6th Engineer Regiment (France)
# 6th Engineer Regiment (France)

The 6th Engineers Regiment (French: $6^e$ Régiment du Génie) is a regiment of the génie militaire of the French Military constituted under the IIIrd Republic. It is the only Engineers Regiment among the Troupes de Marine (French Marine Corps).

## Creation and different nominations

In 1894 : 6th Engineer Regiment $6^e$ RG was created, on October 1 at Angers. The regiment was installed in garrison Eblé designated after the général whose men perished while constructing the bridges on the Bérézina.

## History

### 1894 to 1914

* 1894 : Angers
* 1895 : Campaigns in Madagascar
* 1900 : China

### World War I

* 1914 : La Marne
* 1916 : Verdun
* 1917 : L'Aisne
* 1918 : Champagne

During the campaign of 1914-1918, 17 companies of the regiment were cited 72 times (out of which 47 citations at the orders of the armed forces). 15 companies of the regiment were awarded the right to wear the fourragere of the Croix de guerre 1914-1918.

### Interwar period

* 1918-1939 : Angers
* 1925-1927: Rif War

### World War II

In June 1940, the 6th Engineer Regiment participated to the combats of the Cadets of Saumur. Missioned by lieutenant-colonel Robert, regimental commander of the depot of the 6th Engineer Regiment, lieutenant Rousseau was the chief head center at Saumur and had at his disposition, for each bridge, one officer with some 30 men : lieutenant Martin on the bridge of Montsoreau, lieutenant Poupon on the bridge of VR de Saumur, sous-lieutenant Fraisier on the bridge of VF de Saumur, sous-lieutenant Falck on the bridge of Gennes.

In total, there were 120 men at the war depot of the 6th Engineer Regiment which supported the combats of the Cadets of Saumur.

Captain Schneider was cited for the defensive mounted on the bridge of Port-Boulet.

At mobilization on September 1939, the 71st Engineer Battalion was created at Angers. The active encadrement of this unique regiment of engineer of the 1st Colonial Infantry Division $1^{re}$ DIC was issued from the 6th Engineer Regiment.

From that came the links between the 71st and 6th, out of which in 1997, was summarized by the transfer to the $6^e$ RG of a complete consecutive company at the dissolution of the 71st.

### 1945 to present

Following World War II, the 6th was garrisoned in Angers at garrison Vernau, in designation of Jean-Edouard Verneau, a resistant French général, deceased in deportation in 1944.

* 1946 - 0000 : garrison at Angers.
* 1945 - 1954 : participated to the French Far East Expeditionary Corps.
* 1977 - 1984 : 4th Cavalry Division (French: $4^e$ Division de Cavalerie, $4^e$ DC).
* 1984 - 1993 : 3rd Army Corps.
* 1993 - 0000 : 9th Marine Infantry Division $9^e$ DIMa, then 9th Light Armoured Marine Brigade $9^e$ BLBMa, then designated 9th Marine Infantry Brigade $9^e$ BIMa.
   * Interventions in Lebanon, Guyana, Central African Republic, Tchad, Pakistan, Kuwait, Somalia, Rwanda, Cambodia, Congo, Albenia, Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
   * Since 2004, 500 sapeurs of the 6th Engineer Regiment deployed to the Ivory Coast, Guyana, Afghanistan, Senegal, Martinique, Mayotte and Haiti.
   * In February 2006, a hundred sapeurs were deployed to aid the populations of the Reunion in an epidemic.
   * In 2010 : the "6" integrated two companies in the 2nd Engineer Regiment $2^e$ RG and one reserve company 22nd Marine Infantry Battalion $22^e$ BIMa.
   * In 2013 : the "6" was engaged in Mali during Operation Serval.

## Traditions

### Motto

To recall the commitment, fidelity and hardship work of the sapeurs of the "6", the writer Hervé Bazin, nominated the motto of the regiment "Je continuerai". In the years of 1980, the motto was "Parfois détruire, souvent construire, toujours servir".

