The Weather here

[happy daze john in oz]

Back in 1986 we went to the Alice and the Rock via Coober Peady.
Now if you want hot go there, january and not many around as the miners go south for a couple of months to escape the heat. We went ouit to the Painted Desert about 20 klm. It was 54 there and back in town 49 that day.
Problem with Oz records we have none prior to around 1800, as the Abbos did not have thermometers and could not write anyway. So who knows what it got to way back then.

[cappy]

####laid off kharg island 1958 in august 40 degrees plus .no air con the ship just a metal oven ...sometimes dizzy with the heat and some guys sick ....water rationed ..but arab crew put aboard to lower massive pipes into a tender one each day .....if any breeze tender never appeared as when steel pipes were put aboard she had about 6 inches freeboard.......old fireman died as we ran up to basrah of heat .....a proper old timer sweat rag and long johns...the likes of long gone ......nobody ate much i remember ....i believe kharg is a massive oil producer now ...then just a scrub island....a different world then ......cappy

[Doc Vernon]

While on this Subject my little Story (True as well) I had experienced extremely hot temps while in the FFL and based in the Sahara Desert,where in Summer the days were almost unbearable at some Average of 48 degrees and we had many days well over that at some 57 to 58 ,which as you may realise almost killed us!
And all that with full pack on ,and full Battle Dress I can tell you was no joke at all.
In the Aures Mountains Marching and Climbing was a feat just on its own!
Yes Lads that was HOT!!!!
Cheers

Why I am still alive heaven only knows!

[Captain Kong]

Hi Des I have done that road as well from Katoomba over to Wilcania, back of Burke, White Hills and beyond the Black Stump. and on to Silverton the other side of Broken Hill in February and the heat was terrific, need to carry plenty of water and fuel.
I had a small VW camper van, the engine was under the drivers seat, and "air cooled." AIR COOLED?? my after end was burning, Anne had both legs hanging out of her window trying to get a bit of cool; air as we drove.

They always measure the temps in the shade when most of the time being outside the Temp is nearly double.
Loved it out there,
Brian

[John F Collier]

#23, Hi Doc I Love watching any FFL films whether they are serious or funny, I've just recorded Beau Geste it's
a film I saw many years ago so I'm looking forward to seeing that one again. Cheers JC

[Captain Kong]

That was with Gary Cooper, Brian Donlevy etc. good movie.
I also enjoyed the Laurel and Hardy version. they save the Fort from the Rif Raffs,
https://youtu.be/QNHQc5xs7Gs

Cheers Brian

Also one for Vernon, the real Foreign Legion.

https://youtu.be/1d2NuerIn2U

the survivors of Dien Bien Phu in Indochine were the ones we evacuated on the GEORGIC.

By Gum Vernon, you were a Hard man to do that training. Respects.
Cheers
Brian

[Captain Kong]

Here is another one for Vernon............

https://youtu.be/LxEpMsDZIic

Cheers
Brian

[Doc Vernon]

Thank you Gentlemen
Yes it was rather some daunting days whilst doing the Training in France ,the Farm they called it,outside of Marseilles.
But then we were young and tough and if not tough enough they made sure you got there! LOL

Yes JC the various Films depicting the FFL ,some are good and a few not too bright!
That one of Beau Geste is one of the better ones and sort of depicts the life a lot like iy was those days.
Another good one is Legionnaire with Jean-Claude Van Damme ,which is one great Movie!
The last one I liked was March or Die with Gene Hackman ,another excellent take of the FFL.

cHEERS

[John F Collier]

#26, That is right Brian made 1939 it's about the tuaregs attacking the legion although I always thought they were
called toerags , going by what all the films say. it seems they were mostly in the last chance saloon when
they joined, either that or around the twist, A very tough life, I did once come close to joining a long time ago but
I'm glad to say I awoke from my nightmare just as I was about to sign "over to Doc". cheers JC

[Captain Kong]

The Legionnaires we brought back from Indochine after Dien Bien Phu , were a tough lot.
We left up to 500 on the beach and in the water, BUT they also got out several Big glass jars of wine. don't know how they did that, not in my boat.

Many times when walking down the working alleyway an arm would come out of a door way and pull us in and a mug of wine thrust into the hand.
They would tell us many stories of the war, and how vicious it was. They used to shoot dead kids of 4 or 5 years old. Why?
Because when walking through a village the kids would run up to them and then pull out a grenade and kill several Legionnaires, So they had to start doing that. Their casualty rate was high.
As we got them on board I have never ever seen men so exhausted and worn out, collapsing, covered in mud and blood. Some, six, even died on the ship from their wounds, We sewed them up and buried them at sea.
The Moo slim ones, who were from Senegal, Morocco, Algieria and North Africa we landed at Algiers for their base in Sidi bel Abis * in the Sahara, next we arrived in Marseilles and these big tough Legionnaires were on deck and crying, tears running down their cheeks, Many had been away for years.
And the finest display I have ever seen was on the quayside there.
A 200 piece Foreign Legion Band, looking fantastic in their Kepi Blancs, Blue coats, red lining , white trousers and shiny black boots. and their instruments shining in the bright sunlight.
Oh, if only we had cameras or movie cameras. what a fantastic sight. Never forget it.
Brian