Commandos Nord Vietnam

Welcome to the
"Commandos Nord Vietnam "

The "Commandos Nord -Vietnam" were created in 1951 as one of the instruments of General De Lattre De Tassigny
strategy of protection of the "fertile Tonkin area" (North Vietnam Delta) and also to bring insecurity in enemy controlled areas.
The commandos would be small units trained into jungle and night fighting with a mission of gathering intelligence, search and destroy as well as rallying ethnic minorities.
Once rallied, they would be organized into French backed gorilla fighting units which in term would established
safe enclaves into contested or occupied Viet Minh areas.

Despite the high command directives and their success as an anti-gorilla fighting forces,
they would be some time misemployed at a tactical level by unwilling conventional military commanders.

From its 30 Commandos back in 1951, the program did extend to 45 Commandos by the end of 1954
and was very successful in its missions, unfortunately like the GCMA program, this was too little too late.

From left to right
Authorized beret badge, Colonial pocket rank badge, Commando 9 badge (unauthorized)

The commando:
was usually made of nine French soldiers, all Airborne and mainly from the "Parachutistes Coloniaux"

One Officer or Adjudant Chef or Adjudant (warrant officer)
Four NCO (with one senior NCO acting as an Executive Officer)
Four Junior ranks (two radio and two medics).

The maximum number of indigenous troops allowed was 120 men per Commando
( the true figure were generally around 100 )

Recruiting:
was done in the area of operation with total freedom left to the CO.
Many Viet Minh prisoners were "turned round" and often used,
this was considered as a real asset for the French Commandos,
but also cost them dearly in European lives due to Viet Minh infiltration.

The mission:
Raids, ambush, prisoner snatch, intelligence in enemy controlled or contested territory.


Paratrooper beret insignia	Commando No 23, "Rusconi"	Colonial Paratrooper Shoulder sleeve insignia

"Bring back" from Indochina
click above to see larger photo and description

Commando 9
December 1953
Bac Ninh, North Vietnam

The combat uniform was often the OD French M47 uniform or a purpose made "black pyjama uniform", with French army leather army boots, jungle boots called "pataugas" or the civilian trainers called "baskets". Head gear was black beret, red beret was tolerated for Airborne qualified troops, the French jungle hat as well asViet Minh helmets (sun hats) were often worn on operations.

The Commando were lightly armed with Thompson, MAT 49, MAS36, M1 carbine and FM24/29 with some time
a couple of 50 or 60mm Mortars

Radios were one SCR690, three to four SCR300
and four to five SCR536 per Commando

Insignia, uniform and equipment are from my collection

HQ platoon,
Commando 20
January 1954
Dai Mo, North Vietnam

Recreated photo of a "Commando Nord Vietnam" taken at the War and Peace Military vehicle show at Beltring, UK.
Please note this page is "a work in progress",
if you have any additional information or correction, please get in touch
via the Gia Vuc contact page

This page has been written by J-L Delauve (Gia Vuc webmaster) after reading the following books,
this is a work in progress and the webpage can and will be updated if new information come to light.

Reference Materials:
Uniforms of the Indo-China War and Vietnam War,Leroy Tomphson; Les 170 Jours de Dien Bien Phu, Erwan Bergot;
French Foreign Legion Paratroops and The French Indochina War 1946-54 Martin Windrow;
Une Guerre sans Fin, Indochine 1945-54, Pierre Ferrari et Jaques M.Vernet;
The Last Valley, Martin windrow; Commando et Forces Speciales en Indochine, Raymond Muelle;
Services Speciaux, GCMA-Iindochine, Raymond Muelle - Eric Deroo;
Jungle Mission, R Riesen; Le Silence du Ciel, R Riesen; Les Heros Oublies, Erwan Bergo.