Rémy Raffalli

Barthélémy "Rémy" Raffalli (16 March 1913 – 10 September 1952) was a French Army major who fought in World War II and the First Indochina War.

He entered the Saint-Cyr Military School on 1 October 1933 as part of the King Albert I promotion and graduated in 1935. Raffalli then chose to enter the cavalry of the French Army and studied at the Armoured Cavalry Branch Training School in Saumur. In 1936 he was posted to the 1st Regiment of Spahis in Algeria, which he joined at Médéa, and then the 3rd Moroccan Regiment of Spahis.

Raffalli joined the French Expeditionary Corps in Italy in 1943 and served with distinction. On 17 March 1944, he was seriously wounded while leading a squadron of the 5th Moroccan Spahis Regiment.

Raffalli earned his parachute badge in September 1949. After a short tour with the 3rd Foreign Parachute Battalion 3^ème BEP and 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion 1^et BEP, he took command of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion 2^èmeBEP on 12 September 1950 in Hanoi, Vietnam. He was promoted to Chef d'Escadrons on 1 July 1951 and led the battalion during the Battle of Nghia Lo in October 1951. He was fatally wounded on 1 September 1952 while leading his battalion; he died on 10 September 1952 in Saigon.

• Légion d'honneur
  • Knight (1944)
  • Officer (1951)
  • Commander (1951)
• Croix de guerre 1939-1945 with one bronze star
• Croix de guerre des Théatres d'Opérations Exterieures with one bronze star

Camp Raffalli, the headquarters of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2^ème REP) is named in his memory.

The 183rd promotion of the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr chose the promotion Chef d'Escadrons Raffalli. The song of the promotion recalls the arms celebration of Chef d'Escadrons Raffalli .^[1]

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• Major (France)
• French Foreign Legion Music Band (MLE)