40 Compagnie de Camions-Bennes Type II badge
The 40th Dump trucks company were created on the 1st October 1945, it was a company that was composed of German POW specialists (Pioniere etc) recruited from the camps, the company was initially under the command of Lieutenant Rodriguez and had 3 officers, 4 NCOs and 110 Legionnaires. On the 17th January 1946 the company embarked for Indochina arriving on the 3rd February, they were based in the Saigon district of Chi Hoa and then Gia Dinh in Northeast Saigon. The company had four transport sections, a workshop section and a command section. The mission of the company is the transport of building materials and also combat patrols and operations in the Plaine des Joncs, 1947 seen the company operate in Cochinchina, Annam, Cambodia and Laos before being transferred to Tourane in central Annam, 1948-49 were spent in transporting operations and maintaining the roads in the central Annam areas. Also in 1948 a folding boats section was officially added to the company. In 1950-51 the company was used on expanding the fortifications on the De Lattre line in the Tonkin Delta. On the 1st January 1954 the 40 CCB officially became a regular Pioneer unit of the French Army as all the Legionnaires left the company which was eventually dissolved sometime in June 1955.
The type II badge was created in 1951 by Captain Marconnet, commander of the 40 CCB. The badge has no maker mark but has the Camerone inscription on the rear with some examples being numbered and locally made examples also exist.
Thanks to Andi Mitchell for the information