The develpoment of the Fourragère triple of the 3. REI French Foreign Legion

[aubagne98]

Hi,

 

maybe s.o. is interested in this

 

 

 

In november 1915 the RICM (Régiment de marche de la Légion Étrangère, later named 3. RE, 3. REI, 3. REIM and again RMLE. since 1945 3. REI) was instituted.

 

After the regiment was awarded the second palm to the croix de guerre it received the fourragère in the colors of the ribbon of the CdG (Croix de guerre, green with red) in June 1916.

 

For the 4th palm it received the fourragère Medaille Militaire (MM) in July 1917 and in september 19717 the fourragère Legion d´honneur (LH) for the 6th palm.

 

For the 9th palm the regiment received the fourragère double, LH+CdG+extra cord.

 

[aubagne98]

For the 2nd of its three palms during WW2 the regiment was awarded with the fourragère CdG 1939.

It is the same like the WW1, but to differentiate both the WW2 has an olive (red with green).

 

If a regiment earned the fourragères of both WW, the WW1 was shown throug a olive (green with red) , too.

 

Both olives are worn on the higher of both fourragères.

 

To show MM and LH fourrageres there were a system of several olives.

CdG

half-half CdG and MM for fourragère MM

half-half CdG and LH for fourragère LH

half-half CdG and LH with white disc for fourragère double LH+CdG

 

 

[aubagne98]

the olives

 

 

[aubagne98]

During the french Indochine war the regiment earned the fourragère of the CdG TOE (Théâtres d'opérations extérieurs) for two and the fourragère MM with olive TOE (this olive is not divided) for four palms.

 

 

I hope s.o.is interested in and I could unravel the fourragère question

 

 

Michael

[patches]

Interesting info on the Olives, thanks, in the U.S. Army they don't wear Olives, I guess no one unit ever got that high on the French Army lists. But as we see the French, the originators of the CdG and it's Fourragere have a complex, or farelly complex set of critierias

[aubagne98]

Well, as far as I know, the US wear both fourragères, in case both WW1 and WW2 were awarded.