Escadrille Cherifienne
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The Escadrille Chérifienne or Escadrille Américaine was an American mercenary squadron fighting for the French colonial empire during the Rif War. It was attached to the Moroccan Royal Guard, or Garde Chérifienne.
Paul Rockwell photographed at Beni Malek, where the escadrille was based. The image shows the escadrille's emblem: an American bison.
Photo of American members of the Escadrille Cherifienne, at a charity ball for the Association des Dames Françaises held at Majestic, December 12, 1925.
Rif War
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The Rif War was an armed conflict fought from 1921 to 1926 between the occupying colonialists of Spain and the Berber tribes of the mountainous Rif region of northern Morocco. The Rif Republic alone was able to keep a European middle power and great power in check for a time.
Spanish troops in Pasajes, prior to their departure to the war
General Fernández Silvestre in Melilla, 1921
Primo de Rivera (front row left) with King Alfonso XIII and other high-ranking Spanish officers