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171:
resumed their role as desert police. Operating in wide-ranging platoons of 50 to 60 men under French officers, they administered local laws, provided some basic medical assistance, inspected wells and reported on the state of pastures in the fertile oasis areas.
214:
of 2012 and subsequent disturbances led to widespread losses and desertions amongst the méharistes. As of 2013 only 368 méharistes remained in service and the future of the corps was in doubt. Mauritania retains a méhariste unit for at least ceremonial purposes.
206:
The modern
Algerian army maintains up to twelve companies of desert troops in the Sahara but these are mechanized units. A small camel mounted corps with Tuareg personnel, modelled on the méharistes of the French era, was disbanded c1980.
250:. All ranks were normally bare-footed when in the saddle, in order not to harm the sensitive upper body of their camels. The saddlery and other leather equipment was of local design and often elaborately decorated.
243:). Two red sashes were worn – one wound around the waist and the other crossed on the chest under red-brown leather equipment of traditional Saharean pattern. A khaki field dress of similar cut was also worn.
187:
or were caught in the open desert by French fighter aircraft and destroyed. During the later stages of the
Algerian War, méhariste detachments did patrol the southern (Saharan) ends of the fortified
894:
345:
194:
The camel-mounted units were retained in service until the end of French rule in 1962. The locally recruited méharistes (numbering about 162 in each company or
952:
152:
units. Following the establishment of a French mandate over Syria in 1920, three méhariste companies were organised in that country as part of the French
568:
829:
360:
282:. Like their French and Spanish counterparts they were recruited from the indigenous desert tribes, and wore modified versions of tribal dress.
210:
In 1996 the government of Mali re-established a camel corps of six companies for patrol and policing work along its
Saharan border. However the
916:
136:
provided an effective means of policing the desert. A similar camel corps was subsequently raised to cover the southern Sahara, operating from
485:
183:
mutinied and killed their eight French officers and N.C.Os. According to differing reports the mutineers either were able to join the rebel
931:
184:
191:
along the
Tunisian border. On several occasions the ALN attempted to outflank the line by disguising commando units as méharistes.
911:
527:
426:
308:. Like their French counterparts they were recruited from the indigenous desert tribes, and wore modified versions of tribal dress.
866:
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370:
263:
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comprised six officers, 36 French non-commissioned officers and troopers, and 300 Chaamba troopers. Their bases were at
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179:(1954–62) but there was one instance, on 17 October 1957, where 60 méharistes of the Adrar camel company near
159:
During World War II méhariste companies, organised as "nomad groups", saw service against Axis forces in the
860:
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76:
56:
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at this date) were then disbanded while French personnel (16 per company) were transferred to other units.
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355:
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Locally recruited camel corps were maintained by the
Spanish army in their North African territory, the
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C.R. Hure, pages 225-228 "L'Armee D'Afrique 1830-1962" Charles-Lavauzelle 1977
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With their local tribal links, plus their mobility and flexible tactics, the
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17:
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John
Gunther, page 142 "Inside Africa", Hamish Hamilton London 1955
441:
Gallardo, Pablo. Soldats d'Algerie. p. 56. ISBN 978-2-35250-524-2.
247:
550:
92:
earlier used to patrol the desert boundaries. The newly raised
144:. From the 1930s onwards, the Méharistes formed part of the
84:
in 1902. These units replaced regular units of
Algerian
543:" Jose Bueno. Libreria Editorial San Martin Madrid 1971
237:
troopers, with turbans, veils and wide black trousers (
100:
nomadic tribe and commanded by officers of the French
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which also included motorised French and (from 1940)
43:. The word is most commonly used as a designation of
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853:
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410:
478:Officers and Soldiers of the French Army in 1940
175:The Sahara remained relatively quiet during the
541:Uniformes Militares de la Guerra Civil Espanola
346:Saharan Companies of the French Foreign Legion
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8:
266:in the Italian North African territories of
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569:
555:
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96:were originally recruited mainly from the
104:(Native Affairs Bureau). Each company of
274:during the colonial period. The Italian
534:Le Uniformi Coloniali Libiche 1912-1942
383:
361:List of French possessions and colonies
233:) of either white for Arab or blue for
278:meharista served primarily as desert
258:Locally recruited camel corps, named
7:
932:United States Army Veterinary Corps
917:King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery
480:. Amber Books Limited. p. 58.
953:Military history of French Algeria
25:
912:1st Military Working Dog Regiment
246:French personnel wore light-blue
72:Compagnies Méharistes Sahariennes
650:
536:" Piero Crociani. La Roccia 1980
466:. p. 57. ISBN 978-2-35250-524-2.
140:and falling within the separate
39:word that roughly translates to
708:Communications and surveillance
371:Royal Corps of Colonial Troops
264:Royal Corps of Colonial Troops
1:
751:Ravens of the Tower of London
519:"The Conquest of the Sahara"
27:French military camel cavalry
177:Algerian War of Independence
167:. At the end of the war the
927:Royal Army Veterinary Corps
514:L'Armee D'Afrique 1830-1962
304:served primarily as desert
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289:
66:France created a corps of
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889:National War Dog Cemetery
689:Blue Peacock nuclear mine
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262:, were maintained by the
476:Jouineau, Andre (2010).
417:. Viking Press. p.
409:Horne, Alistair (1978).
867:Animals in War Memorial
861:Animals in War Memorial
720:Mail delivery by animal
57:Free French Camel Corps
356:French Colonial Empire
169:Compagnies Sahariennes
146:Compagnies Sahariennes
823:By battle, war or era
413:A Savage War of Peace
351:French colonial flags
290:Further information:
225:Compagnies Méharistes
134:Compagnies Méharistes
94:Compagnies méharistes
854:Memorials and awards
227:wore flowing coats (
120:, Fort Polignac and
905:Personnel and units
800:Damnatio ad bestias
373:in the Italian Army
286:Spanish camel corps
254:Italian camel corps
958:French West Africa
725:Pigeon photography
674:Animal-borne bombs
154:Army of the Levant
138:French West Africa
102:Affaires Indigènes
74:), as part of the
51:French camel corps
940:
939:
818:
817:
761:Military funerals
611:Ballista elephant
487:978-2-35250-179-4
464:Soldats d'Algerie
462:Gallardo, Pablo.
453:16 September 2013
202:Post-independence
70:camel companies (
16:(Redirected from
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895:War Dog Memorial
830:Mongol expansion
805:Exploding animal
790:Animals in space
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578:Military animals
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516:" C.R. Hure 1977
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326:Spanish Sahara
324:equivalent in
318:Tropas Nómadas
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302:Tropas Nomadas
298:Spanish Sahara
292:Tropas Nómadas
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795:Animal cyborg
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528:0-394-53086-1
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521:Douglas Porch
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508:The Méhariste
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41:camel cavalry
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19:
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884:Purple poppy
873:Dickin Medal
845:World War II
540:
533:
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477:
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412:
404:
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338:used in the
322:Spanish Army
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272:Tripolitania
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840:World War I
505:(in French)
340:French Army
334:– Colonial
332:Tirailleurs
306:gendarmerie
280:gendarmerie
189:Morice Line
122:Tamanrasset
90:tirailleurs
947:Categories
810:Ship's cat
769:Black Jack
739:Ceremonial
730:War pigeon
378:References
300:. Spanish
106:Méharistes
55:See also:
922:Méhariste
863:(England)
607:Elephants
585:By animal
268:Cyrenaica
260:Meharisti
230:gandourah
110:Tabelbala
80:, in the
68:méhariste
32:Méhariste
869:(Canada)
684:Bat bomb
602:Dolphins
451:L' Essor
336:infantry
312:See also
181:Timimoun
18:Meharist
694:Chariot
667:Weapons
637:Pigeons
627:Insects
499:Sources
240:seroual
219:Uniform
165:Tunisia
128:History
118:Ouargla
98:Chaamba
62:Origins
891:(Guam)
660:By use
622:Horses
592:Camels
526:
484:
425:
320:– The
276:Zaptie
235:Tuareg
161:Fezzan
86:spahis
82:Sahara
37:French
783:Other
632:Moose
617:Geese
248:kepis
114:Adrar
35:is a
642:Pigs
597:Dogs
524:ISBN
482:ISBN
423:ISBN
270:and
223:The
196:goum
88:and
419:265
185:ALN
949::
421:.
156:.
124:.
116:,
112:,
47:.
613:)
609:(
570:e
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556:v
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532:"
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431:.
342:.
328:.
20:)
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