43rd Infantry Regiment (France)

43rd Infantry Regiment
Insignia of the 43rd Infantry Regiment
Active	13 March 1638–31 December 2010
Country	France
Branch	French Army
Type	Infantry
Garrison/HQ	Lille
Nickname(s)	Le Royal des Vaisseaux
Anniversaries	Saint Maurice
Engagements	Valmy 1792 Marengo 1800 Austerlitz 1805 Jena 1806 Zaatcha 1849 Sevastopol 1855 The Somme 1916 Flanders 1917 L'Aisne 1918 Algeria 1952-1962
Decorations	Croix de guerre 1914–1918 three palms Croix de guerre des Théâtres d'opérations extérieurs one palm Gold Medal of the City of Milan (Italian Campaign 1859: Solferino, Palestro, and Magenta)

The 43rd Infantry Regiment (French: 43e Régiment d'Infanterie or 43e RI) was a French infantry regiment which dated back to the creation in 1638 of the Régiment Royal des Vaisseaux - one of the regiments of the Maison militaire du roi de France (Royal Military House of France) created to serve on boats and in the colonies: all such regiments were, in 1791, given a number in the line-infantry order of battle meaning that they could be considered historically as the "ancestors" of the naval infantry regiments (see 107th Infantry Regiment (France)).

On 1 August 1870 the 43rd Infantry Regiment was part of the Army of the Rhine.

With the 5th Battalion of chasseurs under Commandant Carré and the 13th Infantry Regiment under Colonel Lion, the 43rd formed the 1st brigade under the orders of General Véron called Bellecourt.

This 1st brigade together with the 2nd brigade under General Pradier, two batteries of 4 guns and one machine-gun, and one company of engineers constituted the 2nd division of infantry commanded by Major-General Grenier.

This division operated under the IVth Army Corps commanded by Major-General de Ladmirault.

On 16 August 1870 the 4th battalion, formed mostly from new arrivals, left the depot to create the 8th March Regiment which formed the 2nd brigade of the 1st division of the XIIIth Army Corps

(*) Officers who became Brigadier-Generals after their command. (**) Officers who reached the rank of Major-General

Colonels killed and/or wounded during their command of the 43rd Infantry Regiment:

Officers killed and/or wounded while serving in the 43rd Infantry Regiment between 1804 and 1815:

Disbanded on 31 December 2010

Constitution in 1914: 3 battalions (72 officers, 164 NCOs, 3,174 men, 219 horses)

Fighting in Aisne cost the regiment 23 officers and 511 men.

There is no information in the book The 43rd R.I. the regiment of Lille

French Army uniform of an infantryman of the 43rd Infantry Regiment in 1940 at the Dunkirk Museum dedicated to Operation Dynamo and defence

Uniform of a French army officer of the 43rd Infantry Regiment in 1940 at the Dunkirk Museum dedicated to Operation Dynamo and defence