2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment

2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment (2e Régiment Étranger de Cavalerie)
Regimental Insignia of the 2 REC
Active	July 1939 – January 1, 1946 November 1946 – January 1962
Country	France
Allegiance	French Foreign Legion
Branch	French Army
Type	Foreign Cavalry
Nickname(s)	Dauphin
Motto(s)	Pericula Ludus Dangers game - for the regiment; Danger is my Pleasure
Colors	Green & Red
Engagements	World War II First Indochina War Algeria War Suez Crisis
Battle honours	Camerone 1863 AFN 1952-1962 Regimental Colors of the Foreign Legion Detachment in Mayotte as of 1984
Disbanded	The Regiment Regiment 1st dissolve, January 1, 1946 Regiment 2nd dissolve, January 1962 The Regimental Colors Active: entrusted to the Foreign Legion Detachment in Mayotte (1984-Present)

Each year, the French Foreign Legion commemorates and celebrates Camarón in its headquarters in Aubagne and Bastille Day military parade in Paris; featuring the Pionniers leading and opening the way.

The 2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment (French: 2^e Régiment Étranger de Cavalerie, 2^e REC) was a foreign cavalry regiment of the Foreign Legion. While the regiment was dissolved twice in 1946 and 1962; the regimental colors have been entrusted by the Foreign Legion Detachment in Mayotte since 1984.

History

2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment since 1939

The 2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment (2^e R.E.C) was created on July 1939 on the substance of the squadron groups of Morocco issued from the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment 1er REC.^[1][2][3]

World War II

With the debut of World War II, the 2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment was stationed in Morocco and part of its elements were quickly attached to the 97th Reconnaissance Group of the Infantry Division, (G.R.D 97) (French: Groupement de reconnaissance divisionnaire 97 (GRD97)) which engaged in combat on the metropolitan terrain during the German spring offensive of 1940, and which the divisionary group commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Boyer de Latour was killed leading at the bois de Noroy the 9th of July of the same year.^[1] Following the armistice, the dissolution of the 2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment, 2^e R.E.C was pronounced on November 15, 1940 and the regimental colors of the 2ème R.E.C were entrusted to the honor guard of the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment.^[1]

Indochina

The 2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment was officially dissolved on June 1, 1946 at Sidi Bel Abbès, however, units forming the 2^e R.E.C were recreated in November of the same year. Taking garrison at Oujda, where the regiment would remain until 1956; the regiment had for mission to instruct and train the reinforcements destined for the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment 1er REC making way to the Far East.^[1]

North Africa and Algerian War

Following the Paris accords in 1954 and the departure for Indochina in 1955, the 2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment participated to the securing of Moroccan territories then, starting from 1956 to the missions of maintaining order of Algerian terrains, first in the sector of Laghouat, then, starting from 1958, the similar on the Tunisian barrage.^[1] In January 1962, the 2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment made way on Biskra before being dissolved again following the accords of Evian.^[1][4]

In 5 years of campaigns in Algeria, the 2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment, 2ème REC placed outside their combat element more than 1022 terrorist rebels and recuperated 697 arms of which 30 automatic machine guns.^[1] The 2nd Squadron (2^e Esc) was attached to the 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment when deployed to take part in the operations of the Suez Canal Crisis.^[5]

Foreign Legion Detachment in Mayotte

In 1984, the Foreign Legion Detachment in Mayotte received the honor guard regimental colors of the 2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment.^[1]

Traditions

Insignias

• 

  Beret Insignia of the D.L.E.M

• 

  Regimental Insignia of the 2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment, 2^e R.E.C

• 

  Foreign Legion Detachment in Mayotte, D.L.E.M

Regimental Colors

Regimental Colors of the 2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment entrusted to the Foreign Legion Detachment in Mayotte as of 1984.

Decorations

Decorations of the 2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment with cited decorations of the Foreign Legion Detachment in Mayotte as of 1984.

Honours

Battle honours

As inscribed on the regimental colors of the 2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment:

• Camerone 1863
• AFN 1952–1962

Regimental Commanders

See also

• 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment

References

• Boyd, Douglas (2006). The French Foreign Legion. England: Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0-7509-3939-7. 
• Windrow, Martin (1996). French Foreign Legion 1914-1945. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-761-9. 
• Windrow, Martin (1996). French Foreign Legion Since 1945. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-621-3. 

External links

• 2e REC – History & images of the 2e REC

Foreign Legion Command French Foreign Legion
Honneur et Fidélité History of the French Foreign Legion Foreign Legion Pioneers (Pionniers) List of French paratrooper units Képi Blanc (publication)
Current Foreign Legion Units	Administrative Communal Depot of the Foreign Regiments 1st Foreign Regiment Foreign Legion Command Foreign Legion Recruiting Group Infantry & Parachute Infantry 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment 13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade Foreign Legion Detachment in Mayotte Cavalry 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment Engineer & Parachute Engineer 6th Foreign Engineer Regiment 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment Training 4th Foreign Regiment Jungle Training Center Combat Training Center at Arta Beach
Defunct Foreign Legion Units	Administrative and Training Communal Depot of the Foreign Regiments Parachute Parachute Company of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion 3rd Foreign Parachute Battalion Foreign Air Supply Company 3rd Foreign Parachute Regiment 1st Foreign Parachute Heavy Mortar Company Infantry 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment 1st Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment 2nd Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment 3rd Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment 4th Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment/Garibaldi Legion 1st Marching Regiment of the 2nd Foreign Regiment 2nd Marching Regiment of the 2nd Foreign Regiment Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion 5th Foreign Infantry Regiment 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment 11th Foreign Infantry Regiment 12th Foreign Infantry Regiment 21st Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers 22nd Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers 23rd Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers Cavalry 2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment 97th Reconnaissance Group of the Infantry Division Transport Armored Train of the Foreign Legion Disciplinary Disciplinary Company of the Foreign Regiments in the Far East Foreign Legion Brigades 31st Brigade (France)