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  #1  
Old 14-06-19, 01:19 PM
Khyber Khyber is offline
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Default French colonial badges

I see lots of colourful and beautifully made French colonial badged to colonial French units..Senegalese tiraellurs, Sahara camel, cavalry units etc. Are these copies or real and we're they ever worn? I have a lovely trialleur Senegalese badge which looks brand new and I can't see any soldiers wearing them in the photos. I plan to collect a few simply because they look nice but would like to read up before I do. Any suggestions?
Also, mainly are these genuine or merely fantasy pieces?
Thanks.
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  #2  
Old 15-06-19, 09:43 PM
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A good reference book on French Saharan unit insignia is "Insignes de l'Armée Française: Les Sahariens," by Jean-François Boucher. Published in April 1982 by Editions Copernic, ISBN 2-903916-00-4.

Regards,
Donovan
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  #3  
Old 16-06-19, 12:06 AM
Khyber Khyber is offline
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Ah! A reply at last!

Thanks, Donovan!
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  #4  
Old 16-06-19, 12:40 PM
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Voltigeur Voltigeur is offline
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Hello Khyber,speaking from personnal experience I can say that you still can find those badges that you are looking for.......it will be a lot easier if you live in France or,if you have a contact with a french friend.
Remember also that France being a colonial state had a lot units fighting for her.Most of the unit that may interest you will be from the post war era when France sent a lot of her troops in Indo-China (1946 to 1954) and to Algeria (1954 to 1962).
A lot of those units' badges are from aesily available to outright impossible to get since some units where created in Indo-China and served only in that theatre of operation.Also,
those badges will get you in competition with french collectors and there are a lot of them interested in the colonial troops......From experience you can still find original badges in some militarial show,as frar as I know there no copies made.Beware though that some french units were still active in the post colonial era in the french army.
Finally, I can suggests that if available in your area to buy Militaria Magazine or find old issues that have something to do with colonial troops (mainly those early issues).
Also I can suggests to you to get a good idea of how much a badge cost,check with INSIGNES MILITAIRE LAVOCAT just google the name it will come up then go to the catalogue.A bit difficult to find something but go the second page at the bottom you will find a list of the units listed by categories.

In any case,if you need help,please contact me by pm.

Jo
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  #5  
Old 16-06-19, 04:38 PM
Khyber Khyber is offline
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Hi Joe.
Thanks for your very detailed reply. Very helpfu and I really appreciate it. I'm mainly a collector of British Indian army medals and badges but find the French Foreign Legion fascinating with their involvement in North Africa and also their experiences in Indo-China, Dien Bien Phu etc..I find their badges attractive so will try to get a few..
Incidentally are you on the sagongs medal forum?
Regards and best wishes.
Sunil
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  #6  
Old 16-06-19, 04:53 PM
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Hello Sunil, like you I am not a collector of French insignia, my primary interest has always been parachute units. But a few years ago I ran across a few French airborne badges that were just beautifully designed and made, so I tried to learn more about French foreign legion, colonial, and para units. I have a small album on the Forum of badges from these units, you may find it interesting.

Bon chance,
Donovan
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  #7  
Old 16-06-19, 07:11 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Khyber View Post
Hi Joe.
Thanks for your very detailed reply. Very helpfu and I really appreciate it. I'm mainly a collector of British Indian army medals and badges but find the French Foreign Legion fascinating with their involvement in North Africa and also their experiences in Indo-China, Dien Bien Phu etc..I find their badges attractive so will try to get a few..
Incidentally are you on the sagongs medal forum?
Regards and best wishes.
Sunil
One thing I forgot to mention in my post is, be very careful about the "old Legion" unit badges.Most if not all of them were reproduced for the Service Historique de la Legion Etrangère by Drago,the largest and most important badge maker in France.I was told that Drago to differentiate the old original badges from the modern repro added an "R" on the back.......but this to be taken with a large grain of salt.Also you should know that some badges were made in limited quantities,sometimes less than 100 to 200 for some companies of the Legion in some faraway postings.In my case I would be very wary of any Foreign Legion badges dating back from the 1930's or 1940's and sometimes. from units who fought at Dien-Bien-Phu.
Just be sure of what you are buying.Caveat Emptor.
As to yor question about the Sagong Forum.......not a member.
In the French army,a 'regiment' is made up of up to 1200 men....so a lot of badges to be supplied.
One book that you must get is ,INSIGNES DE LA LÉGION ÈTRANGÈRE, By Christian Malcros a bit old as it came out in 1981. ASIN; B00113928UQ from Amazon.co.uk or you may try Ebay.
Cheers
Jo
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“There are things we know that we know,” “There are known unknowns. That is to say there are things that we now know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we do not know we don't know.”
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Last edited by Voltigeur; 16-06-19 at 07:23 PM.
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  #8  
Old 16-06-19, 07:36 PM
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fairlie63 fairlie63 is offline
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Jo,
There is a book on the armoured and artillery unit badges of the French Army. Do you know what it is called, I'd like to obtain a copy if I could.

I don't collect them but like the DUI of United States artillery units I like to know what there is.

Cheers,
Keith
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  #9  
Old 16-06-19, 08:16 PM
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Sorry I can’t help you with your request.Again sorry.
jo
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“There are things we know that we know,” “There are known unknowns. That is to say there are things that we now know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we do not know we don't know.”
Donald Rumsfeld, before the Iraqi Invasion,2003.

Age is something that doesn't matter, unless you are a cheese.
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  #10  
Old 17-06-19, 01:52 AM
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No problems, thanks anyway.
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  #11  
Old 17-06-19, 03:10 AM
Khyber Khyber is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Voltigeur View Post
One thing I forgot to mention in my post is, be very careful about the "old Legion" unit badges.Most if not all of them were reproduced for the Service Historique de la Legion Etrangère by Drago,the largest and most important badge maker in France.I was told that Drago to differentiate the old original badges from the modern repro added an "R" on the back.......but this to be taken with a large grain of salt.Also you should know that some badges were made in limited quantities,sometimes less than 100 to 200 for some companies of the Legion in some faraway postings.In my case I would be very wary of any Foreign Legion badges dating back from the 1930's or 1940's and sometimes. from units who fought at Dien-Bien-Phu.
Just be sure of what you are buying.Caveat Emptor.
As to yor question about the Sagong Forum.......not a member.
In the French army,a 'regiment' is made up of up to 1200 men....so a lot of badges to be supplied.
One book that you must get is ,INSIGNES DE LA LÉGION ÈTRANGÈRE, By Christian Malcros a bit old as it came out in 1981. ASIN; B00113928UQ from Amazon.co.uk or you may try Ebay.
Cheers
Jo

Thanks for all the good advice, Jo.. Yes have to watch out fro the repros,..that's what prompted my question in the first places..lots of copies of Indian and British badges so a minefield ..not to mention German badges which are really lovely but the market is flooded with fakes I think..

Many thanks again,
Sunil
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  #12  
Old 17-06-19, 05:17 AM
Ironside410 Ironside410 is offline
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Hello Keith

The book you are looking for is called "L'Artillerie D'Assault et Les Chars de Combat" by D C Bartlett, written in 1988, no IBSN number. Its A4 size, soft cover, 40 pages.

If you would like a photocopy PM your address and I will send you a copy.

Dennis
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  #13  
Old 17-06-19, 06:43 AM
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Thanks Dennis, PM sent.
Keith
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  #14  
Old 17-06-19, 07:22 AM
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Default French

If these are what you are after, I'm quite willing to trade/sell them

Stephen.
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