Uniforms worn by French Foreign Legion at Gallipoli

1914 September: Dark blue coats and scarlet pants (pantaloons).

1914 September: At the front, the scarlet pants were replaced by dark blue ones.

1915 September: Horizon blue uniforms arrived. Same as French line regiments.

*1915 November-Jan 1916: Khaki uniforms assigned. Same as Colonial regiments.

*the French Colonial troops (Zouaves, Moroccans, Senegalese, Tirailleurs Algerians, Tunisians, etc.) now fought alongside the Legion.

The Legion always wore the waist sash, but mostly only in Review Order (Parade Ground Order).

The kit issued to us in those days consisted of a képi, which was red with a blue band, blue tunic, red trousers, and a short vest which we called veste de singe, an overcoat and the blue woollen belt which it is compulsory to wear over our tunics as a precaution against dysentery.

The couvre nuque (neck cover) was also issued but, in spite of the fact that in films about the Legion the officers and men are always shown wearing it, day and night, this is not so in reality. It is never worn. The only use to which it is put by Légionnaires is to strain their coffee or even water when it is very muddy!

The epaulettes, which are also featured in films and fiction have not been worn since 1907. The only epaulette a Legion soldier wears is a little blue rosette of felt which he sews on his right shoulder in order to hitch his rifle over it.

When we were in the Dardanelles in 1915 blue linen trousers called salopettes were issued to us to wear over our red ones.

During the war, when the French troops got their "bleu horizon", we were given khaki and since then all the French Colonial troops have worn khaki.

The French Government bought up all the American uniforms at the end of the war.