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The "sin" of volunteers condemned the Eastern Front A direct consequence of the Second World War: The Bilom (Light Infantry Battalion Overseas).

In 1948 in France, lack of political will on the Indochina war, the reconquest stalled, and becomes more and more demanding in men and material, while France, ruined, to be rebuilt, and is plagued to many social conflicts. The Communist Party and a large part of the "intelligentsia" openly fighting against the "dirty war in Indochina." The task force is composed exclusively of active military personnel and volunteers, and those who were the first to aspire to return, the need for relief is obvious, but the commitments are scarce for concern by the French daily difficulties .dropoff window

In 1948, the defense minister, think of a few thousand young people languishing in prisons: those who have made the wrong choice in the war years, volunteers from the eastern front, engaged collaboration that escaped the savage treatment of 1945, but often sentenced to long prison terms.

It is thought that some of these men have already paid enough, we can offer them the possibility of redemption, but anyway, it is better to kill these people rather than other French youth. May 27, André Marie, Minister of Justice sent a circular to the prison administration for the number of detainees likely to leave for Indochina; this causes different reaction: some refuse to serve a republic allied to the Soviets, others instead want to resume the fight against the hated ideology. But for most, they want to demonstrate their patriotism or just out of prison, and nearly 4,000 volunteers are registering, knowing that the duration of the commitment (three, four or five years) will depend on the duration of the sentence remaining to be served. Convicted has more than fifteen years, and those Reach the age of forty limits can not register.

General REVERSE, envisages the creation of half a brigade of three battalions, or 2,500 men would constitute a significant immediate reinforcement for Indochina, but in order not to provoke the public, and especially the Communist Party, he decides stepwise: It creates the Bilom (Infantry Battalion Light Overseas) to staff of 708 men and 109 23officiers framed by NCOs taken at the Colonial Infantry, he prescribes the establishment in Fréjus.

And August 1, formed two combat companies and a small staff. The note states that creative people have a month to sign their engagement.

The CLAUSSE battalion commander was appointed to head the Bilom, Captain TAP, became head of the 1st company, and manage to gather 811 signatures.

The first detachment should start from 1 November but the prison administration and the Board of Pardons proceed with a slowness that borders on bad faith: the first detachment that comes from Struthof with 43 volunteers manages to Frejus on 21 October, the second 70 men on November 15 and 80 in late November ... and so that the constitution takes several months late.

Captain TAP supports education and training of the first company.

The Bilom has no flag, no badge, no permission is granted, and the future of mankind is conditioned, with no promise is made to them by their conduct in battle, which is not without remember the "Af Bat" or "Happy" that these were formed by common criminals. The first company boarded the Pastor on 1 December 1948, the second company in the making, but little progress, and the idea of Demi Brigade is abandoned, and seriously compromised battalion. Boarding is disrupted as of course by protesters of the PC and the CGT. Upon arrival in Saigon, General ALESSANDRI confirms the volunteers they are autrechose that French soldiers. - "Fight well, that alone account" And it affects the first company in Cambodia, which keeps its name from the first Bilom. It participates in the security sector Kompong Trach: cleaning, convoy protection, and many sporadic fighting; This was during one of them he suffers his first loss: the PARISOT lieutenant of BERNECOURT is killed, and the BARATTE sergeant, several men were wounded. TAP, finely tuned and operational, is affected in March in southern Annam and moved to Ba Ngoi, in the area of Nha Trang, she holds several small isolated posts, and forms the framework for voluntary supporters Month, it participated in many battles against the Viets.

The second company, formed in Frejus, embarks on 6 April and joined the South Annam in Ba Ngoi on 20 June, which held a gun to bringing the Bilom taken, or are submitted and the first War Cross TOE Lieutenant Ritzinger at CHRISTIAN sergeant and ten men.

