The Foreign Legion pulp story for November is written by Georges Surdez and is entitled Surprise Attack. It appeared in the April 1939 issue of Adventure. The story concerns the recollections of Captain Tainton and his time as Commander of the Foreign Legion Disciplinary Company at Colomb-Bechar, Algeria and his later encounters with some of his “wards” in the wilds of the desert. It’s a short story but very well done and contains some of Surdez’s great characterizations of tough legionnaires who were brutalized in the compagnie disciplinaire but still retain their loyalty to the traditions of the Foreign Legion.
Sorry for not posting recently. I was planning to post an article on Foreign Legion slang but had to postpone it to do some more research.
Mon Legionnaire 
Jack, you found a winner again. I loved SURPRIZE ATTACK. Well-named. The story had a few surprises in itself, like the leniency and relaxation of regulations, even the existence of regulations in favour of the convicts. There was human psychology and thought in it, and a terrific reversal of fortune. The dialogue was excellent, and I refer to words like “I never think. I never forget” which was loaded with menace and an ominous hint of dreaded foreboding. I also liked “A black eye is a bad witness.” More from Surdez.
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A good story from the pulp era!
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