4e regiment de marche du 1er Etranger - Les Garibaldiens

[Carl Hunter]

After assembling in Paris starting in August 1914 some 1,964 men and 55 oficers comprised mainly of Italian but including volunteers from Algeria, Switzerland, UK, Spain, Manaco, Eygpt, United States, Canada, Cuba, Argentina and Mexico were recognized by the French government and military in early December as combatants. The Regiment consisted of 3 Battalions each lead by one of the great grand children of the great Guiseppi Garibaldi, liberator and founder of a unified Italy.

My father-in-law was one of the Canadian volunteers and at 16 years of age had traveled from Mexico where he was brought up with a group of volunteers under the leadership of Guiseppi Garibaldi, one of the four great grand-sons.

Les Garibaldiens, as they were called, first trained in the still existing French Army base at Camp de Mailly about 90 kms north of Troyes. The unit first engaged the enemy in battle in the Argonne sector known as the Bois de Bolante.

As Italy had not yet joined the war, there was an extended period of diplomatic and military discussion surrounding the basis for an essentially Italian lead multi-national army to be recognized as a legitimate combat unit. After nearly four months of intense negotiation the volunteers were recognized under the banner of Le Legion Etranger (The Foreign Legion). Archives for Les Garbalidiens now reside in the Legion archives in Aubage, just east of Marseille.

The most recent comprehensive book on the Garibaldi volunteers is; Hubert Heyries, Editions SERRE, ISBN 2-86410-438-5, NIce France, 2005.

[Carl Hunter]

I'm interested in hearing from anyone who had or might have relatives who served with Les Garibaldiens or who have some information that will expand on the limited amount currently available, especially in English.

For the record, the last surviving member of the very unusual group of WW I volunteers died in 2008. There a great story about Lazare Pontecelli at: www.wmaker.net/lesgaribaldiens/Le-regiment-de-Lazare-Ponticelli-le-4e-Regiment-de-marche-du-1-er-Regiment-etranger-Communement-appele-Legion_a130.html