July 29, 1949, the Bilom dissolved, and from its units, it created two "Southern Power Lines Annam" under Captain Tap ABA Ngoi, and BEGUE Captain Khan Hoa. After six months, there is evidence that the volunteers are Bilom French soldiers in itself, being suitable to be used in any job, but it does not change their legal status remains uncertain, it is still no question of amnesty or pardon, but the captain TAP takes it upon himself to appoint corporals, promoting prohibited by the Statute of Bilom.

Mutations are then carried out by the authorities who know the Bilom have a pool of competent men and an inexhaustible dedication, and that is that we find men throughout southern Annam and on the plateau me, in the mountain units, personnel and equipment poor framing of local sharpshooters, holding positions lost in the bush. Many of these volunteers will lose their lives or will be injured, but none will desert or will be accused of cowardice in battle, even if they have not had the glory they hoped.

In October 1950, several of them were appointed NCOs for their competence and their exemplary conduct, or they are still under the influence convictions, the lieutenant Ritzinger alert the authorities, but his approach remains futile. He was killed March 10, 1951 in a remote plateau Month (Plei Djama), and as if his death had awakened some awareness, rehabilitation decisions are made, but without consistency. Records are rejected and others for whom nothing had been asked to manage interested in random paths. Some returned to civilian life without asking for anything, always within the scope of their sentence, others fought in Algeria, some are dead, others remained in the army ... Today only rest of their adventure a plaque on a wall in Fréjus, which bears the names of the dead Bilom. Source: Raymond MUELLE. "The Battalion of the Forsaken. Historama Special Indochina 1994. Raymond MUELLE - Former head of the 11th Battalion Shock, is the author of several books in the series "Storm Troopers". At nineteen years, from the end of 1940, he secretly joined the North Africa. Its paratroop officer course lasted over twenty years since its drop in occupied France at the head of a section of the Shock Battalion and struggles of the Resistance. He continued with the campaigns of the Liberation and Germany, Indochina and Algeria. The book: - The "battalion of convicted" will have no badge or banner; his soldiers will win with their blood and discreetly a "rehabilitation" problematic. In October 1948, the "convicts" handcuffed, some shod hooves of the Prison Service, are directed towards the Fréjus camp to be a unit for Indochina. These are French prisoners sentenced for belonging to training from the Collaboration. Engaged in harsh conditions in Cambodia and the South Annam, Bilom - Battalion lightinfantry overseas - will be worn, dispersed, decimated. After an investigation, the author found the survivors of this extraordinary troupe whom he had met on the ground in the Far East. It traces a moving pen incredible paths of these soldiers of misfortune. "(This book - became in 1990 "The Battalion of the damned." - Appeared in October 1989 under the title "The Convicts Battalion" This first edition was, upon its release, withdrawn from sale at the request of some players story, for reasons of discretion. this book has been revised accordingly, and the names of the protagonists replaced by pseudonyms. "The author must thank those who were willing to entrust their memories so that this story is Their written testimonies usefully complete official sources found in the historical Service of the Army, they can trace the violent and ephemeral existence of that particular unit.. the Bilom names appear in the story, some are real, others. pseudonyms, as all do not think the hatred around them are dead. My gratitude goes especially for those who, for the occasion, chose to call André CANTEL, whose notes and procedures are the basis of this book. This "Convicts Battalion", made up of men undoubted physical courage at a time of their youth put their skin after their ideas, is the blatant illustration of the "woe to the vanquished" applied by poor democracy. For me that was at a time from the other side and, thereafter, have fought alongside these soldatsfrançais on the order of the nation and its greatness, I can attest to the courage of these men of war. Ernst JUNGER said: "Courage is the same on both sides of the storm. "From experience, I knew that already, but more, Indochina, Algeria, and my men died together for an eternal cause: France. I hope that the survivors of these fighters out of the ordinary, these soldiers of misfortune trouventdans these pages the most faithful transcription possible, of their adventures. About B.I.L.O.M. (Light Infantry Battalion Overseas - 1948-1950), a unit that included volunteers from different internment centers and serving their criminal sentence for having served in various organizations of the French state and forehead East. Some will career in the army as NCO or officer:

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After WWII had ended, France became increasingly involved in a desperate struggle against nationalist and communist forces in the regions of modern Vietnam. It was the increasingly desperate nature of the bloody conflict in Indo-China so soon after the taxing efforts of the Second World War that led to the formation of one of the most obscure and little known units in the history of warfare - a unit of former Wehrmacht POWs culled from French prisons and POW camps to serve in Indo-China. Although not the only unit to consist of WWII POWs of German and French decent, it was the first and is most certainly the least known to serve France during the post-WWII years.

