Mehariste
Encyclopedia
Méhariste is a French
word that roughly translates to camel cavalry
. The word is most commonly used as a designation of military units.
from 1902, replacing regular units of Algerian spahis and tirailleurs earlier used to patrol the desert boundaries. The newly raised Compagnies Méharistes were originally recruited mainly from the Chaamba
nomadic tribe and commanded by officers of the French Affaires Indigènes (Native Affairs Bureau). Each company of Méharistes comprised six officers, 36 French non-commissioned officers and troopers, and 300 Chaamba troopers. Their bases were at Tabelbala
, Adrar
, Ouargla
, Fort Polignac and Tamanrasset.
and falling within the Armee Coloniale. From the 1930s on the Meharistes formed part of the Compagnies Sahariennes which also included motorised French and (from 1940) Foreign Legion
units. Following the establishment of a French Mandate over Syria in 1920, three mehariste companies were organised in that country as part of the French Army of the Levant
.
During World War II Mehariste companies organised as "nomad groups" saw service against Axis forces in the Fezzan
and southern Tunisia
.
At the end of the War the Compagnies Sahariennes resumed their role as desert police. The Sahara remained relatively quiet during the Algerian War of Independence
(1954–62) but there was one instance, on 17 October 1957, where 60 meharistes near Timimoun
mutinied and killed their eight French officers. According to differing reports the mutineers either were able to join the rebel ALN
or were caught in the open desert by French fighter aircraft and destroyed.
The camel mounted units were retained in service until the end of French rule in 1962. The locally recruited meharistes were then disbanded while French personnel were transferred to other units.
and Cyrenaica
& Tripolitania
) during the colonial period. Both the Spanish Tropas Nomadas
and the Italian Zaptie
Meharista served primarily as desert gendarmerie
. Like their French counterparts they were recruited from the indigenous desert tribes and wore modified versions of tribal dress.
French personnel wore light blue kepis. 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.
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
word that roughly translates to camel cavalry
Camel cavalry
Camel cavalry, or camelry, is a generic designation for armed forces using camels as a means of transportation. Sometimes warriors or soldiers of this type also fought from camel-back with spears, bows or rifles....
. The word is most commonly used as a designation of military units.
Origins of French Camel Corps
France created a méhariste camel corps as part of the Armée d'Afrique in the SaharaSahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
from 1902, replacing regular units of Algerian spahis and tirailleurs earlier used to patrol the desert boundaries. The newly raised Compagnies Méharistes were originally recruited mainly from the Chaamba
Chaamba
The Chaamba are a large Sulaymi Arab tribe of the northern Sahara in Algeria. They live around Métlili, El Golea, Ouargla, El Oued, and the Great Western Erg, including Timimoun and Béni Abbès While traditionally they were nomads specialised in raising camels, most have settled in the oases over...
nomadic tribe and commanded by officers of the French Affaires Indigènes (Native Affairs Bureau). Each company of Méharistes comprised six officers, 36 French non-commissioned officers and troopers, and 300 Chaamba troopers. Their bases were at Tabelbala
Tabelbala
Tabelbala is an oasis between Béchar and Tindouf in southwestern Algeria, notable for being the only town in Algeria to speak a language neither Arabic nor Berber, Korandje.Tabelbala is divided into four settlements...
, Adrar
Adrar
Adrar, a Berber word meaning "mountain", is the name of several areas in Northwest Africa:* Adrar, Mauritania* Adrar Region, Mauritania* Adrar Plateau, Mauritania* Adrar, Algeria* Adrar Province, Algeria...
, Ouargla
Ouargla
Ouargla is the capital city of Ouargla province, in the Sahara Desert, in southern Algeria. It has a flourishing oil industry, and hosts one of Algeria's universities. The city had a population of 129,402 in 1998 ....
, Fort Polignac and Tamanrasset.
History
With their local tribal links, mobility and flexible tactics the Compagnies Méharistes provided an effective means of policing the desert. A similar camel corps was subsequently raised to cover the southern Sahara, operating from French West AfricaFrench West Africa
French West Africa was a federation of eight French colonial territories in Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan , French Guinea , Côte d'Ivoire , Upper Volta , Dahomey and Niger...
and falling within the Armee Coloniale. From the 1930s on the Meharistes formed part of the Compagnies Sahariennes which also included motorised French and (from 1940) Foreign Legion
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
units. Following the establishment of a French Mandate over Syria in 1920, three mehariste companies were organised in that country as part of the French Army of the Levant
Army of the Levant
The Army of the Levant identifies the armed forces of France and then Vichy France which occupied, and were in part recruited from, a portion of the "Levant" during the interwar period and early World War II.-Origins:...
.
