Legion Pulp: Boast of the Legion

Posted on August 17, 2025 by Jack Wagner

It’s always enjoyable the rare times that I come across a Foreign Legion pulp story that is NOT written by the usual authors like Surdez, Newsom, Carse, Bedford Jones, Du Soe or Roscoe.  This one is written by Kenneth Keith Colvin, a pulp writer who was fairly prolific from 1927 to 1935, writing adventure, western and war stories that mostly appeared in the pulp magazines Complete Stories, Cowboy Stories and Outdoor Stories.  This one was published in the November 1929 issue of Over the Top, a hard to find war/military themed pulp.

Boast of the Legion is a well developed story that pits a hard-boiled Legion Company and it’s American commander against a couple of political careerists of the regular French Army during the second year of the Great War.  When a carefully contrived plot to disgrace the Legionnaires ultimately ends in a devastating German counter-attack the entire Allied offensive hinges on defending one sector and road for the time needed to rush reinforcements to the collapsing French lines.  That job is given to the only available unit–the reconstituted 2nd Company of the Legion led by Lieutenant Knoles.  Colvin knows his stuff and gives us an action packed battle story.  (My only quibble is with his somewhat odd descriptions of frontages–i.e. no way a unit of 120 men could defend a mile wide sector.)   But anyways, it’s a good read–the illustration is Lt. Knoles throwing a glass of wine into the ear of the conniving Captain Huot.

If you want to download the entire magazine you can find it on the Internet Archive here.  The usual black and white file is below.

Boast of the Legion

Posted in Pulp Fiction Stories | Leave a comment

Legion Pulp: Legion Etrangere

Posted on July 15, 2025 by Jack Wagner

This is a pretty obscure Foreign Legion book published by Curtis (Warren) Books (The Best in Low Priced Reading) in 1954.  Curtis Warren, Ltd. was based in London, UK, and operated primarily from the late 1940s to the mid-1950s, with some publications possibly extending into the early 1960s. It was part of the UK’s post-war paperback boom, a period when cheap paperbacks were in high demand due to their affordability and accessibility. (According to Grok AI).  Unfortunately I have no idea who the author, M. Dubois, was and can only assume it was a pseudonym, which most Curtis authors were. So again, thank you Eugene O. for providing this rare paperback. This is not a pulp magazine short story but is full of the same type of action and adventure–good escape fiction like the pulps provided back in the day.

Legion Etrangere is set in post-World War II Morocco and is a fantastic example of stories set in the Foreign Legion that involve hidden pasts, revenge, dogged pursuit, and a final culminating battle and face-to-face confrontation with the villain.  The story follows Lieutenant Hearn, an Englishman and former member of the Long Range Desert Group, who is driven by a decade-long quest for vengeance against Helmuth Weber, a former S.S. officer responsible for the massacre of Hearn’s wounded comrades in the N. African desert during WW2.  Hearn tracks Weber, along with his associates, to Morocco, where they are suspected of joining French Foreign Legion to escape their past war crimes. There are some flashbacks to the incident that spurs Hearn in his quest for revenge and eventually he catches up with Weber during a Legion combat operation Arab forces.  There is also a bit of side plot involving some criminal elements in the Legion (who also get their payback). The link below is for a .pdf.  This link is for a .cbr version.

Legion Etrangere – M. Dupois (Cutis Books, 1954)

Posted in Books, Pulp Fiction Stories | Leave a comment

Legion Pulp: The Cap of My Uncle

Posted on June 16, 2025 by Jack Wagner

Sorry for being late with this post–many things were happening this weekend–a Father’s Day BBQ, the U.S. Army’s 250th Birthday and Israel’s “downsizing” of Iran’s nuclear ambitions to name a few.  This story by Robert Carse appeared in the 25 July 1938 issue of Short Stories. (you can find the entire issue at this link or in .pdf format here.

It begins with the American Foreign Legionnaire, Joe Tawn, using an axe to fight off a surprise attack by rebellious Chleuh warriors on the Legion’s logging detail.  For his bravery, his sergeant decides to push him to become a Corporal but Tawn first has to learn to speak French better.  However, things sour into a drunken fistfight between Sergeant Gerry the two and Tawn, fearing arrest, decides to desert the Legion.  He’s quickly captured by Abd el Hamidu, the leader of a hostile tribe and foe of the Foreign Legion.  Forced into servitude in the Berber’s village Tawn becomes privy to a planned attack on the Legion outpost.  Of course he saves the day.

