French distinctive insignia are worn on the right breast, either pinned directly to the lapel 1964 green fatigue dress, or worn on a shaped leather fob, which is suspended from the breast pocket button of the service tunic. The badges themselves are enamelled metal, with a line of base metal between each colour - the size of the illustrations do not always allow this line to be drawn. The finish on yellow metal is usually chromed, but some do have a textured finish, and a white metal is often treated with a grey tinted lacquer. All badges of independent units, including cloth arm patches, have to have a design of their badge approved. When this is done, a number the "nombre d'homolgation" - is allotted to the pattern, and it is usually displayed on the rear of the badge, along with the manufacturer's name. Fig. 1. Groupe Antilles-Guyane. Cloth arm badge, a ultramarine blue rectangle with a gold border, and reversed Y-shaped, a gold snake (representing Martinique], a gold sugar cane and sun [for Guadeloupe], and a gold boat with three gold fish [for Guyane], introduced 1971. Hom: G22309. This is the command formation of units stationed in the Antilles and French Guyana. Fig.2. Headquarters Staff of Groupe Antille-Guyane. Gilt and ultramarine blue. Hom: G2309; made by FIA. Fig.3. Commandement Militaire de la Guyane. Gilt, with two gold fleurs-de-lys, a brown boat and three gold fish all on blue. Hom: G2575; made by Drago. A variant has the fleurs-deivs and fish pale yellow rather than gold. The local command of French Guyana. Its equivalent in Guadeloupe had an insignia designed, but it was never issued. Fig.4. 33e Regiment d'Infanterie de Marine. Metal, gilt metal with a blue sky, white ship and light blue waves, a gold anchor, the number "33" in black, the other writing in gold. Hom: G1897; made by FIA. A variant exists, by Drago, with sky and waves the same pale blue. The regiment was raised in 1961 as a garrison for the AntillesGuyane area, with an H.Q. at Fort-de-France [Martinique]. The names were the locations of the regiment's companies [from 1977, the 3rd Company became part of the 9e B.I.MA., below; the Logistics Company while the Transport and Garrison Company became the 150e C.T.G. in 1968, and another company, in Cayenne, became the 1521e C.T.G. at the same time]. Fig.5. 9e Bataillon d'Infanterie de Marine. Metal, gilt or gilt with a bronze finish. The pagoda is red on a blue over green shield, supported by two black ant-eaters and two green lotus flowers. Hom: G2515, in 19771; made by Drago. The badge is based on that of the 9e Regiment d'Infanterie Coloniale, which had served in Indochina, hence the native hut, with the addition of the two animals, which are of a species indigenous to the West Indies. The battalion was formed in 1976, as a garrison for French Guyana, from a company of the 33e R.I.Ma. and from the 152e C.T.G. Fig.6. 3e Regiment Estranger d'Infanterie. With a green over red rectangle and black writing. Gill Non-homologue. Made by Augis, Bertrand, Drago, Ofsi and locally. The regiment moved to French Guyana from Madagascar in 1973. Three companies are based at the European Space Agency Station at Kourou, the other at Regina. Fig.7. Regiment Mixte des Antilles Guyane. Metal, gilt metal with a gold snake on blue, a gold sun on red and a gold boat and fish on red. Hom: F1917; made by Drago. The R.M.A.G. was the national service regiment of the area. It was disbanded in 1964, when the S.M.A. system was brought in. Fig.8. Headquarters staff of the Service Militaire Adapte [S.M.A.]. Metal, gilt metal with red lettering. Hom: G2084; made by T.R., a variant exists, made by L.R. and by F.I.A., with the bottom diamond shape replaced by a circle. The 1er, 2e and 3e Battailons du S.M.A. used the same variant badge, with the battalion number in the circle. The Groupement, de Formation Professi onelle du S.M.A., and the Centre de Formation Professionelle du S.M.A. used the same badge but with the letters "GFP" or "CFP" respectively in the circle. all used the same nombre d'homolgation. S.M.A. is a form of conscription in the Antilles-Guyane Group, whereby 10% of each class is actually called-up for service, and the rest is sent on leave for training. Three battalions were formed in 1964, from the Regiment Mixte d'Antilles-Guyane, becoming the Regiment du S.M.A. OF Martinique [based at Fort-de-France] of Guadeloupe [pointe-a-Pitre] and of Guyane [Cayenne] respectively in 1976. The G.F.P. / C.F.P. provide career training. Fig. 9. Regiment du S.M.A. de Martinique. Metal, a gilt anchor, but silver map with red lettering. Hom: G24809; made by F.I.A. A variant (by Andor) has narrower letters and a silver anchor cable. Fig. 10. Regiment du S.M.A. de Guadeloupe. Metal, a gilt anchor, with a black and white racoon's head [belonging to a species found only on the