13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion

The 13th Demi-Brigade of Foreign Legion (13e Demi-Brigade de Légion Étrangère, 13e DBLE), was created in 1940 and was the main unit of the 1st Free French Division, Free French Forces (FFL). From the coast of Norway to Bir Hakeim, to Africa then the Alsace, while passing by Syria and Italy, the 13th Demi-Brigade would be part of most of the major campaigns of the French Army during the Second World War. After having been engaged in Indochina from 1946 to 1954, the 13e DBLE joined the Algerian War, and left in 1962. The 13e DBLE was based until 2011 at Quartier-Général Monclar in Djibouti, in virtue of an accord between France and the Republic of Djibouti in 1977. During 2011, the unit moved to the United Arab Emirates. In 2016, the unit returned to France, based at the same camp where it was first formed (and took its designation on 27 March 1940) – Camp du Larzac. This unit of the Legion was created on 1 March 1940 within the cadre of the Franco-British expeditionary corps intended to intervene in Finland. The first designation of this unit was 13th Mountain Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion (13e DBMLE). In lieu of the kepi, The formation was issued the 1935 pattern Fortress troops khaki beret with the Foreign Legion grenade hat badge. On 1 July 1940, the 1st battalion, 900 men, were based in England as troops of the Free French Forces, the 14e DBMLE, while the remainder of the demi-brigade, 800 men principally from the 2nd battalion, returned to Morocco and preserved the designation of 13e DBMLE. On 4 November 1940, the demi-brigade of Morocco was dissolved which allowed the troops which remained in England to readopt the designation of 13e DBLE. The unit was constituted in North Africa from volunteers of other foreign units stationed there. The unit was then commanded by lieutenant-colonel Raoul Magrin-Vernerey and was initially composed of two battalions: The 1er bataillon – Chef de bataillon (CBA) Guéninchault – Sidi bel-Abbès The 2e bataillon – Chef de bataillon (CBA) Boyer Ressès – Fez Starting 13 May 1940, the unit took part in the Norwegian Campaign in the corps commanded by Général Béthouart, fighting in Bjerkvik and Narvik.