Let's Build.. Free French Forces Serving in North Africa.
Posted: 31 Oct 2004, 02:57
I have always wanted more information about the Free French who fought in North Africa. I have found reliable information difficult to come by as the best books & websites are usually (and not suprisingly) in French.
I hope you will enjoy contributing to this thread. If it is very successful it might end up being a useful source of reference. (you never know, the "powers that be" might even make it a sticky!)
Enough of my woffling, down to business. The following is what I have got, and what I believe ( note "believe" not "know", so don't be afraid to correct anything that is wrong) to be accurate.
OOB
1st Free French Brigade Group.
2nd Battalion 13th Legion Etrangre
3rd Battalion 13th Legion Etrangre
2nd Battalion Marche De L'oubanghi
1st Battalion D'infantrie De Marine (BIM)
1st Battalion Du Pacifique
1st Fusiliers Marines Anti-Aircraft Battalion
1st Free French Artillery regiment
22nd Nord-Africaine Infantry Company.
2nd Anti-tank Company.
2nd Free French Brigade Group.
1st Battalion 13th Legion Etrangere
3rd Battalion De Marche
4th Battalion De Marche
11th Battalion De Marche
5th Battalion De Marche
21st Nord-Africaine Infantry company
23rd Nord-Africaine Engineer company
Other units of the Brigade Group.
1st Regiment De Marche De Saphis Marocains (Recce)
31st? Free French Anti-Tank Battalion
Other Free French units.
Free French Motor Marine Infantry Battalion (a.k.a French Motor Battalion)
T.O&E
2nd Battalion 13th Legion Etrangere:
Arrive El Daba 02/01/'42
500+ men in 2,3 or 4? companies. one Company is titled "5th"
3rd Battalion 13th Legion Etrangere:
Arrive El Daba 02/01/'42
500+ men in 2,3 or 4? companies.
2nd Battalion Marche De L'oubanghi:
Arrive May '41?
800 men in 4 companies. one Company is titled "6th"
1st Battalion D'infantrie De Marine:
Arrive March '41?
800 men in 4 companies. Colonial Infantry, not Marines.
May not have fought as a cohesive Battalion, the four companies may have been spread about the Brigades other Battalions.
1st Battalion Du Pacifique:
Arrive El Daba 02/01/'42.
800 men in 4 companies, recruited from French colonies in the South Seas.
1st Fusiliers Marines Anti-Aircraft Battalion:
Arrive El Daba 02/01/'42.
18x40mm Bofors & 2x13.2mm Quad.
1st Free French Artillery Regiment:
Arrive 19/12/'41
4 Batteries each of 6x75mmL/36.
2x25pdr's (left behind by 150th Brigade)
22nd Nord-Africaine Infantry Company:
Arrive El Daba 02/01/'42.
2nd Anti-Tank Company:
Arrive?
30x75mm A.T.G
1st Battalion 13th Legion Etrangere:
Arrive Mersa Matruh 28/04/'42.
800 men in four Companies.
3rd Battalion De Marche:
Arrive Mersa Matruh 28/04/'42. Withdrawn June '42
800 men in four Companies.
4th Battalion De Marche:
Arrive Mersa Matruh 24/04/'42.
800 men in four Companies.
11th Battalion De Marche:
Arrive Mersa Matruh 24/04/'42.
800 men in four companies.
5th Battalion De Marche:
Arrive June '42.
800 men in four Companies.
21st Nord-Africaine Infantry Company:
Arrive?
200 men.
23rd Nord-Africaine Engineer Company:
Arrive?
170 men.
1st Regiment De Marche De Saphis Marocains:
Arrive July '42.
18x25mm A.T.G mounted on Marmon Herrington Armoured Cars, 6x75mm Conus gun mounted in M13/40 turret, on Ford Lorry base!
31st(?) Free French Anti-Tank Battalion:
Arrive?
46x37mm Bofors A.T.G. 18x25mm A.T.G. 7x47mm Italian A.T.G. . This is a large ammount of guns for one Regiment. My guess is, that all except the Bofors guns, were parcelled out to the Brigade's Infantry Battalions.
Free French Motor Marines Infantry Battalion:
Arrive Jan '41
Poor Quality (Unlike all the other units)
800 men in four companies.