The Cap of My Uncle

Note:  I had a long discussion with folks over the weekend about AI.  My son is a teacher at a high school and he’s already seeing attempts by students to pass off AI written reports as their own.  This got me thinking…so I uploaded this story (after converting the text with OCR) to X’s Grok AI program and asked it to summarize the story.  Et voila, below is Grok’s 250 word summary of this story.  Not bad IMO, better than mine.

Set in the French Foreign Legion in Morocco, the story follows Joe Tawn, a young American recruit, and his tough sergeant, Gerry, stationed at the isolated Tlemenin post. During a wood-cutting detail, Joe skillfully wields an axe to fend off an ambush by Chleuh warriors, earning praise and a potential promotion to corporal. However, his inability to read or speak French fluently frustrates Gerry, who insists he learn, leading to a humorous struggle with a French grammar book and the phrase “the cap of my uncle.”
Tensions rise when Gerry, drunk and angered by Joe’s dog Bessef dirtying his reports, kicks the dog and strikes Joe, prompting a fight where Joe knocks Gerry out. Fearing punishment for striking a superior, Joe deserts the Legion, taking Gerry’s sheepskin coat and kepi (cap) to escape past the guards. He’s soon captured by Chleuh tribesmen led by Abd el Hamidu, a former Moroccan soldier and deserter, who strip him of his possessions and force him to work for a woman whose husband was killed in the earlier skirmish.
Joe labors carrying stones for the woman, enduring harsh treatment from Hamidu. Over time, the woman softens toward him, protecting him from Hamidu’s cruelty. When Joe learns of a planned Chleuh attack on the Legion post, he sends Bessef back with Gerry’s kepi, inscribed with “Vite! Vite!” (Quick! Quick!), as a warning. Joe escapes and lures Hamidu’s warriors into a trap, rolling logs down a slope to disrupt their attack. Wounded in the process, Joe is rescued by Gerry and Legion soldiers, who repel the assault.
In the end, Gerry clears Joe’s desertion from his record, allowing him to stay and continue learning French, starting with the phrase “The cap of my uncle. It cost one hundred and twenty francs.” The story concludes with the phrase becoming a symbol of Joe’s redemption and Legion camaraderie, transforming from a source of frustration to a piece of their shared history.
Posted in Pulp Fiction Stories | 1 Comment

Legion Pulp: Choc

Posted on May 16, 2025 by Jack Wagner

Choc.  An odd name for a stray, mongrel dog; a denizen of Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria.  Perhaps it started out as choco, or chocolate.  In any case it’s the name of a camp-following dog cared for by the kind Foreign Legionnaire and former petty criminal from Paris “Radoub”, who feeds it twice daily and teaches it tricks to entertain curious tourists and to steal small things from the Arab vendors of the garrison town.  This story is about escaping from the Foreign Legion and a bit about the dog.

Stories of the Foreign Legion – Choc

Choc is the first of six short stories by H. De Vere Stacpoole that were serialized in the American pulp Popular Stories from 20 April 1916 to 07 July 1916. Stacpoole was a very prolific Irish author most famous for his Blue Lagoon books.  The stories ran in the Red Magazine in the UK about a month before they would appear in the U.S..  The series is called “Stories of the Legion” and would eventually be compiled into a small book called Corporal Jacques of the Foreign Legion and published the same year in the UK by Hutchinson & Co..  There was one additional story added to the book called Son of Choc and for some reason they changed the primary character’s name from Radoub to Jacques but it’s basically the same stories.  In the book they published this letter to the author which appeared after the title page.  It’s interesting as it references one of the stories appearing in The Popular Magazine (Stories of the Legion. III.—Schneider) and was supposedly written by a former Legionnaire who made good his escape from the Legion.Also appearing in the book was this short poem.

The longest route march ends ere long,
The hottest sun to the west must go,
The Legion marches a thousand strong,
On the wind of the desert the bugles blow,
The wild notes die as the stars out-shiver,
But the wind of the desert it blows for ever.

You can read the book online at Gutenberg or download it in several e-book formats.  If Project Gutenberg is off limits to your IP address you can use these links .epub and .mobi.  I also made a not-so-great .pdf as well.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Skirmish Wargaming in Mexico 1866

Posted on April 30, 2025 by Jack Wagner

Here’s a wargame scenario featuring the French Foreign Legion from the classic book, Skirmish Wargaming, by Donald Featherstone.  I initially thought this was about the Battle of Camerone and wondered why the date in the title was off by three years since Camerone took place in 1863 and not 1869.  However, this skirmish is a small part of another battle which occurred three years later.  Often called the Second Camerone or the Battle of Santa Isabel it involved two companies (188 men and 7 officers) of the Foreign Legion led by Major Paul-Aimable de Brian, that walked into an ambush and were basically destroyed fighting 1,900 Mexican cavalry and irregulars.  The fighting centered on a hacienda.  It’s an interesting set up for a very small firefight between eight French Foreign Legionnaires and sixteen Mexicans (cavalry and militia).  Note also that the names chosen for the Legionnaires include two from the Battle of Camerone–Berg who was wounded and survived and Tonel (Tonnel) who was killed.  You will need the basic rules found in the first chapters of the book in order to play the skirmish so the book is available as well.

