25th Parachute Division (France)

On June 1, 1956, the 25th Parachute Division was created in the 5th military region from the 25e DIAP and the Colonial Parachute Brigade.[2] The division included five airborne infantry Regiments, two airborne cavalry regiments and one unit of Parachute Artillery:

Organizational Chart of the 25th Parachute Division in April 1960

• Command and Support Structure
  • 75th Headquarters Company (75^e CGQ)
  • 75th Transmission Company (75^e CT)
  • French Army Light Aviation (ALAT) Platoon
  • 513th Transport Group ( GT 513)
  • 75th Parachute Engineer Company (75e CGAP)
  • 75th Repair Division Company (75^e CRD)
  • 75th Medical Company (75e CM)
  • 75th SRI
  • General Command Staff of the 1st Brigade
  • General Command Staff of the 2nd Brigade
• Airborne Infantry and artillery
  • 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (1956-1961).
  • 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment (1e RCP)
  • 14th Parachute Chasseur Regiment (14e RCP)
  • 18th Parachute Chasseur Regiment (18e RCP)
  • 8th Colonial Parachute Regiment (8e RPC), created February 28, 1951, in Hanoi as the 8th Colonial Parachute Battalion; recreated on May 1, 1956, as the 8th Colonial Parachute Regiment; renamed on December 1, 1958, the 8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment.
• 35th Parachute Artillery Regiment (35e RAP)
• Parachute Cavalry Structure
  • 13th Parachute Dragoon Regiment (13^e RDP)
  • 1st Parachute Hussar Regiment (1^er RHP)

During tenure, the Division witnessed changes:

• On July 1, 1957, the 13th Parachute Dragoon Regiment was reassigned and attached to the 10th Parachute Brigade.[3]
• On April 1, 1960, the 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment relieved the 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment, part of the 10th Parachute Division.[4]

On December 1, 1958, the Colonial Parachute Regiments underwent a designation change to Marine Infantry Parachute Regiments while retaining their numerical designation.

Two of the five airborne infantry regiments of the division; mainly, the 8th Colonial Parachute Regiment and the 14th Parachute Chasseur Regiment; participated from January to May 1958 in the Battle of Frontiers. Accordingly, General Raoul Salan, superior commander in Algeria, delegated all five airborne infantry regiments to General Paul Vanuxem; commander of the zone est-constantinois (ZEC). The battle took place at both the Morice Line and Challe Line and lasted for about 5 months.[5]

Just like the paratrooper Brevet of the French Army; the Insignia of French Paratroopers was created in 1946. The French Army Insignia of metropolitan Paratroopers represents a closed "winged armed dextrochere", meaning a "right winged arm" armed with a sword pointing upwards. The Insignia makes reference to the Patron of Paratroopers. In fact, the Insignia represents "the right Arm of Saint Michael", the Archangel which according to Liturgy is the "Armed Arm of God". This Insignia is the symbol of righteous combat and fidelity to superior missions. The French Army Insignia of Marine Infantry Paratroopers is backgrounded by a Marine Anchor.

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  Insignia of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment
• 
  Insignia of the 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment
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  Insignia of 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment
• 
  Insignia of 14th Parachute Chasseur Regiment

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  Insignia of 18th Parachute Chasseur Regiment
• 
  Insignia of 35^e Régiment d'Artillerie Parachutiste
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  Insignia of 13th Parachute Dragoon Regiment
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  Insignia of 1^er Régiment de Hussards Parachutistes
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  Insignia of 8^e Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine