The 8th Zouaves Regiment (French: 8e Régiment de Zouaves , 8e R.Z) was a French infantry unit of the French Army. Created in 1914, the unit was designated as 8th Marching Zouaves Regiment.
Creation and different nominations
1914 : 8th Marching Zouaves Regiment
1920 : redesignated 8th Zouaves Regiment
1928 : dissolution
1934 : reconstituted
1940 : dissolution
1946 : recreated under designation 8th Zouaves Demi-Brigade
1956 : dissolution
1959 : creation of the 8th Zouaves Battalion from the 3rd Battalion of the 21st Infantry Regiment (French: 21e Régiment d'infanterie)
1962 : dissolution
Disembarked at Bordeaux and at Cette, from August 7 to August 15, 1914, 3 battalions (1st, 2nd, and 4th), the 3rd battalion belonging to a marching tirailleur regiment at the corps of the Moroccan Division. On August 20, they were in the region of Mézières - Charleville. The following days, they heard the cannon of Charleroi. The 25, they crossed the border of Belgium, and that of Sugny, small Belgian village, they witnissed the blazing of the villages of the Meuse and Semois. They welcomed the IX Corps and assumed the rearguard.
They combat engaged at the corps of the Moroccan Division alongside the 4e RTT, the 7e RTA as well as the RMLE.
Unfolding on the Marne
Yser
October 1914: the 8th Zouaves assumed form with the four respective battalions and designated "8".
In August 1915, the regimental colors were received. The regiment had three colonels throughout the war, lieutenants-colonels Modelon, Auronx and Lagarde. Lieutenant-colonel Modelon earned the regiment two palms and the fourragere with colors of the Croix de guerre 1914-1918. Under the command of colonel Lagarde, the regiment conquered five palms, the fourragre with colors of the Médaille militaire, then the fourragere with colors of the Légion d'honneur. Conferred the Croix de Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur to the regimental colors, the 8th Zouaves Regiment was cited seven times at the orders of the armed forces during the course of the war (1914-1918).
Artois
September 25 - October 6 : Second Battle of Champagne
Verdun 1916
La Somme
Verdun 1917
Verdun
Villers-Bretonneux
Soissons La Crise
Le Chemin des Dames
While only taking part, to life in the sector, the 8th Zouaves was of almost all the grand action offensives of the war, the regiment was able to inscribe on the regimental colors :la Marne, Yser, Artois, Champagne, Somme, Moronvilliers, Verdun, Soissons, July 18 chemin des dames.
Since 1919, the regiment is in Oran, dissolved in 1928, the 2nd Zouave replaced the 8th Zouave. The regiment held garrison at camp Châlons in 1943. Accordingly, the regiment was motorised, the only regiment of Zouave in Metropole...
In 1940, the 8th Zouaves, with the 12th Motorised Infantry Division (French: :fr:12e division d'infanterie motorisée) disappeared at Dunkerque.
Formed a Commando unit in Algeria
Algeria 1956 - 1962
At the cease-fire on March 19, 1962 in Algeria, the 8th Zouaves Regiment constituted along with 91 other regiments, the 114 units of the local force through the accords of Evians on March 18, 1962. The 8th Zouaves Regiment formed a local unit force of the Algerian order of battle, the 496°UFL-UFO composed of 10% metropolitan military and 90% Muslim military personnel, while being at the service of the executive provisionary power of Algeria until the independence of Algeria.
The Regimental Color are decorated with:
Légion d'honneur
Croix de guerre 1914-1918 with :
7 palms and 1 silver star ,
Ordre du Mérite Militaire Chérifien.
Fourragere:
Fourragère with colors of Croix de guerre 1914-1918
Fourragère with colors of the Médaille militaire.
Fourragère with colors of the Légion d'honneur attributed to the regiment on September 3, 1918.
Saint-Gond 1914
Artois 1915
Champagne 1915
Les Monts 1917
Verdun 1917
Soissonnais 1918
Vauxaillon 1918
Regimental Commanders
1914-1918
lieutenant-colonel Modelon
lieutenant-colonel Auroux
lieutenant-colonel Lagarde
colonel Cloitre in the 1920s
1935 - 1937: Colonel Dame
1940
lieutenant-colonel Anzemberger
In 1956 Colonel Gaubillot and Commandant Bonamy
Robert Jallet (1890-1945), served in the 8th Zouaves during World War I.
Edgard Tupët-Thomé from October 1938 to 1940.
