126th Infantry Regiment (France)

126e Régiment d'Infanterie
Regimental insignia ("White Buffalo")
Active	1793
Country	France
Branch	French Army
Type	Infantry
Part of	9th Marine Infantry Brigade
Motto(s)	Fier et vaillant" (Fr).

The 126th Infantry Regiment (French: 126^e Régiment d'Infanterie, 126^e RI) is a regiment constituted under the French Revolution.

Creation and different nominations

• August 1793 in France : appeared officially the number 126 in the infantry history of the French Military, under the designation of 126th battle demi-brigade (French: 126^e demi-brigade de bataille, 126^e DBB) within the cadre of the reorganization of the armies of the revolution.
• 1793 - 1796 : creation of the 126th battle demi-brigade, from the 2nd battalion of the 62nd Infantry Regiment (French: 62^e Régiment d'Infanterie, 62^e RI), merged from two armies under the revolution (French: Amalgame des deux armées sous la Révolution), the 2nd Volunteer Battalion of Ain (French: 2^e Bataillon de Volontaires de l'Ain) and the 3rd Volunteer Battalion of Nièvre (French: 3^e Bataillon de Volontaires de la Nièvre).
• 1796 in France : the unit was incorporated into the 99th Infantry Regiment (French: 99^e Régiment d'Infanterie, 99^e RI).
• 1810 - 1813 : creation of the 126th Line Infantry Regiment (French: 126^e Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne, 126^e RI) from the 5th Infantry Regiment (French: 5^e Régiment d'Infanterie, 5^e RI) and the 1st battalion of the 8th Infantry Regiment (French: 8^e Régiment d'Infanterie, 8^e RI) of the Kingdom of Holland, during the annexation of the latter.
• 1813 in France: incoporation of the remainder of the regiment into the 123rd Infantry Regiment (French: 123^e Régiment d'Infanterie, 123^e RI).
• 1870 - 1871 : formed on November 1, 1870 with the 26th Marching Regiment organized on August 27 by means of the 4th battalion of the 66th Infantry Regiment,(French: 66^e Régiment d'Infanterie, 66^e RI), the 89th Infantry Regiment (French: 89^e Régiment d'Infanterie, 89^e RI ), and the 98th Infantry Regiment (French: 98^e Régiment d'Infanterie, 98^e RI). Merged on March 27, 1871 in France with the 26th Infantry Regiment (French: 26^e Régiment d'Infanterie, 26^e RI).
• May 16, 1871 in France : creation of the 126 Line Infantry Regiment formed with the 19th Provsionary Infantry Regiment.
• April 4, 1872 : a decree of the President of the Republic constituted officially the regiment which was designated as 126th Infantry Regiment, composed of four battalions of four companies.
• August 1914 in France: gave formation to the 326th Infantry Regiment (French: 326^e Régiment d'Infanterie, 326^e RI).
• August 5, 1940 : dissoltuion.
• 1944 - 1946 : 126th Infantry Regiment. Reconstituted officially on October 15, 1944 in France, dissolved April 1, 1946 in France.
• April 1, 1946 in France: creation of the 126th Infantry Battalion.
• 1946 : dissolution.
• February 1, 1946 in France : creation of the 126th Infantry Regiment.

History

Wars of the Revolution & Empire

• 1795 : Quiberon
• 1812 : the regiment took part in the campaign of Russia:
  • Smoliany, Borisow
  • November 26–29, 1812 : Battle of Berezina where the regiment as a whole covered the unfolding of the Grande Armée.

Second Empire

• 1870 - 1871 : Siege of Paris

1870 to 1914

1874: garrison at Lyon.

• 1881 to 1896 : campaigns of North African and Madagascar.
• 1907, the regiment left Toulouse and arrived in garrison at Brive-la-Gaillarde.

World War I

Garrison: Brive-la-Gaillarde, 48th Infantry Brigade, 12th Army Corps.
Assigned to the 24th Infantry Division (French: 24^e Division d'Infanterie) from August 1914 to November 1918.

