The FFL lost a large number of men in the catastrophic Battle of Dien Bien Phu .
During the First Indochina War ( 1946 -- 1954 ) , the Foreign Legion saw its numbers swell .
The Foreign Legion lost a large number of men in the catastrophic Battle of Dien Bien Phu .
During the First Indochina War ( 1946 -- 1954 ) , the Foreign Legion saw its numbers swell .