During World War II Mehariste companies organised as "nomad groups" saw service against Axis forces in the Fezzan
Fezzan
Fezzan is a south western region of modern Libya. It is largely desert but broken by mountains, uplands, and dry river valleys in the north, where oases enable ancient towns and villages to survive deep in the otherwise inhospitable Sahara.-Name:...
and southern Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
.
At the end of the War the Compagnies Sahariennes resumed their role as desert police. The Sahara remained relatively quiet during the Algerian War of Independence
Algerian War of Independence
The Algerian War was a conflict between France and Algerian independence movements from 1954 to 1962, which led to Algeria's gaining its independence from France...
(1954–62) but there was one instance, on 17 October 1957, where 60 meharistes near Timimoun
Timimoun
Timimoun is a little oasis town in Adrar Province, Algeria; in the Gourara region.It is located to the northwest of the eponymous Sebkha, at the edge of the plateau of Tadmaït....
mutinied and killed their eight French officers. According to differing reports the mutineers either were able to join the rebel ALN
Armée de Libération Nationale
The Armée de Libération Nationale or ALN was the armed wing of the nationalist Front de Libération National during the Algerian War of Independence...
or were caught in the open desert by French fighter aircraft and destroyed.
The camel mounted units were retained in service until the end of French rule in 1962. The locally recruited meharistes were then disbanded while French personnel were transferred to other units.
Spanish and Italian Camel Corps
Locally recruited camel corps were also maintained by the Spanish and Italian armies in their respective North African territiories (Spanish SaharaSpanish Sahara
Spanish Sahara was the name used for the modern territory of Western Sahara when it was ruled as a territory by Spain between 1884 and 1975...
and Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica is the eastern coastal region of Libya.Also known as Pentapolis in antiquity, it was part of the Creta et Cyrenaica province during the Roman period, later divided in Libia Pentapolis and Libia Sicca...
& Tripolitania
Tripolitania
Tripolitania or Tripolitana is a historic region and former province of Libya.Tripolitania was a separate Italian colony from 1927 to 1934...
) during the colonial period. Both the Spanish Tropas Nomadas
Tropas Nómadas
The Tropas Nómadas were an auxiliary regiment to the colonial army in Spanish Sahara , from the 1930s until the end of the Spanish presence in the territory in 1975...
and the Italian Zaptie
Zaptié
Zaptié was the designation given to locally raised gendarmerie units in the Italian colonies of Tripolitania, Cyrenaica, Eritrea and Italian Somaliland between 1889 and 1942....
Meharista served primarily as desert gendarmerie
Gendarmerie
A gendarmerie or gendarmery is a military force charged with police duties among civilian populations. Members of such a force are typically called "gendarmes". The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary describes a gendarme as "a soldier who is employed on police duties" and a "gendarmery, -erie" as...
. Like their French counterparts they were recruited from the indigenous desert tribes and wore modified versions of tribal dress.
Post-Independence
The modern Algerian army maintains up to twelve companies of desert troops in the Sahara but these are mechanised units. According to recent media reports the Government of Mali is considering the creation of a camel mounted unit for patrol and policing work along its Saharan border.Uniform
The Compagnies Meharistes wore flowing coats (gandourah) of either white for Arab or blue for Tuareg troopers, with turbans, veils and wide black trousers (seroual). 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.French personnel wore light blue kepis. 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.
See also
- Tropas NómadasTropas NómadasThe Tropas Nómadas were an auxiliary regiment to the colonial army in Spanish Sahara , from the 1930s until the end of the Spanish presence in the territory in 1975...
- The Spanish ArmySpanish ArmyThe Spanish Army is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest active armies - dating back to the 15th century.-Introduction:...
equivalent in Spanish SaharaSpanish SaharaSpanish Sahara was the name used for the modern territory of Western Sahara when it was ruled as a territory by Spain between 1884 and 1975...
. - TirailleurTirailleurTirailleur literally means a shooting skirmisher in French from tir—shot. The term dates back to the Napoleonic period where it was used to designate light infantry trained to skirmish ahead of the main columns...
s - Colonial infantryInfantryInfantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
used in the French ArmyFrench ArmyThe French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
. - Camel cavalryCamel cavalryCamel cavalry, or camelry, is a generic designation for armed forces using camels as a means of transportation. Sometimes warriors or soldiers of this type also fought from camel-back with spears, bows or rifles....
- French colonial flagsFrench colonial flagsSome of the colonies, protectorates and mandates of the French Colonial Empire used distinctive colonial flags. These most commonly had a French Tricolour in the canton....
- French Colonial EmpireFrench colonial empireThe French colonial empire was the set of territories outside Europe that were under French rule primarily from the 17th century to the late 1960s. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the colonial empire of France was the second-largest in the world behind the British Empire. The French colonial empire...
- List of French possessions and colonies