island] and black lettering. Hom: G2490; made by F.I.A. and Drago. Fig. 11. Regiment du S.M.A. de Guyane. metal, a gilt anchor with a deep green map and silver rivers; "Guyane" in red and the other lettering in silver. Hom: G2084; made by F.I.A., a variant exists by an unknown manufacturer, with "Guyane" uncoloured. Fig. 12. Bataillon de Commandement et des Services No.16. Metal, a gilt anchor with a silver dragon, and blue lettering. Hom: G2675; made by Drago. The Battalion was formed in 1978 from the 16e Compagnie de Transit et de Garnison at Fort-de-France. The badge is that of the old 16e Regiment d'Infanterie Coloniale. The B.C.S. is an H.Q. unit, incorporating transport, repair, medical and signals elements. Fig. 13. Bataillon de Commandement et des Services No.41. Metal, a silver anchor with a blue disc edged in gold. On the disc is a red sun, a green sugar cane and a bronze tiger's head, with a red throat, white teeth and blue eyes. Hom: G2719; made by Fraisse. The Battalion was formed in 1973 at Pointe a Pitre from the 4le C.C.S.T.G. in 1978, the badge is based on that of the 41e Regiment d'In-Infanterie Coloniale. Fig. 14. 16e Compagnie de Commandement, des Services, de Transit et de Garnison [C.C.S.T.G.]. Metal, gilt metal, a red disc with gold lettering and in the centre a blue shield with a gold chevron between three trefoils. Hom: G2224 in 1970; made by F.I.A. This is the badge formerly used by 150e Compagnie de Transit et de Garnison [C.T.G.], changed merely by altering the unit abbreviation. The arms are those of Jacques Dyle de Parquet, Proprietor of Martinique, Granada, St. Lucia and the Grenadines, but appear incorrectly on the badge, once it should be a black chevron between three blue trefoils on gold. The Company was formed at Fort-de-France from 150e C.T.G., itself formed from the Logistics and the Transport and Garrison Companies of the 33e R.I.Ma. in 1968. Fig. 15. 41e C.C.S.T.G. Metal, gilt, with the arms of Guaddeloupe in colour - gold sun on a green sugar cane on a red field, above is three gold fleurs-de-lys on blue. Hom: G2326; made by Drago and Andor. The badge was also used by its predecessor, 151e C.T.G. [made by Drago]. The Company was formed from the 151e C.T.G. in 1963. Fig. 16. 152e C.T.G. Metal, gilt anchor with the arms of the Compagnie des Indes, also used as the arms of Cavenne - a black boat on red with three white water-lily flowers on blue, and thre gold fleurs-de-lys on red [the date 1643 should also be on the top portion, but is missing from actual examples]. Hom: G-2281 in 1971; made by Drago. The Company was formed in 1968 at Cayenne from a detached company of the 33e R.I.Ma., it later formed part of the 9e B.I.Ma., above. Fig. 17. Commandement et Direction du Material et des Batiments des Antilles-Guyane. Metal, silver with a gold cuirass and helmet [the device of the Engineers]; at the bottom is the shield of the Groupe Antilles-Guyane in blue and gold. Hom: G2855; made by F.I.A. An Engineers / Service du Material unit responsible -for buildings and major repair facilities for the group. Fig. 18. Intendance du Groupe Antilles-Guyane. metal, a gilt anchor with gold and Slue shield, a silver circle and acanthus leaf [the badge of Supply troops]. Hom: G2890; made by Drago. Supply troops. Fig. 19. Intendance / Guadeloupe. Metal, a gilt anchor with dark green foliage, a gold head with black hair and a silver acanthus leaf. Hom: G2807; made by Drago. Fig. 20. Detachement de Transmissions d'Infrastructure de Martinique. Metal, gilt metal with a blue map of the island [the letter "T" and the lightning flashes are the badge of the former Colonial Signals troops]. Non-homologue; made by Fraisse. Fig. 21. Service de Sante des Armees Groupe des Antilles-Guyane. Metal, gilt with a gilt anchor and caduceus, the face of the mirror is white, gilt snake, boat and fish, and sugar cane; the wreaths are dark green. Hom: G2729 in 1979 [earlier examples were wrongly numbered G-2730]; made by Fraisse. A tri-service organisation, as are all Service de Sante units now. Fig.22. Centre de Select Metal, gilt anchor and stars, a green map on blue with a red border and a silver scoll at the top. Hom: G2199; made by Drago. Raised in 1968, and based at Fort-de-France. Fig. 23. Beret badge of Marine troops. In yellow metal for all, except for intendance personnel, who wear it in white. Fig. 24. Beret badge of Legion Etrangere infantry, yellow metal. Source Author's collection & "Les Troupes de Marine" by Capt. E. Mollet [Paris 1983]. Illustrations Back to Table of Contents -- El Dorado Vol V No. 3 Back to El Dorado List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1993 by The South and Central American Military Historians Society This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history and related articles are available at http://www.magweb.com