VIntage Patch - CIP - Paratroopers - French Foreign Legion - French Vietnam War - Indochine - Miltaria

PATCH - French Foreign Legion - French Indochina War.

Legion Etrangere - Paratrooper - Airborne

1st Vietnam War French Indochina War Patch

CIP - Compagnie Indochinoise Parachutistes 1e CIP

Measures - 3.2 x 2.8 inches (8 x 7 cms)

CIP – Indochina Parachute Company

CIP - Compagnie Indochinoise Parachutistes 1e CIP - 1st Vietnamese Foreign Legion Company.

CIP The 1e CIP (1st CIP) were the first of the Vietnamese Parachute regiments to be activated in Indochina.

Activated in January 1948 and attached to the 1st Colonial Parachute Battalion.

It's first combat jump was north of Saigon in April of 1948 in pursuit of the Viet Minh.

The 1st CIP were soon followed by the 3rd, 5th and 7th CIP's.

By 1951 these units had been renamed the 'Colonial Paratrooper Commando Battalion' (BCCP) and attached to the 1st French Foreign Legion Parachute.

When the main French body left Indochina the CIP's were again activated and later became the BPVN (Vietnam Parachute battalions).

They CIP Units of the BPVN parachuted into Dien Bien Phu in the early part of the siege in November of 1953 but during a lull was flown out only to jump into Dien Bien Phu again in March of 1954.

The CIP units were totally destroyed in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu.

CIP Continuite was reformed at Tan Son Nhut in July of 1954 but was never to reach any real strength.