The Troupes de Marine or TDM, sometimes simply referred to as "French Marines" in English, are one of the major components of the French Army and comprise several specialties: infantry, airborne, armoured cavalry, artillery, engineering, and transmissions (signals). Characterized by their fundamental vocation for service beyond the seas, including in French overseas territories and, formerly, in French colonies, the Marines have taken part in all French military campaigns since the corps' foundation, both on home soil and in theaters of operations around the world. They are stationed in Metropolitan France, in many French overseas departments and territories, as well as in Africa.
The 1st Colonial Infantry Division was a French Army formation prior to World War I and during World War II.
The Senegalese Tirailleurs were a corps of colonial infantry in the French Army. They were initially recruited from Senegal, French West Africa and subsequently throughout Western, Central and Eastern Africa: the main sub-Saharan regions of the French colonial empire. The noun tirailleur, which translates variously as 'skirmisher', 'rifleman', or 'sharpshooter', was a designation given by the French Army to indigenous infantry recruited in the various colonies and overseas possessions of the French Empire during the 19th and 20th centuries.
The 1st Free French Division was one of the principal units of the Free French Forces (FFL) during World War II, renowned for having fought the Battle of Bir Hakeim.
The 3rd Colonial Infantry Division was a division of the French Marine Forces, comprising mostly French citizen troops.
The Régiment d'infanterie chars de marine in French, is a light cavalry regiment of the French Army, successor to the Régiment d'infanterie coloniale du Maroc.
Jean Marcellin Joseph Calixte Gilles was a French Army general who served in World War II and several colonial conflicts. A paratrooper, Gilles led the French defence during the Battle of Na San and the initial paratrooper landings at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu during the French Indochina War, as well as serving in Algeria. For near the entirety of his career he fought with a glass eye, having lost an eye at 18.
The 1st Marine Infantry Regiment is a French regiment heir of the colonial infantry. The regiment is one of the quatre vieux regiments of the Troupes de Marine, with the 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment 2e RIMa, the 3rd Marine Infantry Regiment 3e RIMa, as well the 4th Marine Infantry Regiment 4e RIMa. Along with the 1st Marine Artillery Regiment 1er RAMa and the 2nd Marine Artillery Regiment 2e RAMa, the 1st Marine formed the Blue Division. The 1er RIMa is a light armoured unit, since 1986, alike with the régiment d'infanterie-chars de marine RICM.
The 4th Marine Infantry Regiment was a French marine regiment of the troupes de marine within the French Army. This regiment was part of the « Quatre Grands » of the Marine Infantry along with the 1st Marine Infantry Regiment 1er RIMa, the 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment 2e RIMa, the 3rd Marine Infantry Regiment 3e RIMa, however was dissolved in 1998. Along with the 1st Marine Artillery Regiment 1er RAMa and 2nd Marine Artillery Regiment 2e RAMa, the 4th Marine formed of the two brigades of the Blue Division. On June 14, 2001, the GSMA of Mayotte, heir to the 4th Marine Infantry Regiment, received the color guard of the regimental colors.
The 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Troupes de marine in the French Army, the only regiment to bear 16 battle honours inscriptions of the regimental colors. The regiment is one of the "quatre vieux" regiments of the Troupes de marine, with the 1st Marine Infantry Regiment 1er RIMa, the 3rd Marine Infantry Regiment 3e RIMa and the 4th Marine Infantry Regiment 4e RIMa ; also, alongside the 1st Marine Artillery Regiment 1er RAMa as well as the 2nd Marine Artillery Regiment 2e RAMa which formed the Blue Division.
The 3rd Marine Infantry Regiment is a unit of the French Army. The 3e RIMa is one of the oldest of the troupes de marine. This regiment is one of the "Quatre Grands" of marine infantry once garrisoned within the four military ports, ready to embark : the « Grand Un », the « Grand Deux », the « Grand Trois » and the « Grand Quatre ». The regiment fought in the expeditions of the 19th century in Africa, the Americas, Oceania and the Orient. Surnamed also the "3rd Marine", the unit was part of the « Blue Division » which fought at the Battle of Bazeilles on August 31 and September 1, 1870. The regiment is part of the 9th Light Armoured Marine Brigade.
The 21st Marine Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Troupes de Marine issued by filiation from the 2e RIC.
The Moroccan Division or the 1st Moroccan Division of 1914, initially the Marching Division of Morocco was an infantry division of France's Army of Africa which participated in World War I.
The Army of the Rhine was a French military unit that fought in the Franco-Prussian War. It was created after the declaration of war on July 18 1870.
The 15th Military Division also known as the 15th Military Region was an infantry formation of division-size of the Armistice Army that was active during World War II. The division's headquarters was in Marseille. This division was subordinated to the 1st Group of Military Divisions.
The 2nd Moroccan Division was an infantry division of the French African Army which took part in the First World War in 1918–1919.
The 9th Colonial Infantry Division was a French Army formation which fought in World War II.
17th Colonial Infantry Division was an infantry division of the French Army during the First World War. It was deployed overseas, seeing action during the Gallipoli campaign, and thereafter on the Salonika front, fighting alongside British troops in both theatres of war. It was sent to the Crimea in December 1918 as part of the Army of the Danube.
The 16th Senegalese Tirailleurs Regiment was a Senegalese Tirailleurs regiment of the French Army. It saw combat in the Battle of France during World War II.
The 4th Colonial Infantry Division was a unit of the French Army which saw combat in the Battle of France during World War II. It played a major part in fighting along the Somme River but was ultimately largely destroyed during the German Fall Rot operation in June 1940.
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