Foreign Legion in the Sahara

[fernando]

Dear Jim,

Now that the riddle is cracked, and if you allow me the diversion, here is a brief story on the "pre-history" of the discussed Legion Etrangere ...

" We can say that it is in some way recreated because it inherits the traditions of the old Legion": there was an Italic Legion, a Legion of the Franks of the North, a Polish Legion, a Portuguese Legion and an Irish Legion. In 1805 , heterogeneous foreign units will henceforth be created: the regiment of the Tour d'Auvergne, the regiment of Isembourg, the regiment of Prussia and the battalion of Ireland. They will become, in 1811, the first four foreign regiments. During the 'Cent-Jours', their number will be doubled. In 1815, these eight foreign regiments of the Grande Armée will form by royal order the Royal Foreign Legion.Then at the option of its dismemberment, in 1818, the Royal Legion becomes the Legion of Hohenhole before declining in 1821 to become the Hohenhole Regiment named after its leader, Prince Louis Aloy of Hohenhole-Waldenburg-Bartenstein, a French Marshal of Austrian nationality. This regiment was disbanded on January 5, 1831 but on March 10 of the same year a new royal ordinance brings the Foreign Legion back to life from its ashes to arm the African Army deployed in Algeria ".

Hereunder the front cover and one of the illustrations of my (massive) copy of the Portuguese Legion, created with the purpose to integrate La Grande Armee, one that Napoleon took up to the Russian campaign.


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