French Battalion
This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2013) |
French Battalion of the UNO | |
---|---|
Active | 1950–1953 |
Country | France |
Allegiance | United Nations |
Branch | Army |
Type | Infantry |
Size | 1,017 |
Part of | US 2nd Infantry Division |
Engagements | Korean War
|
Decorations | 2 ROK Presidential Unit Citations |
Commanders | |
Commander | Raoul Magrin-Vernerey |
The French Battalion of the United Nations Organisation (
Korea
From January 7–12, 1951, the French Battalion participated in the
In the spring of 1951, the battalion crossed the
After the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement in July 1953, the French Battalion left Korea with five French Citations to the Order of the Army; the French Fourragère in the colors of the Military Medal; two Korean Presidential Citations; and three American Distinguished Unit Citations. Forty-four of the French casualties were eventually buried at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan, South Korea.[4]
In an address to a joint session of the United States Congress on 22 May 1952, General Ridgway said the following:[5]
...I shall speak briefly of the Twenty-Third United States Infantry Regiment, Col.
Paul L. Freemancommanding, with the French battalion... Twice isolated far in advance of the general battle line, twice completely surrounded in near zero weather, they repelled repeated assaults by day and night by vastly superior numbers of Chinese infantry...I want to record here my conviction that these American fighting men with their French comrades in arms measured up in every way to the battle conduct of the finest troops America or France has produced throughout their national existence.
One member of the French Battalion, Louis Misseri, was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by the United States for his actions. His citation reads:
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Louis Misseri, Sergeant, Army of France, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving with the Third Company, French Battalion, attached to the 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, in action against enemy forces at Pia-ri, Korea on September 26, 1951. As a squad leader in an attack on "Heartbreak Ridge," Sergeant Misseri led his squad through an intense barrage of enemy mortar and artillery fire to the slope on which enemy bunkers were located. Dividing his squad into two sections, he personally led one section of three men in an assault upon the bunkers. While his comrades covered his advance, he moved forward alone through a hail of fire, attacked the first bunker, and silenced it. He continued his assault until the way had been cleared for his squad to advance and reorganize. When the enemy launched a counterattack, Sergeant Misseri, although seriously wounded, drove them back, inflicting fifteen casualties with his rifle. When this position became untenable and he was ordered to withdraw, he sent his men back one by one while he covered their withdrawal. The last man to leave the hill, except for one other who helped him because of his wounded condition, he would not allow himself to be evacuated until he had made a complete report of his mission. One of the very few men to reach the top of "Heartbreak Ridge" during this costly attack, Sergeant Misseri's gallantry and extraordinary devotion to duty reflect the highest credit on him and uphold the finest traditions of the Army and the Republic of France.[6]
Paul L. Freeman Jr., the commander of the 23rd Infantry Regiment, said of the French Battalion:
When you order them [the French] in defence, you're sure they'll hold the position. When you show them a hill to be seized, you're sure they'll manage to get atop. You may leave for two days, storms of shells and waves of enemies may swarm over them, the French are still there![1]
Post Korea
On October 22, 1953, the French battalion embarked on the
On August 10, 1955, the battalion landed in Algiers and began a series of garrison and search-and-destroy operations in the Constantine Department. On September 1, 1960, the battalion was amalgamated with the 156th Infantry Regiment (French: 156e Régiment d'Infanterie) and received the designation of 156e Régiment d'Infanterie- Régiment de Corée. All told, the regiment suffered 48 killed in action in Algeria. The regiment was repatriated to France after the Évian Accords and disbanded upon its return to France in 1962.
See also
- United Nations Forces in the Korean War
- Medical support in the Korean War
- Military history of France
- (in French) French participation in the Korean War Forces françaises dans la guerre de Corée
References
- ^ a b "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-06. Retrieved 2012-05-19.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ ISBN 978-1-4102-2470-5. Archived from the original on 2021-01-29. Retrieved 2021-10-25. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ .
