The 2nd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment is an Airborne regiment in the French Army

French Army

The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...

. It is heir to the traditions of the Free French

Free French Forces

The Free French Forces were French partisans in World War II who decided to continue fighting against the forces of the Axis powers after the surrender of France and subsequent German occupation and, in the case of Vichy France, collaboration with the Germans.-Definition:In many sources, Free...

 and colonial paratroopers. As of 2008 it is stationed at Saint-Pierre, Réunion

Saint-Pierre, Réunion

Saint-Pierre is the third-largest commune in the French overseas department of Réunion. It is located on the southwest side of the island of Réunion.-External links:*...

.

History

Formed in England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 from the companies of the air, 400 men of the 2nd RCP were dropped over Brittany

Brittany

Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...

 as part of the Normandy Landings. The unit was used as flank-guard to Patton’s Third army during the Battle of Normandy

Operation Overlord

Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...

.

In 1947, the 2nd Colonial Commondo Parachute Battalion was posted to Indochina, where it fought until 1953, being mentioned three times in the order of the army.

In 1955, the unit was renamed 2nd Colonial Parachute Regiment; and then in 1958, the 2nd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment. It served from 1955 until 1962 in North Africa in the 10th Parachute Division. On 5 November 1956, it jumped in the second wave of the French/British attack on the Suez Canal

Suez Crisis

The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...

 over Port Said and was mentioned in the order of the army.

In July 1961, the regiment jumped over Bizerte and broke the Tunisian siege of the French airport installations. It was dissolved 5 July 1962, but recreated 1 January 1965 in Ivato, Madagascar from the 5th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment.

It was transferred to Reunion in 1973. Since then it has participated in various operations: Djibouti (1993/1994), Comoros (1990), Rwanda (1994) and Comors (1995/1996).

Commanders

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• Major André Dupuis (1947–1948)
• Captain Roger Trinquier
  Roger Trinquier
  Roger Trinquier was a French Army officer during World War II, the First Indochina War and the Algerian War, serving mainly in airborne and Special forces units...
  
   (1948–1949)
• Captain Toce (1950–1952)
• Captain Lenoir (1952–1953)
• Major Ferrano (1955)
• Colonel Pierre Chateau-Jobert (1955–1957)
• Lieutenant Colonel Albert Fossey-François (1957–1958)
• Colonel Olivier Le Mire (1958–1960)
• Colonel Toce (1960–1961)
• Major Mollo (1961–1962)
• Major Yves Gras (1965–1966)
• Lieutenant Colonel Le Borgne (1966–1968)
• Lieutenant Colonel Le Boudec (1968–1970)
• Lieutenant Colonel Foucher (1970–1972)
• Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Firth (1972–1974)
• Lieutenant Colonel Subregis (1974–1976)

| valign=top |

• Lieutenant Colonel Salaun (1976–1978)
• Lieutenant Colonel Viard (1978–1980)
• Lieutenant Colonel Sepulchre (1980–1982)
• Colonel Cluset (1982–1984)
• Colonel Fruchard (1984–1986)
• Colonel Meaudre-Desgouttes (1986–1988)
• Colonel Raffenne (1988–1990)
• Colonel Joana (1990–1992)
• Colonel Jean Brantschen (1992–1994)
• Lieutenant Colonel Soum (1994–1996)
• Colonel André Helly (1996–1998)
• Colonel Philippe Beny (1998–2000)
• Colonel Fernand Georges (2000–2002)
• Colonel Franck Reignier (2002–2004)
• Colonel Eric de Vathaire (2004–2006)
• Colonel T. de la Doucette (2006–2008)
• colonel Chigot (2008-present)

Lineage

• 1948: 2nd Colonial Commando Parachute Battalion
• 1951: 2nd Colonial Parachute Battalion
• 1955: 2nd Colonial Parachute Regiment
• 1958: 2nd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment

Flag

It is, sewn in gold letters in its folds, the following inscriptions:

Battle Honours

• Indochine 1947-1954
  First Indochina War
  The First Indochina War was fought in French Indochina from December 19, 1946, until August 1, 1954, between the French Union's French Far East...
  
  
• Port Saïd 1956
  Port Said
  Port Said is a city that lies in north east Egypt extending about 30 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal, with an approximate population of 603,787...
  
  
• AFN 1952-1962

Sources and bibliography

• Collective,"History of French paratroopers, Literary Production Company, 1975".
• Colonel Roger Fleming, Paras "Free France, Editions Presses de la Cité, 1976".
• Henry Corta,"The Red Berets, Association of Former SAS paratrooper, 1952".

External links

• Friends of the 2e RPIMa
• Le 2e RPIMA en action
• Bizerte: Large maneuvers du 2e RPIMA(Photos), 'Le Quotidien de la Réunion', 7 octobre 2009.