What's new
By:
Filters
Navy Net - Royal Navy Community

Register a free account today to join our community
Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site, connect with other members through your own private inbox and will receive smaller adverts!

French Foreign Legion

J

Jewell

Badgeman
Just finished reading some books on it....

I heard it was pretty intense and jeez,fair god damn play to these guys...

2 weeks in prison/serious beating if late for parades/fai kit inspection.

Royal told me of a Serg in the FFL left and joined the Corps and the training team were kind of confused on how they could beast this guy as he was nails.

Any of you guys know/knew peeps in it?
 
Have a read of a book called A MOUTHFULL OF ROCKS by Christian Jennings. He served in the Legion for a few years and gives a warts and all account of what it's like. Far from being exciting and exotic, the Legion is actually dead boring, with a high number of blokes going AWOL.
 
Book i read was "The Naked Solider" by Tony Sloane. Cant remember the other one.

Yeah true, not exactly hugely exciting for action after training.
 
Not read that one. Might give it a whirl.
Apparently the most nails Regiment in the Legion are their Paras. They're based in Corsica, and apparently recruits aren't allowed off the base for 12 months, and not allowed off the island for 2 years. Not sure if that's true or not, but no wonder they've got such a high AWOL rate! All that, and having to speak FRENCH too!!!!
 
On my last job I worked with a bloke who completed his contract (5 years)with the FFL. He was a Larndarner, who ran off to France to join after reading too many Sven Hassel books. He had a great time, served as a medic in 2e REP (2nd Forgeign Parachute Reg), and did several tours of Africa. He left in 88, just as his brother joined. His brother is still in 2e REP and is a Sergent-chef, with a house overlooking the DZ at Calvi.

From what I gather, the training is brutal and it takes about 18 months to be accepted (Legionaires respect time served above anything). Also, there is a lot of bullying, petty theft etc.. As compared to Royal? You cannot really compare, they are a different animal.
 
This guy served 18 months then was allowed a weeks holiday....as you can imagine he went totally mental,drinking,******* and fighting..insane...

Yeah i got the same impression Ueshiba.

I dont think you can compare them to any force really.....
 
Worked with 2nd REP on exercise in Corsica and they didn't impress too much. Cool shades and quite posey but unfortunately most of the were Welsh or German.... bummer!

One good trick they had was demonstrating how to open a bottle of red wine using a beret... Royal loved that one.

The French mountain troops [Chasseur Alpin] were good to operate with - low-key but with the biggest berets this side of Nagasaki Dockyard. They all looked like British matelloties.

Also worked with the Italian San Marco Battalion... total shite. We were utterly amazed that anyone who carried fluffy pink toilet paper in their rat.packs could expect to be taken seriously. :thumright:

RM
 
One of my sons [black sheep of the family and his record would have precluded his serving in Brit forces] was packed off to the legion by his mother [hard woman my missus!] Best thing she could have done, did 2 op tours in africa and is now a model citizen. When in Djibouti he was found to have testicular cancer, they flew him immediately back to the Military teaching hospital in Paris for the best possible immediate treatment. [I think at the time they had 15 mil hospitals and now have 8 - compare that with UK]. He spent some time in barracks near the Cote dAzure in the South of France and the uniform was a fanny-magnet for some really good looking birds.
 
Knew a Killick Chef (Scouser called "Billy", for those who might know him!) who went AWOL and joined the FFL. Did training but was caught in the UK sometime later by the RN so did DQs for his original absence.

Several years later we were in Marseilles and he's adrift one morning... he'd only tried to rejoin them! Funnily enough they said no!

8O
 
sgtpepperband said:
Try the Spanish Foreign Legion - much 'arder than the FFL... :thumright:
Click to expand...

Only if i accidently murdered someone..... :thumright:

I will stick with the Royals at the mo tho.... :thumright:
 

Latest Threads

New Posts

Top