Battalions of Light Infantry of Africa

Bataillons d'Infanterie Légère d'Afrique
Light infantry of Africa in 1833, during the conquest of Algeria
Active	13 June 1832—31 March 1972
Country	France
Branch	French Army
Type	Penal military unit
Role	Light infantry
Garrison/HQ	Tataouine (French Tunisia)
Nickname(s)	Bat' d'Af' L'Enfer Biribi
March	"Les Bataillonnaires"
Anniversaries	Battle of Mazagran (6 February)
Engagements	French colonial Wars French Intervention in Mexico Crimean War First World War

The Battalions of Light Infantry of Africa (French: Bataillons d'Infanterie Légère d'Afrique or BILA), better known under the acronym Bat' d'Af', were French penal military units, serving in Northern Africa and made up of men with prison records who still had to do their military service or soldiers with serious disciplinary problems.

Created by King Louis Philippe I on 13 June 1832, shortly after the French Foreign Legion, the Bat' d'Af' were part of the Army of Africa and were stationed in Tataouine, Tunisia, in one of the most arid and hostile regions of the French colonial empire. The original Ordonnance royale (Royal order) creating this corps provided for two battalions, each of eight companies. A third battalion was created in September 1833. According to the order the rank and file of these units were to be drawn from: (i) serving soldiers who had been sentenced to existing disciplinary companies and who had not completed their period of army service upon release; and (ii) civilian convicts who upon completing terms of imprisonment had still to meet their obligations for compulsory military service.

The newly raised Bat' d'Af' saw active service for the first time during the conquest of Algeria. They participated in operations at Bougie in 1835 and took part in the siege of Constantine the following year. Between 3 and 6 February 1840 at Mazagran in Algeria, a detachment of 123 chasseurs of the 1st BILA, under Captain Lelievre, held off repeated assaults by several thousand Arabs. This action won the first battle honour for the corps and was subsequently commemorated in all battalions by memorial ceremonies on 6 February each year. A platoon of the Bat' d'Af' served at the Battle of Taghit when the French fort of Taghit was besieged by 4,000 Moroccan tribesmen, who were eventually repelled.