The first move to create this unit began on the 27th of May, 1948 when French Minister of Justice Andre Marie requested from the regional directors of the French prison system information on how many prisoners might be interested in serving in Indo-China to "make amends to the nation".

From the politicians to the military establishment the ripple effect was put in motion and soon after the decision was made to raise a demi-brigade of three battalions of political prisoners (i.e. former members of the Wehrmacht, Waffen-SS, Kriegsmarine, French collaborationist organizations, etc, including both Germans and especially Frenchmen who had been volunteers in the German Armed Forces). On July 6th, 1948, the first battalion of this demi-brigade was formed and named "1re Bataillon d'Infanterie legere d'Outre-Mer", otherwise known as BILOM (short for "light infantry battalion for over-seas").

BILOM units weren't originally formed to go to Indo-China. They were intended to be stationed in various French colonies such as French-Guyana and French Polynesia. It was hoped that BILOM units would free up the French Foreign Legion, which was badly needed in Indo-China. BILOM units were originally designed for occupation and policing duties and therefore were structured as light infantry with no heavy weapons. BILOM units were not a part of the FFL as is sometimes misunderstood.

Only political prisoners were to be used to fill the ranks of this BILOM unit. Although the men chosen would be freed from the French prison and POW camp system there was no chance of amnesty. The men of the unit wouldn't be allowed to serve as officers, wouldn't be eligible for promotion, had no insignia, and they could carry no pennant or unit flag.

In August of 1948 less than 500 men had been accepted for service in this BILOM unit. The men were transported to Frejus in France and provided with rudimentary uniforms and equipment. Here they were trained and formed into a cohesive unit. In an ironic twist of fate, some of the men training the newly formed BILOM were themselves former members of the FFI!

Service for BILOM became a reality on December 11th, 1948 when the 1st Company of BILOM (1/BILOM) consisting of 4 officers, 20 NCO's, 148 men, and portions of BILOM HQ sailed from France to Indo-China onboard the SS Pasteur, arriving in Saigon on December 26th, 1948. From January 3rd, 1949 until March 17th, 1949, 1/BILOM fought exclusively in Cambodia. On March 18th, 1949 1/BILOM was transferred to Sud Annan near the region of Nha Trang. Throughout their service in Cambodia and at Sud Annan 1/BILOM took part in patrols, ambushes, search and destroy operations, sharp engagements, and heavy fighting, all the while taking numerous losses in combat against the Viet Minh.

The 2/BILOM arrived alongside 1/BILOM at Sud Annan on May 17th, 1949. Consisting of 2 officers, 6 NCO's, and 57 men, 2/BILOM had left France on the SS Compiegne and arrived in Saigon on May 8th. 29 more men of 2/BILOM arrived for service later in June. Of special note is the first military award for valor which was presented to men of BILOM in the form of the French croix de guerre on June 20th, 1949.

After many months of dedicated service to France under harsh and relatively unforgiving circumstances in southeast Asia, the former Axis POWs of WWII found themselves accepted into the regular units of the French forces in Indo-China as the newly designated 1 and 2 Companies of the "1re Compagnia de Marche du Sud Annam" otherwise known as 1/CMSA and 2/CMSA. The men of BILOM would go on to be integrated into other French units and would serve with France until their forces were finally pulled out from Indo-China, only to be replaced by American unit who themselves would go on fighting for many more years against the same determined enemy.