• 1914:
  • Unfolding of the IIIrd Army and IVth Army: Saint-Médard, Florenville (August 22–23),

Carignan

• • First Battle of the Marne, September 5 to 13: Châtel-Raould:, Courdemanges
• 1915 :

Meuse and Argonne : Regniéville, Réménauville, Wooden Forest d'Ailly

• 1916 :
  • Battle of Verdun - Marre-Charny.
• 1917 :
  • Champagne : Maison-de-Champagne (March 8–12), Auberive (April 17).
• 1918 :
  • Italian front : Austrian offensive of June 15, Piave offensive

Interwar period

The 126^e RI was in garrison at Brive-la-Gaillarde on January 1939, and recalled to apply the "barrage plan" in the Pyrénées-Orientales.

World War II

The regiment illustrated capability on June 1940 to halt offensives, while record marching 350 km in two weeks.

The regiment was reconstituted in 1944 from marquis of Corrèze and Périgord, participated to the liberation of Alsace, then entered the black forest. On January 1945, the 126th Infantry Regiment was integrated into the units of the Ist Army, which was first at the disposition of the 2nd Brigade of the 1st Free French Division 1^re DFL, where the 126th reinforced the 2nd Brigade during the period of the defensive mounted on Strasbourg, and the surveillance of left wing of the Rhin. Then, with the 2nd Moroccan Infantry Division 2^e DIM, and participating with the 9th Colonial Infantry Division 9^e DIC to campaign battles, combat of Karlsruhe, Ruppur, Rastadt with the 23^e RIC and 6^e RIC.

1945 to present

• Following a time period in Algeria from 1947 to 1948, the regiment was designated as a center of instruction for that theatre.
• Assigned to the 15th Infantry Division; materials forming in the 1980s were constituted by a number of U.S. American equipment from world war two: including also machine pistol types used in n Indochina and Algeria.
• Professionalyzed in 1998, in the respective garrison, the regiment was attached to the 3rd Ligt Armoured Brigade.
• The regiment was part of the UNIFIL in Lebanon in 1984/1985 then also in 1992 with the 5th Chasseur Regiment (French: 5^e Régiment de chasseurs à cheval) of Périgueux.
• Conducted operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 1992.
• Conducted operations in Lebanon in 2001.
• Conducted operations in Kosovo in 2011 and 2004.
• Conducted operations in Afghanistan in 2002, 2006, 2008, 2010 at the corps of ISAF. On February 29 2008 in Afghanistan: training insctruction of the ANA with the 126^e RI.
• Conducted operations in the Ivory Coast in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005 and in 2008 at the corps of Operation Unicorn.
• Conducted operations in the Central African Republic in 2006, 2011, 2012, 2014.
• Conducted the mandate PAMIR in Surobi, Afghanistan from July to December 2010 under designation (GTIA).
• Permanence in France at the corps of the Vigipirate.

Traditions

Insignia of the 126^e RI

White Buffalo since 1937, on the background of a blue Cross of Lorraine since 1944.

Lieutenant-colonel Godefroy, regimental commander of the 126^e RI endowed the regiment with an insignia featuring the ruins of Oradour, to evoke the 134th Infantry Regiment (French: 134^e Régiment d'Infanterie, 134^e RI) which was integrated to the 126^e RI in October 1945.

The actual insignia of the regiment was endowed by colonel Mestelan, regimental commander from 1979 to 1981.

Regimental Colors

5th Regimental Colors of the 126^e RI.

Decorations

The regimental colors of the 126^e RI are decorated with:

• Croix de guerre 1914-1918 with :
  • 2 bronz palms ( 2 citations at the orders of the armed forces)
• Croix de la Valeur militaire with:
• 1 bronz palm (November 23, 2011)
• 1 palm (June 26, 2013)

Fourragere:

• Fourragere with colors of the croix de guerre 1914-1918 and colors of the croix de la Valeur militaire.

• 

  Fourrageres of the 126^e RI

Honours

Battle Honours

• Bérézina 1812
• Artois 1915
• Auberive 1917
• Italie 1918

Regimental Commanders

References

External links

• (French) Le 126e régiment d'infanterie sur le site internet www.defense.gouv.fr du Ministère de la Défense