Introduction
The Compagnie Disciplinaire en Extrême-Orient, (CDRE/EO) was created on the first of June 1946.
It was attached the 2e Régiment Étranger d’Infanterie.
It was the disciplinary company for serious offenders serving in the French Foreign Legion in the Far East.
The unit was stationed on Tagne Island in Cam Ranh Bay.
The CDRE/EO was dissolved on August 1, 1954.
History
Information about this small unit was for many years very difficult to find, but over the last years two historians managed to retrieve at least some information and even quite a number of photographs. They kindly enough published this information on their websites.
Photographs
In September 2022, two photograph of the CDRE/EO and or Tagne island were offered on the Auction site Delcampe.
These photographs are not shown on the above two websites and as such might not be previously published.
Note the monument visible on both photographs.
It is highly likely the same monument as visible on a the photograph shown on the More-Majorum website with the caption
“BLICK AUF DIE BUCHT UND ANLEGESTELLE [ Foto von Johann M.]”
[Coll. NLL.]
The “scarce” insignia of the CDRE/EO
What since many years surprises me is the frequency and the relative affordable prices [ < 60 Euro] at which original insignia of the CDRE/EO are offered for sale.
From what is known this was a small unit and I would assume that the “puni” were not offered a badge on arrival or as souvenir when they left.
This would leave only the relative small staf to wear this insignia.
But I might be wrong.
In addition, within the Legion it was often a habit to make insignia more special by numbering them.
Numbered examples of the CDRE/EO insignia are known to exist.
Following image shows such an insignia of the CDRE/EO.
The number on the back is “303”.
This number would “again” appear relatively high for such a small unit.
Insignia of the CDRE/EO
Golden grenade with 7 flames, the bomb of the grenade carries the black letters « CD » (for (French: Compagnie disciplinaire) surrounded with the inscription « DURA LEX SED LEX » in Latin.
In front of the flames is detached a white sail. The grenade with 7 flames is the symbol of the Legion; the white sail is that of a Junk ship, which referred to the unit’s location on an island, accessible to land only by boat.
The insignia was created in 1947, by Capitaine Michel Dutter, commander of the CDRE/EO
For those who like details, it appears that number was hammered into a completed badge causing the enamel on the front to crack
On this website even a version with the number “480” can be found. Also from Drago 25 R. Beranger.