Thetownend.com

A French Foreign Leginnaire deserts his post and flees to New York, where he enters the world of illegal bare-knuckle boxing.

Very strong language and some violence.

On BBC1 at the moment.

1990

thats when i was born!!!

Is there actually a real french foreign legion, or is it just something the beano made up?

you're a university student, yes?

Apparently so. Im not studying the french armed forces though

Yes Dave there is. They're now based mainly in mainland France, although there are detachments in Corsica, French Guinea and Djibouti, oh and also in Tahiti.

Everytime France has to send troops for a UN operation, or NATO, they send the Legion. The French army is crap and is made up of conscripts.

who shoot live rounds at open day displays and stuff like that.

I won't tell a long story that i'd love to share about the foreign legion, but i have a friend who did a runner after getting horribly beaten numerous times (by the Sargent) and being slung into solitary confinement too many times for standing up for himself. It took him months to get out of France and it'd make an amazing film.

I'd like to meet your mate Barry. My experience was nothing like that at all. It's tough yes, but regular beatings and solitary confinement sounds like bullshit.

As for taking months to do a runner, you're allowed out of barracks after six weeks.

Really? He didn't even have his normal clothes apparently? Right, well take some of this with a pinch of salt then. Maybe you can say whether this sounds even remotely likely?

This was about around 15 ish years ago, by my guessing. It all started when he had a problem with his ears, i forget exactly what, but he explained he couldn't swim under the water in a pool to pick up something or other. The sargent wouldn't stand for this and took him down. His eardrum was burst from being held under water, where he had to go to hospital (which is onsite i think he said). He said when he came out, he was placed into solitary for being out of training for x number of days or something and giving the Sargent shit.

Once that was complete, however long it was, he explained you'd always get bullied into shape again.

On regular runs he explained the drill Sargent used to wait at that back and punch you until you got to the front, then go back and repeat with whoever is now last. He said post hospitalisation this infuriated him and he tried to stand up for himself and got kicked in. Hospital again, followed by solitary again.

This happened on quite a few occassions and the Sargent even broke some of his bones, fro what i recall. On coming out on the final occassion the same almost happened again. He was desperate to complete the training or what ever it is and get sent somewhere (sorry, i know not the correct terms!), and this drill sargent explained he'd be going to some area, i forget now, over in south america (i think), where you either die or get addicted to drugs.

He knew this was really bad and him and a mate, i forget exactly how it all panned out, but they had no money and they planned to get out. In the end he left on his own, when they used to leave the barracks together in unifrom to go out on the town (again, i think!). All he had, was the uniform he wore and he had to hike across france and befriend some English bloke who helped him back to the UK. Getting off barrakcs didn't take months, but getting out of France did.

Writing it out now it feels like bullshit, but the bloke is genuine and i was told a long time ago. I trust what he says and have never had any reason to doubt it. Also it's clear i don't remember as much as when i was told all those years ago. He has most certainly been in The Foreign Legion though and he did go A.w.o.l. Perhaps the rest is a bit tabloid, who knows?

He sounds like he's a  bit of a pussy

The legion has a romantic image,but in truth it was full of lowlife who probably would have swung but were given the chance of living if they joined the legion....its abit different today and i think they are more of an elite unit nowadays as was shown in the documentry a while back.

He may have embellished it a bit Barry! But the way you've written it does sound plausible.

I was in about 22 years ago and there was still brutality, but not to that extent (Not that I saw anyway) He's right about not having civilian clothes (Although you can after basic training) and he's also right about the way they 'encourage' you on marches/runs/anything, but it was never done to me maliciously. Maybe he was just unlucky...............

What's the minimum time you can serve? Is it five years?

Yep. The initial contract is 5 years. The only way you can get out after basic training is to desert or be medically discharged.

I think that's all the more reason I wouldn't be able to do something like that (other than me being a big girls blouse).

He may well have, well it appears he probably did!

With regards to civilian clothes, he said he could get them, but only under certain circumstances and they were not allowed to remain in his possession. He explained going to get them, outside of when they were permitted too, would have drawn suspicion. He lasted around 3 years from what i remember, so i suspect you'd win in a fight. :D

Long, long time ago Barry, when I was young and stupid.

(Now I'm old and stupid).