History of the Regiment - Regimental Background
69eme Infanterie de ligne, Voltigeurs Napoleonic Re-enactment unit
Summary of History

Created in  1653     

Regimental Day: 25th July
( 1799, Aboukir)

Motto: " Vis Nulla Revellet."

Quotes of Glory:

" Le chef de bataillon Bernard et le
capitaine Baille, de la 69ème
Demi-Brigade se sont couverts de
gloire." Bonaparte, 1790.

" L'Assemblée Nationale vote des
félicitations au 69ème régiment de
marche." 1871.

" Régiment d'élite, au magnifique passé
militaire, aux plus nobles et plus
glorieuses traditions." Maréchal Pétain,
1918.
Translated:  An elite regiment with a
magnficent military history, from the
noblest and most glorious traditions.

Order.
1673: Greder.
1714: Affry.
1734: Wittmer.
1757: Waldner de Freudenstein.
1781: Vigier.
1791: 69ème Régiment d'Infanterie.
1792: Dissolved
1795: Reformed :69ème Demi-Brigade
de Bataille.
1796: 69ème Demi-Brigade de Ligne.
1803: 69ème Régiment d'Infanterie de
Ligne.
1815: Dissolved again
1815 Legion des Bas-Alpes
1840: 69ème Régiment de Ligne.
1877: 77e Régiment d'Infanterie.de
Ligne.
1882: 69ème Régiment d'Infanterie.
1923: Dissolved (traditions are
maintained by the 26th Infantry
Regiment
1936: Reformed: 69ème Régiment
d'Infanterie de Forteresse.
1940: Dissolved

See Visualisation link for lineage of
69eme, how it was made up during the
post revolution amalgamations.
Colours
CASTIGLIONE 1796 - ABOUKIR 1799 -
ElCHINGEN 1805 - FRIEDLAND 1807 -
LORRAINE 1914 - VERDUN 1916 - The
SOMME 1916 - BELGIQUE 1918.
Adorned with the Croix de Guerre
1914-1918 with  4 palm and two stars
vermeil.
Fourragère.
Military Medal 1914-1918.
Campaigns.
Ligue d'Augsbourg 1688-1697 - Wars of
the Spanish Succcession 1701-1713 -
Austrian Succession 1740- 1748 - Italy
1795-1797 - Egypt 1798-1801 - Prussia
1805-1807 - Spain 1808-1814 - France
1814 - Belgium 1815 - Crimea 1855 -
Rome 1860-1866 - France 1870-1871 -
The Great War 1914-1918 - France
1939-1940.
Refrain.
" Mes deux couilles sont détachées,
rattache-les, rattache-les."
translated means: my testicles have
come off, reattach them reattach them.
Gouley was already the hero of Tolas
when at the battle of the Nive, Gouley
jumped into a Spanish redoubt where
soldiers were fleeing ahead of the 69eme
voltigeurs , said 'stop there prisoners,' they
responded, 'we're not prisoners and
turned around to bayonet him, he
side-stepped the thrust, grabbed the arm,
and stabbed his assailant with his sword,
another Spaniard aimed his musket at him
and he dodged the musket ball that passed
through his shako, the lieutenant jumped
on him and killed him. Scared by such
audacity, thirteen Spaniards surrendered
to him, he marched them to the voltigeurs
who took them back to the battalian HQ.
One of several remarks the Emperor said
of the 69eme after the Tordesillas action
that the 69 'ne s'etonne de rien' ( nothing
surprises them).
1st Bn raised on 20 May 1651. 2nd Bn raised on 1st March 1654 Pre-revolutionary infantry regiments
only consist of 2 Battalions; grenadier and fusilier which changed during the revolution and again
shortly after. In 1803 and 04 line battalions were modified and standardised into 3 or 4 battalions;
fusilier, voltigeurs and grenadier.
Revolutionary campaigns 1792 conquest of Savoy, Toulon, Nice. 1794 Mont Blanc, Vol des Basses Alpes.
1795-6 Armée d’Italie; Mondovi, Mantura, La Favorita, Fontaniva, Caldiero, Arcola. 1796
Amalgamation with the 102e, 166e and 170e. 1798 Armée d’Orient. 1799 blockade and capitulation of El
Arish, storming of Jaffa, Aboukir. 1801 Lake Marcotis defeat at British hands. Alexandria another
defeat. Returned to France 1803. 1805 Elchingen , Ulm. 1806 Jena. 1807 Eylau, Friedland. 1809 Austria;
Ebersberg, Lugo, Essling, Pouteaux, Wagram. 1810 Busacco. 1811 Fuentes de Onoro. 1812 Salamanca.
1813 Spain and Saxony; Lutzen, Wurschen, Dresden, Leipzip, Nivelle River, Bayonne. 1814 Bayonne
and Luxemburg, Orthez, Aire, Toulouse. 1815 Ligny. Account from 1814 action at Orthez click here.
Account of 69e at Elchingen click here.
29th April 1808 received two golden laurel wreaths from the city of Paris. A new eagle was presented
at Ascain by the Duke of Dalmatia on 16th August 1813. The regiment was disbanded on 12th May 1814
but re-raised at once as 64e, renumbered 69e by Napoleon. It was disbanded and re-raised on 13th
March 1815.
More info on 69eme during Napoleonic period click here
From 3rd August 1815 Légion des bas Alpes. 1854 became 77e
In 1870-71 69eme fought in Franco-Prussian war  See one account from the conflict
Click here for campaign history of 1914-18, where 69e fought as part of 11e 'Iron' Division of Foche.