Loïc wrote:the DINA in peacetime were only in metropolitan France, not in North Africa and not belonging to Colonial Troops, I don't see both protectorates and the Foreign Affairs having something to say in this matter...
the Vietnamese, the Indochinese, it is the same case than the Magalasy but into the 52nd Machine-Gun Half-Brigade mixed with French Pyrenean reservists, a 55th Battalion was raised from remnants of this unit in june 1940
there were others Indochinese units but the main difference with others colonies, as from a military and colonial perspective they are not really perceived favourably as good recruits and first line troops, just at least recognized for specialized tasks (drivers, nurses, Ordnance, Quatermaster services...) so they were mobilised into auxiliaries to not say civililan workers companies
actually most numerous were the Indochinese workers/labour units, one company and one Battalion with military status and above all the 73 companies with civilian status of the 5 Indochinese workers Legions
also military were 20 Quatermaster auxiliaries companies for Army field bakeries and 16 machine-gun AAA units in metropolitan France, 2 Pioneer Battalions for Levant
the Metropolitan authorities planned to raise from Indochina 2 or 3 unrealistic expeditionnary Divisions for France and Syria-Lebanon and 100 000 civilian workers more for metropolitan factories
Regards
Loïc
Hi, Loic, thank a lot for your information.
