Indochina 1954 - General
de Lattre and Warrant Officer Vandenberghe
leader of the "Tigres Noirs" commando
Algeria – Helicopter-borne commando
approaching, ready to jump on the zone
Commandos, shadow servicemen...
March pass of air commandos
Parachutists’ and Commandos’ Songs
Les Commandos - France Ô ma France
According to the writer and volunteer serviceman Erwan Bergot, the lyrics of this song were written in 1948, in a train to Paris with about thirty commandos of the 11th clash parachute battalion. The "11" founded two years earlier at Mont-Louis, and commanded by Colonel Paul Aussaresses, was specialized in secret missions, airborne or not, entrusted to the French special services, such as the physical elimination of enemies, sabotages, and bomb attacks. These men were selected to carry out military operations at Tyrol. Among them was Sergeant Vincent Mayoly, who wrote the lyrics with the assistance of Staff Sergeant Paul Pergola of the 35th RALP (Régiment d'Artillerie Légère Parachutiste), which accompanied them. It appears the music is an adaptation of an old Germanic tune, whose author had fallen into oblivion.
Les Commandos is often sung in parachute and commando units. The author imbued it with the most of the soul of these patriots, shadow servicemen, at the time when they went to serve France and carry out risky missions, though they knew that a good number of them will not return.
It should be noted the lyrics are in several versions.