723rd Foreign Legion Automotive Repair Company (723rd CRALE), 1st Material Services Battalion:
On May 1, 1947 the company was already operating throughout Vietnam. On January 1, 1949 it became an independent company, and it was then redesignated the 1st Foreign Legion Repair Company (1st CRLE) on August 1, 1949. On April 1, 1951 it became the 1st Foreign Legion Medium Repair Company (1st CMRLE). The unit was inactivated in North Africa in April 1956.

Subscribe Today

• Did you enjoy our article?
• Read more in Vietnam Magazine
• Subscribe online and save nearly 40%!!!
 

4th Foreign Legion Repair Company:
Formed on August 16, 1949 at Lang Son, the company moved to Hanoi in December 1950. Redesignated the 4th Foreign Legion Medium Repair Company (4th CMRLE) on January 1, 1951, it was attached to the 2nd Provisional Division – Tonkin and maintained detachments at Hanoi and Nam Dinh. In 1954 the company withdrew to Saigon. It was inactivated on 15 May 1955.

5th Foreign Legion Medium Repair Company (5th CMRLE):
Organized at Hanoi on July 1, 1951, the company was attached to the 3rd Provisional Division – Tonkin. In December 1953 several of its mobile detachments were sent to Dien Bien Phu. Cited for its service at Dien Bien Phu, the remaining elements of the unit moved to Da Nang in September 1954 and then to Saigon, where it was inactivated in September 1955.

2nd Foreign Legion Tank Repair Company (2nd CREBLE):
Organized on July 1, 1951 to replace an inactivated unit within the Colonial Infantry Regiment of Morocco, the 2nd CREBLE was based at Haiphong, where it performed depot maintenance and repaired tanks and amphibious vehicles. A mobile armored repair platoon was based at Hanoi. The majority of the unit’s personnel were German by 1953. An element of the company was airlifted into Dien Bien Phu to assemble the ten M – 24 tanks that had been flown in, dismantled in sections. The unit was inactivated in Saigon on December 31, 1955.

1st Transportation and Garrison Company (1st CTQG):
Organized at Hanoi on February 16, 1951 within the 1st Provisional Division-Tonkin by building up the 3rd Transportation Company of the 515th Transportation Battalion, the 1st CTQG included a garrison headquarters element, a headquarters platoon, a traffic control platoon and two transportation platoons. It remained in Hanoi until French troops withdrew to Saigon. It was inactivated on November 16, 1954.

2nd Transportation and Garrison Company (2nd CTQG):
Organized at Hanoi to perform transportation functions for the 2nd Provisional Division-Tonkin, the 2nd CTQG was composed of Legionnaires, colonial soldiers and logistics troops drawn from the 516th Transportation Battalion. It had an identical mission and structure as the 1st CTQG and was likewise inactivated on November 16, 1954.

3rd Foreign Legion Transportation Company, 516th Transportation Battalion:
Organized from elements of the 2nd CTLE, 503rd Transport Battalion on January 1, 1950 at Lang Son, the company was attached to the 3rd REI. It conducted the few convoys run up Colonial Route 4 during that period. With the abandonment of Lang Son in October 1950, the company moved to Haiphong, where it operated throughout the rest of the war. The company received a croix de guerre and a unit citation. In 1952 the 3rd CTLE conducted 384 convoys, carrying 538,000 men and 102,000 tons of supplies and equipment. On September 30, 1953 it ceased to be a Legion unit.

2nd Company, 519th Transportation Battalion:
The company became a Legion unit on August 1, 1949 at Saigon and was designated an independent company on December 1, 1952. It conducted highway transportation of munitions, supplies and mail, and received one unit citation. On August 1, 1953 the company was inactivated, and its Vietnamese elements transferred to the Vietnamese Army as a transportation company.

Foreign Legion Engineer and Material Unit – Far East (ULGMEO):
This was a headquarters responsible for overseeing Foreign Legion engineer and material support units in Indochina.

Help HistoryNet by bookmarking to