The French Foregin Legion in Mexico (1866)

Skirmish Wargaming by Donald Featherstone

Posted in War Games & Rules | 1 Comment

Camerone Day 2025

Posted on April 29, 2025 by Jack Wagner

This Wednesday, on 30 April, the French Foreign Legion celebrates the 162nd anniversary of the Battle of Camarone (Bataille de Camerone) was fought in 1863, in Veracruz, Mexico.  Camerone is one of the most famous “last stands” in military history and is an event commemorated by Foreign Legionnaires active and retired and Foreign Legion units, no matter how small or large, wherever they my be stationed.  The largest and most important of these celebrations occurs at the home and headquarters  of the Foreign Legion (la maison mere) in (Quartier Viénot) Aubagne, France .

This year’s theme is Le Sang versé pour la France / The Blood Shed for France.  This honors the fallen and wounded of the Legion and the Legion’s enduring legacy and the spirit of valor that defines them.  ” We will reaffirm that their blood shed is much more than a tribute: it is the fulfillment of brotherhood in arms and the noblest expression of the Legionary oath.”  In the context of the Battle of Camerone it is a reminder of the Legion’s historic commitment to France and its willingness to fight for the country, even to the death.

The “porteur de la main“, the man selected to carry and present the Hand of Captain D’Anjou, is retired colonel Jacques Lhopitallier.  He was appointed by the commander of the Foreign Legion, General Cyrille Youchchenko, for this honor.  This articulated wooden hand found damaged in 1865 at a farmer’s house 100 km from the inn of Camaron, the site of the legendary battle, is presented to the troops every April 30. Colonel Lhopitallier was a former officer of the Foreign Legion who served on the 1REP in Algeria and later commanded the 2REP.    The honor granted to the legionnaire to carry it on parade in its protective case is among the greatest bestowed by the Legion.  There is usually a Legion NCO and a junior ranked legionnaire that walks along with the designated presenter and in this way the procession honors all ranks of the Legion.

This year’s Camerone Day features a special guest–French President Emmanuel Macron.  The President of the Republic will be at Aubagne on Wednesday for the traditional Camerone ceremony, in tribute to the legionnaires.  The agenda provides for the arrival of the President at 10.20 a.m., honors to the flag, the French anthem, a military ceremony comprising the review of the troops, presentation of decorations, the handovers of white kepis to new legionnaires, as well as an address by President Macron. A military parade (probably a pass in review) is also scheduled for 11.45 a.m. The morning will end with a private ceremony at 12:20 where the president will present French naturalization decrees to Legionnaires.  “France knows how to recognize as its own those who serve it, whatever their origins,” says the official statement from the Presidents office.  The celebration will continue at Aubagne with a lunch, a day-long open house, a Miss Kepi Blanc selection in the evening and and an end of event time of 0200hrs.  Beyond the military honors, the presence of the French President at this ceremony is intended to reaffirm France’s commitment to the Foreign Legion and the values of service, merit and fraternity that characterize it.  Here’s is an excellent video showing the 2024 Camerone event.

Bonne fête!

Posted in Camerone | 1 Comment

Legion Pulp: Raiders of Darfur

Posted on April 15, 2025 by Jack Wagner

This month’s pulp fiction story is another “in-lieu-of” post, substituting an action packed UK paperback for a pulp fiction story.  This one is another Panther paperback, published in 1956.  It’s written by Stanley Mann, an author I’m not familiar with but which is most likely a pseudonym.  An interesting thing about this book (I haven’t read it yet) is the title referencing Darfur which refers to a geographical region between Sudan and Chad.  This desolate part of the eastern Sarhara was administered by the UK and a smaller region called Wadi was given over to the French but in either case still a long way for the Foreign Legion to travel (but I suppose I’m nitpicking).  From the preface page.  “He was a spy, a British spy, sent to watch over territory which was in parts French. Sometimes he wore indigo robes and mask-like head covering of the Touareg, those fierce warriors of the desert wastes. But when his disguise was pierced by conspirators engaged in revolt he had to take another guise-he became a legionnaire.  This thrilling story of desert intrigue and battles is written by a man who was himself a British agent in the desert prior to World War 11; his job–to keep an eye on a friendly nation in case war broke out.” 

