"Evening all,
as promised, I visited the Legion`s museum at Aubagne just outside Marseilles. This used to be the last unit on French soil that recruits stayed at before embarking to Sidi-bel-Abbes and the Saharan desert.
The museum is in a part of what is now thier admin H.Q.
Entry is free, but they do have articles for sale most of which were shite, no offence.
I did purchase thier version of the Globe and Buster which is named after thier famous white hat. Called "Le Kepi Blanc", it was an eye-opener, but more about that later.
In the car park were several vehicles, the most interesting( to me ) were a Panhard armoured car,a White Half-track of 1944 vintage and an unknown A.P.C. based on a Sov T55 chassis. All of which looked like they had been abandoned there and certainly are not being maintained. Which is a pity as the "White" looked in pretty fair nick. The Panhard was one of the rare successes of the French tank industry, armed with a 75mm gun in a fairly low turret and capable of a high cross country speed. What was unusual on this vehicle was two, of it`s four axles, carryed metal road wheels and the other two axles had rubber tyres which could be re-inflated whilst on the move. Point is, if I didn`t know this already, there was nothing to tell me what it was that I was looking at.
Inside, at the sales desk I struck up a conversation with a Sous-Serjent from Vietnam. Seems the Legion are suffering from the same under manning that affects everyone else these days. This kid had been in for twelve and was staying as long as they would let him. He had all of his familly in France and had married a local girl, they lived in quarters on the base. Imagine the Legion having married quarters!
Went round the rest of the museum and found it all pretty un-interesting(rather than boring). Looked everywhere for the wooden hand of Lofty Danjou. Saw loads of paintings depicting the action in Cameroone,Mexico, for which this guy is famous. But not a sign of the box with his mit in. So, off downstairs to me new mate, (who`s first name sounds like" G`dungg")for a bit of help.
When I mentioned "le main de bois de Capitaine Danjou" this guy`s eyes nearly popped out of his head. He was astonished that I knew about such a treasure. Of course, I told him how all Royal Marines are taught the famous story from an early age(
) and he agreed to show me the box containing the wooden hand of our hero. Abandoning his post at the till with a defiant cry of "Firme!" he led me back upstairs to one end of the museum to a room containing all the names of the (French) officers who have died serving in the Legion. There, eight meters away behind the security cordone, was Danjou`s hand in it`s box. G`dungg and I smilled knowingly at each other, he thought he was being inscrutable but it was yours truly who was realy inscrutable. For it was I who was thinking" what a load of shite, grasshopper"
All the time we were in the museum, they played a selection of Legion hits. You didn`t know there was such a thing? Bien sur m`sieur, starting with "Contra le Viet" in which our heroes got spanked at Dien Bien Phu in 1957. Basically, for not reading Tzun Tsu and his first rule of guerilla warfare, " never fight your enemy where he may win, but always fight him where he may lose" The Legion didn`t see the "come-on" for what it was and poured more and more guys into the biggest defeat in it`s history. The Viet- Minh of course, were happy to let them.
All this stuff is years old in my mind, if you are interested there are plenty of accurate books around.Ever present was Edith bleeding Piath with "no, non regret, Je regret ne rien" tell someone who gives a shit, you whining bitch, er no offence again.
The magazine had pics of 2REP in Norway looking very much like day trippers and not in the least professional. There where phots from their Commando course, yawn.What is obvious, from the mag, is the way that the Legion really do believe that "once in, never out" is the way it should be. Our Corps could learn something, here.
One thing that made I larf, in the Gulf War section they have a picture of Norman Storeman. The message on it says thanks boys or good luck or whatever.
It is addressed to "The Forran Legion."
Kermit hasn`t noticed this
Not in the same league as our museum, by a long way"
unquote.
I don`t like fishing or trout btw.
Aye, Harry