### Nickname

The Marine soldiers are called "marsouins" when coming from the infantry or light cavalry and "bigors" when coming from the artillery. The engineers being more recently added in the French Marines, they do not have a traditional nickname. They are called "sapeurs de Marine" (Marine engineers).

### Decorations

The regimental colors of the 6th Engineer Regiment $6^e$ RG is decorated with:

* 15 companies of the 6th Engineer Regiment, were cited numerous times for collective and individual acts of valor during the 1914-1918 world conflict and two citations at the orders of the armed forces.
* Croix de guerre 1914-1918 with:
   * 2 palms
* Croix de la Valeur militaire with:
   * 1 palm (May 4, 2013)

Fourragere:

* Fourragère with colors of the croix de guerre 1914-1918
* Fourragère aux couleurs du ruban de la Croix de guerre 1914-1918

### Honours

**Battle Honours**

* Madagascar 1895
* La Marne 1914
* Verdun 1916
* L'Aisne 1917
* Champagne 1918

## Regimental Commander

| 1894 - 1897 : Colonel Dalstein 1897 - 1899 : Colonel Gillet 1899 - 1902 : Colonel Mortagne 1902 - 1904 : Colonel Mague 1904 - 1905 : Colonel Petitbon 1905 - 1908 : Colonel Bourdeaux 1908 - 1911 : Colonel Alby 1911 - 1912 : Colonel de Montdesir 1914 - 1919 : Colonel Bernard 1919 - 1920 : Lieutenant-colonel Leroux 1920 - 1922 : Colonel Thomas 1922 - 1924 : Colonel Leroux 1924 - 1926 : Colonel Letourneur 1926 - 1928 : Colonel Tircaud 1928 - 1930 : Colonel Gourandy | 1930 - 1932 : Colonel Alleau 1932 - 1934 : Colonel Fillon 1934 - 1936 : Colonel Froment 1936 - 1938 : Colonel Tournoux 1938 - 1939 : Colonel Carrier 1939 - 1940 : Lieutenant-colonel Robert 1940 - 1941 : Lieutenant-colonel Bastide 1941 - 1942 : Lieutenant-colonel Malhomme 1945 - 1946 : Lieutenant-colonel Guy 1946 - 1950 : Colonel Malhomme 1950 - 1952 : Colonel Besson 1952 - 1953 : Colonel Muttin 1953 - 1956 : Colonel Colin 1956 - 1957 : Colonel Bonnamy 1957 - 1959 : Colonel Cathala | 1959 - 1961 : Colonel Guilleret 1961 - 1963 : Colonel Tricot 1963 - 1964 : Colonel Siquier 1964 - 1965 : Colonel Leconte 1965 - 1967 : Colonel de Bouteiller 1967 - 1969 : Colonel Ledermann 1969 - 1971 : Colonel Lartigue 1971 - 1973 : Colonel Georges 1973 - 1975 : Colonel Tretjak 1975 - 1977 : Colonel Munier 1977 - 1979 : Colonel Teil 1979 - 1981 : Colonel Bresson 1981 - 1983 : Colonel Kervizic 1983 - 1985 : Colonel Lalier 1985 - 1987 : Colonel Laguerie | 1987 - 1990 : Colonel Leduc 1990 - 1992 : Colonel Charvoz 1992 - 1994 : Colonel Maral 1994 - 1997 : Colonel Chinouilh 1997 - 1999 : Colonel Gros 1999 - 2001 : Colonel Daehn 2001 - 2003 : Colonel de Goutte 2003 - 2005 : Colonel Alabergère 2005 - 2007 : Colonel de Jerphanion 2007 - 2009 : Colonel Quevilly 2009 - 2011 : Colonel Glinec 2011 - 2013 : Colonel Crach 2013 - 2015 : Colonel Combi 2015 - : Colonel Guillot |
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