which included Armenian volunteers, along with the 3e BCP and 10e BCP, held the line during six days and six nights, without rear forces support, heavy artillery, air support, and with only one available short artillery battery; the regiment managed to halt all successive attacks.
July 1918 – Second Battle of the Marne
The RMLE participated after July 18 in the grand counter-offensive of Marshal of France Ferdinand Foch, in the region of Villers-Cotterêts. The 1st Battalion lost their commander, commandant Husson de Sampigny.
September 1918 – Hindenburg Line
In August 1918, the regiment recuperated the wounded and filled the ranks with reinforcements from the depot in Lyon and cadres from Morocco counting 48 officers and 2,540 legionnaires): Regimental Commander Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Frédéric Rollet 1st battalion: Captain Jacquesson 2nd battalion: Captain Lannurien then Captain Sanchez-Carrero 3rd battalion: Commandant (Major) Marseille On September 2, the regiment launched an assault on the defense line of Hindenburg at the elevation of Terny-Sorny. In two weeks of combat, the Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion lost half the men in the regiment (275 killed out of which 10 officers and 1118 wounded of whom 15 were officers).
Consequently, the regiment endured the loss of its chef de bataillon Captain Lannurien. Nevertheless, on September 14 the RMLE pushed forward and relaunched the attacks while piercing the front at the village of Allemant.
Interwar period (1918–1939)
The regiment was, stationed for a short duration in Germany and was then dispatched to take part in campaigns of Morocco. On September 20, 1920, the RMLE was designated the 3rd Foreign Regiment.
World War II (1939–1945)
December 1942 – 3e REIM