French Troupes Zone "Aures Nemencha" badge (c.1950s)

French Troupes Zone "Aures Nemencha" badge, circa 1950s.

Description

A striking French Troupes Zone “Aurès Nemencha” badge, dating from the 1950s, produced in metal and coloured enamel. The badge remains in excellent condition, with vivid enamel detail and original fixing to reverse.

Background

The Aurès Nemencha Zone was a key military region in eastern Algeria during the early stages of the Algerian War of Independence (1954–1962). The area, centred around the Aurès Mountains, was one of the first strongholds of the FLN (Front de Libération Nationale) and saw intense fighting between French security forces and local insurgents.

Badges such as this were worn by French Army units and Troupes de secteur stationed in the Aurès–Nemencha operational zone, reflecting both geographical assignment and esprit de corps. These distinctive regional insignia were produced in small numbers and are now highly collectible.