French Foreign Legion 71st Engineer Battalion 4th Armored boat company pocket badge

4e Compagnie de Bateaux Blindes du 71e Bataillon du Genie badge.
4th Armored boat company of the 71st Engineer battalion. The unit was originally created in 1947 with one section of armored boats under Sous-Lieutenant Thimel, they were used as an independent section of armored engineer boats.. Based at My Tho in Cochinchine they were attached to the 71st Colonial engineer battalion, the section had three armored boats for operations on the Mekong and its tributaries. Between 1947-48 the section was expanded and in 1949 it became a company under the 71st engineer battalion with a small armada of 13 armored vessels and a few smaller boats. The company still resumed its mission of river patrols and reconnaissance along the Mekong and the escorting of shipping along the river ways. In 1950 it took part in amphibious operations with the 1 REC and 13 DBLE into the Plaine des Joncs. The rest of the years were spent conducting amphibious operations, patrols, bridge building and keeping the Mekong free of Vietminh.
The company was dissolved during March 1955.
The badge was made by Drago Paris 25 rue Beranger, Drago Paris Nice 43 rue Olivier Metra with silver examples issued for officers.
Thanks to Andy Mitchell for the information.