FOREIGN LEGION.

Western Star, 6 April 1934, Page 4

FOREIGN LEGION.

ROMANCE DISPELLED. ENGLISHMEN’S ESCARE. FORCED.MARCHES IN DESERT. Absolutely penniless and possessed of nothing save the clothes in- which they stood, two bronzed young Londoners, wlio had escaped from the Foreign Legion in Morocco, stepped ashore from a tender at Tilbury recently. They were John Newberry, aged 29, of Farmilo Road, Leyton, and David Watkin, aged 25, of Hazehnore Road, Kilburn, and they were brought to England from Gibraltar on the s.s. Ilakozaki Maru. As they reached the pier barrier, . a porter asked them for the tender fare; but a representative of the shipping company cam'e to the rescue and siTcured free places for the men to F renchurch Street. ”

Newberry joined the Legion in August, 1925, and Witkin, in May, 1931. “It was helT on earth,” said Newberry. ‘People at home would never believe the horrors. In the forced marches, men wCre left to die on the road; others went mad and ran amok. It is hard to realise that we- are home at last, and somehow, I do not seem to have the courage even to meet my own father.

“We planned our escape for mouths. In prison or on the march, we planned and planned. Our opportunity came on December 31—a fete clay. hour of us. an American, a Belgian, Wilkin, ano myself, slipped out of camp unci into town. An engineer and his wife drove up to church in their car, and as soon as they entered, we rushed for . the car, got in, and drove away. “We had a journey of about 300 miles, and I took the wheel in the all-or-nothing dash. In Larachc, the Spanish police placed a chain across the road, stopped us, and put us into gaol. After 12 days the English Consul came down ancl took us away in Ids car. Eventually, we got to Ceuta, in Spanish Morocco, and then to Gibraltar, where we had the time of our lives. We landed there in our uniforms and received the clothes we now wear from a captain in tile Boy a I Engineers, The Iloval Engineers and the police- gave us a great time, and we left them our uniforms as souvenirs.”

Newberry still wore liis Foreign Legion boots, and Wit-kin had the Legion waist "band—a blue cloth of great .length —around his middle.

"Within spoke- of the trials of the .scorching desert and forced marches. “Just before we made our escape,’’ lie said, “I was in a forced march of 450 miles and fainted right out. Luckily, we were only one and a-lialf miles from camp. They took my rifle and left me lying there until I recovered. Then I was able to walk back alone. . The discipline was awful. Many meiijshofc themselves to escape the brutal treatment of the ollieers. That was a common occurrence. ”

A WOMAN'S WAY. Mrs Jo 11 ps : ‘How do you manage to persuade your husband to buy you such expensive hats?’ .Mrs nolduson : : i take him shopping 1 with me. and then take him into a hat shop, lfo’ll buy anything to get home.,’