Add to that, gentlemen please.
Regards.................. Dave. (Edited for dates of arrival 07/11/04.
I hope you will enjoy contributing to this thread. If it is very successful it might end up being a useful source of reference. (you never know, the "powers that be" might even make it a sticky!)
Enough of my woffling, down to business. The following is what I have got, and what I believe ( note "believe" not "know", so don't be afraid to correct anything that is wrong) to be accurate.
OOB
1st Free French Brigade Group.
2nd Battalion 13th Legion Etrangre
3rd Battalion 13th Legion Etrangre
2nd Battalion Marche De L'oubanghi
1st Battalion D'infantrie De Marine (BIM)
1st Battalion Du Pacifique
1st Fusiliers Marines Anti-Aircraft Battalion
1st Free French Artillery regiment
22nd Nord-Africaine Infantry Company.
2nd Anti-tank Company.
2nd Free French Brigade Group.
1st Battalion 13th Legion Etrangere
3rd Battalion De Marche
4th Battalion De Marche
11th Battalion De Marche
5th Battalion De Marche
21st Nord-Africaine Infantry company
23rd Nord-Africaine Engineer company
Other units of the Brigade Group.
1st Regiment De Marche De Saphis Marocains (Recce)
31st? Free French Anti-Tank Battalion
Other Free French units.
Free French Motor Marine Infantry Battalion (a.k.a French Motor Battalion)
T.O&E
2nd Battalion 13th Legion Etrangere:
Arrive El Daba 02/01/'42
500+ men in 2,3 or 4? companies. one Company is titled "5th"
3rd Battalion 13th Legion Etrangere:
Arrive El Daba 02/01/'42
500+ men in 2,3 or 4? companies.
2nd Battalion Marche De L'oubanghi:
Arrive May '41?
800 men in 4 companies. one Company is titled "6th"
1st Battalion D'infantrie De Marine:
Arrive March '41?
800 men in 4 companies. Colonial Infantry, not Marines.
May not have fought as a cohesive Battalion, the four companies may have been spread about the Brigades other Battalions.
1st Battalion Du Pacifique:
Arrive El Daba 02/01/'42.
800 men in 4 companies, recruited from French colonies in the South Seas.
1st Fusiliers Marines Anti-Aircraft Battalion:
Arrive El Daba 02/01/'42.
18x40mm Bofors & 2x13.2mm Quad.
1st Free French Artillery Regiment:
Arrive 19/12/'41
4 Batteries each of 6x75mmL/36.
2x25pdr's (left behind by 150th Brigade)
22nd Nord-Africaine Infantry Company:
Arrive El Daba 02/01/'42.
2nd Anti-Tank Company:
Arrive?
30x75mm A.T.G
1st Battalion 13th Legion Etrangere:
Arrive Mersa Matruh 28/04/'42.
800 men in four Companies.
3rd Battalion De Marche:
Arrive Mersa Matruh 28/04/'42. Withdrawn June '42
800 men in four Companies.
4th Battalion De Marche:
Arrive Mersa Matruh 24/04/'42.
800 men in four Companies.
11th Battalion De Marche:
Arrive Mersa Matruh 24/04/'42.
800 men in four companies.
5th Battalion De Marche:
Arrive June '42.
800 men in four Companies.
21st Nord-Africaine Infantry Company:
Arrive?
200 men.
23rd Nord-Africaine Engineer Company:
Arrive?
170 men.
1st Regiment De Marche De Saphis Marocains:
Arrive July '42.
18x25mm A.T.G mounted on Marmon Herrington Armoured Cars, 6x75mm Conus gun mounted in M13/40 turret, on Ford Lorry base!
31st(?) Free French Anti-Tank Battalion:
Arrive?
46x37mm Bofors A.T.G. 18x25mm A.T.G. 7x47mm Italian A.T.G. . This is a large ammount of guns for one Regiment. My guess is, that all except the Bofors guns, were parcelled out to the Brigade's Infantry Battalions.
Free French Motor Marines Infantry Battalion:
Arrive Jan '41
Poor Quality (Unlike all the other units)
800 men in four companies.
Add to that, gentlemen please.
Regards.................. Dave. (Edited for dates of arrival 07/11/04.