- ^ Interred at UNMCK[permanent dead link]
- ProQuest 112381414. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
- ^ Korean War Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross – Citations (France) Archived 2006-09-18 at the Wayback Machine
Further reading
- The History of the UN Forces in the Korean War-3 (Belgium, Colombia, France, Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, Norway, Sweden) - ROK Ministry of National Defense Institute for Military History, 1974 (E-BOOK) Archived 2023-07-09 at the Wayback Machine
- The History of the UN Forces in the Korean War-3 (Belgium, Colombia, France, Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, Norway, Sweden) - ROK Ministry of National Defense Institute for Military History, 1974 (PDF) Archived 2023-06-05 at the Wayback Machine
- The History of the UN Forces in the Korean War-6 (Summary) - ROK Ministry of National Defense Institute for Military History, 1977 (E-BOOK) Archived 2023-07-09 at the Wayback Machine
- The History of the UN Forces in the Korean War-6 (Summary) - ROK Ministry of National Defense Institute for Military History, 1977 (PDF) Archived 2023-06-28 at the Wayback Machine
- The Korean War and the UN Forces - ROK Ministry of National Defense Institute for Military History, 2015 (E-BOOK) Archived 2023-07-09 at the Wayback Machine (in Korean)
- The Korean War and the UN Forces - ROK Ministry of National Defense Institute for Military History, 2015 (PDF) Archived 2023-07-09 at the Wayback Machine (in Korean)
- The Statistics of the Korean War - ROK Ministry of National Defense Institute for Military History, 2014 (E-BOOK) Archived 2023-07-09 at the Wayback Machine (in Korean)
- The Statistics of the Korean War - ROK Ministry of National Defense Institute for Military History, 2014 (PDF) Archived 2021-01-11 at the Wayback Machine (in Korean)
- The History of the UN Forces in the Korean War - ROK Ministry of National Defense Institute for Military History, 1998 (E-BOOK) Archived 2023-07-09 at the Wayback Machine (in Korean)
- The History of the UN Forces in the Korean War - ROK Ministry of National Defense Institute for Military History, 1998 (PDF) Archived 2023-07-09 at the Wayback Machine (in Korean)
- The Summary of the Korean War - ROK Ministry of National Defense Institute for Military History, 1986 (PDF) Archived 2023-07-09 at the Wayback Machine (in Korean)
- The History of the Korean War-10: The UN Forces (Australia, Belgium, Luxembourg, Canada, Colombia, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Netherlands) - ROK Ministry of National Defense Institute for Military History, 1980 (E-BOOK) Archived 2023-06-24 at the Wayback Machine (in Korean)
- The History of the Korean War-10: The UN Forces (Australia, Belgium, Luxembourg, Canada, Colombia, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Netherlands) - ROK Ministry of National Defense Institute for Military History, 1980 (PDF) Archived 2023-06-05 at the Wayback Machine (in Korean)
- Cadeau, J., ed. (2010). Le Bataillon français de l'ONU en Corée: le combat méconnu des volontaires français, 1950–1953 [The French Battalion of the UN in Korea: The unknown fight of the French volunteers, 1950–1953] (in French). Saint-Cloud, France: Editions du Coteau.
- Quisefit, Laurent (2013). "The French Participation in the Korean War and the Establishment of a 'Path of Memory' in South Korea". Societies. 3 (4): 427–444. ISSN 2075-4698.
- Becker, Jean-Jacques (2010). "L'éclatement de la guerre en corée et l'opinion française". Guerres Mondiales et Conflits Contemporains. 239 (3): 27–35. .
- Hamburger, Kenneth (2007). "Le rôle du « bataillon de Corée » dans la guerre de Corée". Revue historique des armées (246): 65–76. ISSN 0035-3299.
- Quisefit, Laurent (2007). "Le rôle de la France dans la guerre de Corée" (PDF). 120 ans de relations diplomatiques entre la France et la Corée = 한불수교 120년사의 재조명. Seoul: National Institute of Korean History.
External links
- French Army "Docrine" Magazine #11, April 2007 article called The UN-Assigned French Battalion in Korea
- French Participation in the Korean War
- UN Participation in the Korean War – Korean War Educator
- (in French) Souvenirs de Corée avec le Bataillon Français de l'O.N.U. Archived 2010-11-10 at the Wayback Machine