Bastille Day 2018 parade

[denis_law]

Yes, you're right. Forgot the 2e REG because they will be mounted on their vehicles. Led by their CO Col Grégoire Potiron de Boisfleury, a typically French aristocratic name. Generally more often seen in Cavalry units...
Note that a British Officer, Gen Nicholas Nottingham, will parade with the HQ of 1ère Division. He's holding the position of Assistant, Operations as part of an exchange program between French and British armies, with a French general holding a similar position in the 1st (United Kingdom) Division.

Worked with Nick a few years ago. Be good to see a Caubeen parade down the Champs.

 

[ricktn40]

This year, the Legion will be represented, as usual, by the MLE (Musique de la Légion étrangère), the Legion band, and the sappers of 1er RE and 108 men of 2e REI led by their Chef de Corps (Commanding Officer), Col Steve Carleton (picture below). Attached, in pdf format, a file with all the details you'd like to have about the parade and never dared asking. 200+ pages all in French...

View attachment 3763

 

[Joseph Cosgrove]

I only managed to watch it on CNEWS, which is a French news channel. They had a CDT Grisson from 2 REI and an historian commentating. The Commandant really knew his sh*t. I mean he was commentating about EVERYTHING. Chapeau bas!
The only thing is, because it was a News channel there were commercials. Great let's interrupt the the new transport airplane to try and get people to buy a particle type of shampoo.

There were one or two hickups. Two of the motorcycles from the Garde Républicaine collided during the opening demonstration. OK, it happens! and then there was the gros plan (close-up) of a lady trainee officer out of step during the ‘split’ in front of the tribune. St-Cyr is the equivalent of Sandhurst of GB or US West Point -not good.

Then another commercial about health care ...

What can I say about the Legion... ?
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[Le petit caporal]

Grisson... A blast from the past. Tales I could tell but, then again, why?

 

[denis_law]

Just watched it on replay. It was two gendarmerie motards that collided. Oops.

The Patrouille de France alphajets messed up too, got the tricolore colours wrong. Double oops.

And General Nottingham did wear his Caubeen

Well done everyone, hope you are knocking back the Kro tonight.

 

[Joseph Cosgrove]

Hi Denis, I thought I saw something was wrong with the Patrouille de France's fly past. I couldn't really watch it properly because as I said it was a TV News chanel. I mean they were showing the the different temperatures of cities in France and then headlines of some Pakistani ex-PM !

 

[Joseph Cosgrove]

Hi Denis, just been looking at some photos of the fly past.

They've got a red smoke color instead of a blue one.
It can happen. BTW it was the French Patrouille de France who were the fist to use smoke .

 

[Le petit caporal]

Just watched it on replay. It was two gendarmerie motards that collided. Oops.

The Patrouille de France alphajets messed up too, got the tricolore colours wrong. Double oops.

And General Nottingham did wear his Caubeen

Well done everyone, hope you are knocking back the Kro tonight.

Was deliberate (Alpha Jets)..say no more !