ESCAPE FROM LEGION

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 155, 12 April 1930, Page 10

ESCAPE FROM LEGION

MASQUERADE AS TOURIST. NEW ZEALAND EX-SOLDIER. The following grim but enthralling narrative of life in the French Foreign Legion, and of his escape from it, is given by Mr Harry Keighley, a New Zealand ex-soldier, in the Leeds “Mercury.” Mr Keighley was well known as a former leader of Morley, Leeds, Rugby Union Football Club. I got back home wanting to do the only'one thing—forget all about the French Foreign Legion, said Mr Kei„nlev 1 was bom at Morley, and just before the war went to New Zealand. When war broke cut 1 joined the New Zealand Forces and came back to France with them early in 1916, and went up to Armentieres with them before going down to the Somme. With the 22nd Army Corps we later went up to Nieuport, and -after securing leave of absence when my father died at home, I went on to Cologne at the finish of'the war, and was from there dl ßadc S l < eame to Morley intending to settle down and I helped to found the Morlev Kugbv Union Club but the spuit of' adventure in my case did not easilv die down, and m a fit ot dissatisfaction L went to France m August 1925 and joined the Foreign Legion. Shipped to Algiers. With other men of many nationalities Germans were in the greatest numbers, for things were had in Germany we were assembled at Fort St. Jean at Marseilles and shipped to the Algerian depot of the First; Regiment. There each man received 250 francs which was half of his engagement tee—the fee is now 1000 francs—and we entered on a stiff course of four month* m-. struction at Sidi-Bel-Abbes. The spirit of kindliness was not veiyi obvious in the sergeant-instructors but I quickly discovered the way to make life tolerable was to do as one was told, and never, ini the, strange medley of..,races, to “throw one s weight Prison was no joke. Prisoners had to carry about a sack weighing 601 b., ana for breaking prison regulations one had to stand facing a wall like a naughty boy, but here in the full hlaze of the SU The consequences of trouble with one’s fellow-Legionaires were different but not always more pleasant, lne French and the Germans did not get on too well with each other, and last Armistice Day two F < rchmen, foolish enough to taunt five Germans, weie severely mauled. That night five Mills Uombs were thrown into the loom where the Germans were sleeping but only two exploded, and the only injury was a slight one to the ear ol one of the Germans. Life in the Legion.

But to get back fo my first months with the Legion. The routine at Sidi-Bel-Abbes was not too bad. Reveille was at six o’clock and after a cup of coffee, 'the men cleaned up their rooms and their equipment, and' went on to parade at seven. Instructions went on until 10.30 and again; m the afternoon from 1.30 to 5. Who had a. meal at 11 in the morning and another at o.ou in the evening, which consisted of soup, meat, a dried vegetable, and a cup ot wine. I was posted to the Sports Company and played football with the team, but contracted dysentery twice and was sent to the infirmary. I was inoculated but the hospital authorities seemed to have no way of curing the disease, ana although I became weak and ill, 1 determined to desert the Legion. It was surprisingly easy. I got down to Oran there brought some civilian clothes and took the train to Algiers and crossed to Marseilles by boat as easily as from Liverpool to Belfast. From Marseilles I went to Pans, and while nondering the greater difficulty of crossing the channel, visited a restaurant on the Boulevard de Montmarte. Unluckily the police in Pans that night, were looking for Communists and anti-Fascists. 1 was caugut in a net and at the police station was cross-examined. , I told them I was English, had fought in France during the way and 1 denied any knowledge of the foreign Legion. But I overlooked the fact that I had given my right name, and an officer looking down the list of deserters from the legion found it there, and into the cells I went instead of to Boulogne. Confined! to the Tower.

Escorted by two gendarmes I lias taken back to the fort at Marseilles and there for a month was confiened with other deserters in the tower. we had no soap and within a fortnight we were sent back to Algiers, and the depot, and once again 1 was ill with dysentery. . After a further three months of detention 1 was sent down to Oran for a court-martial, and got oft with «. • - months’ sentence. The most serious ; pait of my crime seemed to be that I had destroyed my clothes! • n The remainder of my teim of puson was not nearly so bad as it might h-ive been. Within the limits of the regulations an Englishman was treated with some consideration, and I taught the (Governor’s son English. My turn finished, I went back to headquarteio raid volunteered for Morocco. I was sent through. Oudjha and Fez to Ma - rakesh and thence out into the wilds to an outnost about 200 kilos, away. aj•a 1> night attacks were frequent and once when with a party I went out to meet a convoy I saw three dead comrrdes ancD had first-hand experience of the fate which befel a Legionaire if he fell into Arab hands. . Ome more I determined to desert a „d carefully planned the venture, with the knowledge I gained on my. first attempt. Burdened vAll all the food 1 could carry and some wine, I walked a wav from the outpost in a snowstoini. The weather turned to rain, and during the day, I slept and sheltered, walking night through the wild country. Forged Discharge Papers.

Luckily again 1 met a friendly Arab, who took me to his shelter gave me food and dried my clothes, and later escorted me on the way to Marrakesh. How, I will not say, but I had secured some forged discharge papers and had no fear in entering the town 1 , which has a population, mostly Arab, of nearly 200,000. r , , , Equally important, f had money, ancl through' another Arab was provided with the garb of a tourist. Thus dressed and showing as I hoped a tourist’s interest in everything, I travelled by stages to Algiers but to reduce risks snatched sleep on the trains and passed the nights in cafes or wandering about. Profiting from my earlier experience I had been careful to take on another name, and was now Mr de Trafford. Again there was no difficulty in crossing from Algiers to Marseilles, and this time I did not stay in Paris, but made a quick journey, to Boulogne. Thus I reached the last but trickiest stage of the journey. I do not want to give details for others may want the help I eventually found, but finally, with a throbbing heart, I found myself on hoard ship.

Part of my trick to get aboard was to tell some incoherent story about a trip to Boulogne, a spree, lost papers and a hearty remorse, 1 aid celebrate, as a matter of fact, but not until I once more found myself ,'n England again, a free man.