Battalions of Light Infantry of Africa

Bataillons d'Infanterie Légère d'Afrique
Light Infantry of Africa in 1833, during the conquest of Algeria
Active13 June 1832—31 March 1972
Country France
BranchFrench Army
TypeLight infantry
Penal military unit
RoleDesert warfare
Raiding
Trench warfare
Garrison/HQTataouine (French Tunisia)
Nickname(s)Bat' d'Af'
L'Enfer
Biribi
March"Les Bataillonnaires"
AnniversariesBattle of Mazagran (6 February)
EngagementsFrench colonial Wars
French Intervention in Mexico
Crimean War
World War I
World War II

The Battalions of Light Infantry of Africa (French: Bataillons d'Infanterie Légère d'Afrique or BILA), better known under the acronym Bat' d'Af', were French infantry and construction units, serving in Northern Africa, made up of men with prison records who still had to do their military service, or soldiers with serious disciplinary records.[1]

  1. ^ The Soldier's burden, Maroc 1923 : Hell on earth in the Bat' d'Af' [1] (retrieved 2011-12-29)