Just found this text from my brother a couple of years ago

[Robert George Young]

Old fella joined foreign legion...jumped a ship in Algiers

Flash back memory

Vernon is kindly helping me on this and other things
But so pleased to find brothers text I thought I’d share it.

Bob

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From brother

Wonder if the Foreign Legion kept any records...?
Bet they're kept for decades

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Jumped a ship in Algiers I think....was in it a month or so

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Bob
Well that is something now, so at least we know that the possibility of Jumping Ship in Algiers is there!
I had said that he possibly then backtracked to France to Join up either then at the old Fort de Vencennis or at the Fort de Nogent at Aubagne, as i have no actual knowledge of recruitment outside of France!??

The FFL i would say does hold Records , as i wrote to them quite a few Years back now, for a possible copy of my Service. I did get a reply with a Service Record, i could do it then as it was many Years since me and my Brother had absconded! I was known as (Le Jeun) , as i had taken that name on when joining!
Cheers
Doc

[j.sabourn]

Re. French Foreign Legion .. went to Sfax in North Africa at various times as others on site with BISCO ore charters will have done. Ashore in the Casbah there were always off duty legionaires whooping it up in the red light areas , which was most of the Casbah. Was best to keep clear of . Saying that however I was in the 70s caught up in the shore riots in Mogadishu and got pulled out by a 4 man patrol in a Jeep and spent the night being a guest in their garrison bar , better than being left lying in the gutter . Think the French at the time were pulling out of that part of Africa. JS

[Doc Vernon]

Hi JS
Not disputing what you write mate, only thing is i dont recall any Legionairs being in that part of Africa in 1970, as the last Units were taken away about January 1968 and sent back to France, that was the 2 REI Unit. Later disbanded in France as well.
The only place that Legionairs were still present in Africa, as i know of was in Chad, that was the 2REP Motorised Company that went there to calm down some local rebellion>
But who knows ?????? Most Units were sent off to various parts of te Globe, but mainly served in Corsica after Africa.
Cheers

[j.sabourn]

The time in Sfax was prior to 1968 I had left British ships by then and was in Canada and hence mainly the far east until
71/72. The time in Mogadishu however was after 1970 in the early parts , the Same time as the free food for the Sudan was underway on behalf of the Bob Geldoff followers , where we finished up clear of the Red Sea ports. This was on another version of the Exmoor which same named ship had been on in the 60s when in collision , but was then under the umbrella of Anchor Line and Runciman Shipping from Glasgow. If Ivor comes back on site he will have a better idea of times as was heavily involved in the distribution of such , although can’t imagine him as a follower of Sir Bob. Cheers JS

[thomas michael]

hi john sabourn #3
good afternoon, could they have been spanish legion, ?
like you i went into a couple of places on that coast and there was a spanish legion in great numbers, as i remember.
so was there no parley vou francias or was it ni una palabra espanol
tom

[j.sabourn]

They weren’t French as all spoke English, plus they wore the French Kepis , English wasn’t their native tongue and was only the fact I was a Geordie and used to Tarking funny I knew what they were saying , which In their booze locker whenever they said salutay , I said cheers . So hope they learned the word for future use. Like my run in with the Chinese commissars whenever they said Kampi I told hem the English version .Cheers JS

[thomas michael]

hi john sabourn #7
good afternoon, i suppose wearing a french kepis on your head instead of a french letter is possibly a instant give away and would mark you out as a man whom had joined the legion, sadly as vernon would testify learning to speak the language and actually pronouncing the language is another ordeal altogether, but i suppose a geordie speaking broken french would i suppose top all expectations and combined with drink at least you would have been on common ground and instantly understood, i myself have managed to get by and at one time i took note of that great representative and embassador for australian culture sir les patterson,and i have found his advice on how to talk and behave in public to be a great help.
tom

[j.sabourn]

Maybe goes back to that old saying actions speak louder than words. That sounds Irish to me , so they will probably claim responsibility for it , so if you meet an Irishman in the pub ask him , it may only cost you a pint of Guinness , on the other hand may try and distract you by talking about the potato famine years ago , so may cost you 2 pints , Cappy is in to potatoes on a big way , so may be able to sell the information to him , so tell him it is worth 4 pints , and show him your yuppie background. Cheers JS

[Robert George Young]

What brother told me about dad has always been confirmed

From 1938-1986

The legion stuff I have to think was also true
One month and he left.

I am going to guess this was 1946
Or before 1950
Dad was born 1921
But it could have been in 1950’s
I’ve got a book on what training would have been like that month
Discipline etc
Vernon is helping me.

Thanks for all your comments 👍