Category Archives: History

Auto-mitrailleuse

Posted on January 4, 2021 by Jack Wagner

I hope everyone had a great New Year’s celebration and are well recovered from your hangovers (gueule de bois).  This post began when I noticed several recent pictures on Gallica depicting a certain Captain Genty tooling around Morocco in what … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Photographs, Research, Weapons | 1 Comment

The Legion is Our Homeland

Posted on November 24, 2020 by Jack Wagner

This article came from an encyclopedia set called “The Elite”.  Each book of the 10 volume set was basically a bound collection of articles that originally appeared in the UK magazine called “The Elite: Against All Odds” (published by Orbis) … Continue reading →

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Hodgepodge for March 2017

Posted on March 31, 2017 by Jack Wagner

Another month gone…and good riddance to winter.   Here are some interesting Foreign Legion related links, pictures, articles and other tidbits. 1. Another Photo Album.  Posted by Simon F. at the Gentleman’s Military Interest Club was an interesting photo album … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Famous Legionnaires, History, Hodgepodge, Miniatures, Photographs | 1 Comment

The Old Foreign Legion 1831-1835 and its Uniforms

Posted on February 12, 2017 by Jack Wagner

Tradition, the fantastic French language magazine that showcases historical military uniforms, equipment and militaria (armes-uniformes-figurines) had a three part series back in 1997 that explored the founding of the French Foreign Legion and goes into detail about their uniforms and … Continue reading →

Posted in Armée d'Afrique, Articles, History, Uniforms | Leave a comment

Post Card from Legionnaire Charles Sweeny (to Mom)

Posted on June 4, 2015 by Jack Wagner

Here is an interesting bit of history that I acquired via eBay last week…an actual post card written by Charles S. Sweeny while he was serving in France with the French Foreign Legion in WWI, to his mother in Spokane, … Continue reading →

Posted in Famous Legionnaires, History | 2 Comments

Hodgepodge for March 2014

Posted on March 31, 2014 by Jack Wagner

Here is my monthly roll up of French Foreign Legion related odd and ends. 1.  Pete Seeger–Folk Singer / Uncle Alan Seeger–Legionnaire.  Here is a connection that I was not aware of until the recent death of Pete Seeger, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, History, Legion Forts, Video | Leave a comment

A Year’s Service in the Foreign Legion of France (1861)

Posted on February 12, 2014 by Jack Wagner

I’ve been a bad blogger lately and to make up for that here is a quick post on the Foreign Legion as described by an unknown Irish legionnaire who served for a year sometime around 1861.  His account of the … Continue reading →

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Hodgepodge for January 2014

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Jack Wagner

Not much happening this past month other than putting the holiday decorations away, freezing in the arctic cold, shoveling mountains of snow, and longing for spring.  I did find some interesting items related to the Foreign Legion. 1.  Légion Etrangère … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, History, Hodgepodge, Photographs, Websites & Blogs | Leave a comment

The Senussi: Saints of the Desert

Posted on November 22, 2013 by Jack Wagner

This article (below) appeared in The Century Magazine of June 1925 and provides a concise history of a little known North African Islamic sect called the Senussi (named after it’s founder Sayed Mohammed Ibn Ali el Senussi).  It accurately notes that … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles, History | 4 Comments

The Original Foreign Legion in Algeria and Spain

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Jack Wagner

The Foreign Legion was founded in 1831 as an expedient way to remove “nefarious characters of questionable loyalties” from France by inducing them to join a military corps that had a very high chance of seeing immediate combat and great … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles, History | 3 Comments