NOTE: I borrowed the cover image above from an interesting page about Pan paperbacks. My cover was pretty worn and is used on the two downloads.  If you like .cbr format here is a link.  The .pdf file is below. 

Raiders of Darfur

Posted in Books, Pulp Fiction Stories | 2 Comments

Legion Pulp: Come on, Zouaves!

Posted on March 16, 2025 by Jack Wagner

Sorry for the lateness of this post–I was away from the keyboard for a day.  This story by Georges Surdez appeared in the May 1st, 1931 issue of Adventure Magazine.  It’s one of several pieces that Surdez wrote that were not entirely centered about the Foreign Legion.  In this case, as the title implies, the story is about the Zouaves, the stalwart light infantry regiments of France’s Armée d’Afrique.  The Zouaves, often rivals of the Foreign Legion, were largely made up of French settlers in N. Africa known as pied-noir who were performing their 18 months of military obligation (although there were often large elements of young recruits from the mainland who filled out their ranks). 

This is a very good story from Surdez, who takes the time to explain to the reader the differences between the Zouaves and the Legionnaires by the device of having a maverick officer of the Foreign Legion (Captain Tarfey) ordered out of his comfort zone to command a company of Zouaves.  Primarily it’s a story of leadership; of a hard nosed professional soldier given the hard task to make fighters out of conscripts. In some ways it’s similar to the movie Heartbreak Ridge, where Gunny Sergeant Highway takes charge of the motley Recon Platoon and molds them into professional fighting men. Like the Recon Marines, the Fourth Company of Zouaves eventually prove themselves in battle, much to the chagrin of the puffed up senior command.

Come On, Zouaves!

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Legion Pulp: C’Est La Legion

Posted on February 15, 2025 by Jack Wagner

This short story comes from the pages of Short Stories (the July 25, 1931 issue).  The author, Walter Lindsay Stewart, was not a prolific pulp writer with few titles to his credit.  According the bio on Philsp he was sports writer from Memphis who worked for the NYC World Telegram and Hearst papers during the 1930’s, but soon returned to Memphis and wrote a little fiction on the side.

The story protagonist is Legionnaire Colin MacNair, formerly of the Scottish Black Watch, and the plot is pretty much boiler plate Foreign Legion adventure–a hated senior NCO (Sergeant Major Lopez), a desert march to a desert fort, violent outbreaks of la cafard, a desertion, some pretty violent close fighting with the besieging Arabs, and a rescue column saving the day.  All packed into eight pages.

C’est La Legion

Posted in Pulp Fiction Stories | Leave a comment

Legion Pulp: A Soldier of the Legion

Posted on January 15, 2025 by Jack Wagner

Here’s another Hell’s Angels Squad story from Warren Hastings Miller.  It appeared in the May 1928 issue of Blue Book Magazine.  The squad series usually consists of several recurring characters led by the American Sergeant Ike Smith and includes Criswell (from Michigan), Anzac Bill (Australian), Di Piatti (Italian), Mora (Spanish), Rutli (Swiss), and Calamity Cyclops (a one eyed sharpshooter) and Lt. Hortet and the foils are provided by Commandant Knecht and a Major D’Erlon in this case.  This story is about how the old-school French colonels of the Armee D’Afrique are indebted to the veteran soldiers and NCO’s for their own success in the North African Desert and endorse Commandant.  Knecht’s recommendation to promote Hortet from private to Lieutenant and sends the rear-echelon wonder Major D’erlon to the front to conduct Hortet’s physical examination.  Of course Hortet who rises to the occasion in his own way.   You can download the story below or the entire issue of Blue Book (in .cbr format) here.

A Soldier of the Legion

Miller started writing Foreign Legion stories as far back as March 1927 and the concept of the Hell’s Angels Squad seemed to have evolved quickly that year with Ike, Hortet and Knecht becoming the main characters.  The Hell’s Angel’s Squad series ran for 20+ short stories from July 1927 to December 1934 according to one list but it likely began in March of 1927 (there’s a “Foreign Legion” story by Miller called High Tension in that issue).  I’ve mentioned this in a previous post but you can enjoy 10 of these fast paced Hell’s Angels Squad stories in Issue #172 of High Adventure published by Adventure House.  Amazon also sells this with free Prime shipping.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment