HIRIART L'Equipe des Mules, Legion Etrangere Francaise (1 Viewer)

[ucla1967]

I just receive a photo from Hiriart of their new catalog set 1342 L'EQUIPE DES MULES, Legion Etrangere Francaise. Another collector and I had already ordered this set sight unseen for 2014. Great set; I love the white uniforms.

 

[Wolfgang_UK]

Hello Mike,
once again brilliant stuff!!!!
Thank you for shareing
Kind regards
Wolfgang

 

[ucla1967]

Hello Mike,
once again brilliant stuff!!!!
Thank you for shareing
Kind regards
Wolfgang

Hi Wolfgang,

Thanks, I am glad you like it.

Mike

 

[johnnybach]

Hi Mike - another very nice and interesting set from Hiriart this one. Thought you might like to see a photo that I have of some of the descendants of this elite section of the French Foreign Legion. This one was taken at a place called Sidi-bel-Abbes, in Algeria - and was taken circa 1910. It shows legionaires and mules preparing for a patrol.

Each mule was allocated to two legionaires - who took turns to alternately ride and walk ( as shown so neatly by your set) - changing over at hourly (some sources mention two-hourly turns). The mules also carried equipment and ammunition - which allowed the group to travel up to 60 kilometres per day - often in sweltering heat. The men shared their water - and often some of their rations with the mules to the last - as they knew that their lives could depend on them. jb

 

[ucla1967]

Thanks JB for the that interesting information and historic photo. I wasn't exactly sure about the date; I was guessing 1900. BTW, I already have five of these sets on order for 2014---all for specific collectors.

 

[johnnybach]

Hi again Mike. The year 1900 wouldn't be a bad guess for this group. The idea of a mule team to move troops quickly from one part o the desert to another was founded in 1884, I believe - and amazingly was still around at the onset of WW2, and were originally known as Comagnies Montee d'Algeria. The blue cummerband was not always worn on active duties ( as in my pic.) - but kept for special occasions as a form of "special dress" uniform. jb

 

[ucla1967]

Hi again Mike. The year 1900 wouldn't be a bad guess for this group. The idea of a mule team to move troops quickly from one part o the desert to another was founded in 1884, I believe - and amazingly was still around at the onset of WW2, and were originally known as Comagnies Montee d'Algeria. The blue cummerband was not always worn on active duties ( as in my pic.) - but kept for special occasions as a form of "special dress" uniform. jb

Thanks again JB for the additional information. I wasn't aware that this technique was used for that long, but was familar with the use of mules as pack animals by the French colonial and American forces during the WWII Italian campaign. You are probably right that the blue cumberbun (say, how do you spell this word?) was unlikely to be worn on campaign, but the Hiriart figures look better with it than they would without it given their plain white uniforms. Artistic license possibly on Hiriart's part.

Mike

 

[johnnybach]

It is perfectly okay for Hiriart to depict these soldiers wearing the Cummerbund Mike, ( I'm using the british word for it here - they have a name for it - which I just can't remember). I was just explaining the difference with my pic (where the legionaires are not wearing one under their webbing) - doubtless to keep it clean. I have a book ( unfortunately not with me at the moment) called "The French Foreign Legion: An Illustrated History" (2008) by Jean Denis & G Leparge - which explains where this development in deploying troops over long distances at speed in desert or mountaineous conditions was first developed around 1884, (date from memory), in Algeria. The legion was being used to help pacify the region at that time - where lawless bands of various groups were causing trouble. Nothing new there, then!!!

I can't remember the name of the Officer who started the idea off - but he was very well thought of for having very practical solutions to problems - and this was just one of them. It was such a good idea for that terrain - I have read that it was retained by la Legion up to - and during WW2 in North Africa.

I s'pose it's a bit like the French Napoleonic Dragoon principle - where the horses were just used to get troops to the right place for a fight, where they dismounted and fought as conventional infantry

I very much like the way Hiriart have depicted not just the legionaires - but very accurately shown the technique at work, with two soldiers to the one mule, very nicely indeed. If they did castings, this is another set that I would love to buy and paint. I think I might add in a few pack-mules - and maybe a machine gun detail being carried on a mule with ammo boxes too. Thanks for showing it. johnnybach

 

[ucla1967]

Thanks again for the information and your complements to Hiriart's depiction, JB. Your spelling of cummberbund is correct over here, too. Ironically, I own a tuxedo with a cummberbund that I haven't worn in at least 15 years, but it doesn't fit anymore. I had considered ordering a special FFL pack mule set from Hiriart on my 2015 order, but was going to order it with the uniforms from Set 1142 (see attached photo). I think I may reconsider that; I also like the idea of having a machine gun on one of the mules.

 

[PolarBear]

2 more examples as sources. It would be nice to see some mule riders with the tropical helmets shown as well as kepis

 

[PolarBear]

Don't know the maker of this set of FFL Morocco circa 1908

 

[ucla1967]

2 more examples as sources. It would be nice to see some mule riders with the tropical helmets shown as well as kepis

Thanks for the additional photos, Randy. The tropical helmets would make an interesting variation. I was also interested in seeing the three different officers uniforms, too. It looks like the blue cummberbund is correct.

 

[ucla1967]

Don't know the maker of this set of FFL Morocco circa 1908

I believe that they are from John Eton.