Come on Doc spill the beans ; Loved the James Dean analogy but what about the French Foreign legion

[George Gunn]

Absolutely intrigued as I am sure any others who have viewed your profile so please tell us or is it an official secret !!!!

[Doc Vernon]

Well George
No official secret about it , just that as i have said in the past, its not something that i really wish not to go into , although i have at times told a wee few bits about my times!

All i can again say is that Yes, it was intriguing at the time, a spur of the moment decision really whilst sitting in a Pub in Southampton with my late Brother, when we were a bit on the Down, and not Employed at the time.

Greg decided that as it was becoming a wee bit hard to get by, that we catch the Night Ferry from Dover to Calais, and then the Train to Paris. From there make our way to the old Fort at De Vincennes, there we were certain that we would be taken in as Legionaires.

Well that is exactly what transpired, and that was that.

From then on it was both intriguing, Exciting, sort of scary but a lot to look forward to.
Needless to say , ahead lay a lot of hard Training, Travelling to Marseilles , and eventually to Algeria in Africa, going initially to the large base Camp there in Sidi-bel-Abbes, during the Algerian War between France and the National Liberation Front, it ran from 1954 to 1962

We were enlisted into the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment, and after reaching Sidi bel Abbes, one Week on , were sent to Fort Flatters, to be with the 1st Mounted Saharan Squadron

What followed were things that were both good and bad, but mostly bad, and that is where this short Story ends.
Only my immediate Family and real close Friends know the entire story, and that is where it will stay.

As for James Dean ?? Can you enlighten me on this , as although i did really like him and his Co Star Natalie Wood, along with Sal Mineo , in his then greatest Movie, Rebel without a Cause! I at the moment think of what you are pointing to ? Sorry the mind goes blanks !! LOL
Its called Old Age. LOL

Cheers

Perhaps it was to do with my reply to a Posting about Denims!?
First pair of Denims. - Page 2

NB See also my post #35 telling of the Family knowing all about my Life!
Cheers

Questions for Doc - Page 4


Questions for Doc Posts #4 and #6 #9 #13 #33 #35 #43 And if you read onwards in that Thread, you will also see some info on my Service in the RAF.
cHEERS

[j.sabourn]

Those who went to Sfax for iron ore and frequented the Casbah will be well aware of the French Foreign Legion or Legion de Estrange roaming the stalls and other places of pleasure. JS..

[Des Jenkins]

Hi John.
Wasn't it Capt Kong who said he was on a ship that picked up legioners from the Mediterranean where they had jumped over the side rather than go to Vietnam?
Des

[j.sabourn]

They used to jump over the side in the Suez Canal when being sent to what then was French Ind0 China. Cheers JS

[George Gunn]

Well George
No official secret about it , just that as i have said in the past, its not something that i really wish not to go into , although i have at times told a wee few bits about my times!

All i can again say is that Yes, it was intriguing at the time, a spur of the moment decision really whilst sitting in a Pub in Southampton with my late Brother, when we were a bit on the Down, and not Employed at the time.

Greg decided that as it was becoming a wee bit hard to get by, that we catch the Night Ferry from Dover to Calais, and then the Train to Paris. From there make our way to the old Fort at De Vincennes, there we were certain that we would be taken in as Legionaires.

Well that is exactly what transpired, and that was that.

From then on it was both intriguing, Exciting, sort of scary but a lot to look forward to.
Needless to say , ahead lay a lot of hard Training, Travelling to Marseilles , and eventually to Algeria in Africa, going initially to the large base Camp there in Sidi-bel-Abbes, during the Algerian War between France and the National Liberation Front, it ran from 1954 to 1962

We were enlisted into the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment, and after reaching Sidi bel Abbes, one Week on , were sent to Fort Flatters, to be with the 1st Mounted Saharan Squadron

What followed were things that were both good and bad, but mostly bad, and that is where this short Story ends.
Only my immediate Family and real close Friends know the entire story, and that is where it will stay.

As for James Dean ?? Can you enlighten me on this , as although i did really like him and his Co Star Natalie Wood, along with Sal Mineo , in his then greatest Movie, Rebel without a Cause! I at the moment think of what you are pointing to ? Sorry the mind goes blanks !! LOL
Its called Old Age. LOL

Cheers

Perhaps it was to do with my reply to a Posting about Denims!?
First pair of Denims. - Page 2

NB See also my post #35 telling of the Family knowing all about my Life!
Cheers

Questions for Doc - Page 4


Questions for Doc Posts #4 and #6 #9 #13 #33 #35 #43 And if you read onwards in that Thread, you will also see some info on my Service in the RAF.
cHEERS

Hi Doc
I am sorry if I have provoked any unwelcome memories with this post , it was intended as a lighthearted post , Rebel without a cause ( first pair of denims thread ) joins the French Foreign Legion. LOL. I fully expected a; No comment or I am pleading the 5th. reply and hoped that it might start a chain of good humoured banter on the subject. Many thanks for your reply, the information you provided was very interesting indeed, anyway you take care and once again I am sorry if I caused you to recall a difficult time of your past , kind regards George.

[Doc Vernon]

Hi George
No you did not cause any really bad recalls of my past George, it was many Years ago, and although never to be forgotten escapades i had been through, at times it does sort of bring a smile back of certain things !
As you have now read, there were times of real hardship, but also times that one can look back on and say "I enjoyed that"

I guess in all honesty i should sit and write a short Novel about not only my time in the Legion, but also about many other things that i did in life, but Oh as i have said its all so much to get correct, there are s many things that i woud really have to sit down and think of, as for dates, well that would be a great Hurdle, as it would be very difficult to piece in dates. There are those however that i do recall, but not all.

Another small thing about telling ones life story in an open Forum , is that fact that i know like many others that have done similar, there will always be those that disbelieve, and throw some silly and at times nasty remarks. One instance is a story i told on here (Now Deleted for good reason) a long time back about an incident i had in Cape Town many Years back, i told the truth about it all, only to be ridiculed about my doings and told i was a braggard and just looking for attention.
This really annoyed me , and from then on i said to myself to keep my doings to myself! The person that said all the nasty things to me , unfortunately Died only Monts later after the posting, which even though there had been bad blood between us really upset me to hear of his Death.

But of course George , that was a long time back now, and as many things past its all gone now!

Thank you anyway for your reply, and possibly one day i may even get to write that short Novel, who knows, i am sure as i have been told by many on here, that it would be most interesting.

Cheers

Dont know if you had ever seen this Thread George, but will give you an idea of just how many Jobs i had in my life and what Stories could be told .

The jobs we did before and after our Sea life .

Possibly there may be some new Lads that have joined recently and not seen the Thread, and may want to add their list of other Jobs besides the Merchant Navy. Very interesting readings i thought!

[happy daze john in oz]

Vernon , like you i did write a story of much of my life.
But while the early life bits would be fine the bit after including time in MN would only be believed by those who had been to sea.

I am sure we have all done things when looking back we either regret or say were we mad at that time?
But life back then as I am sure you will agree was very different then.