France Cracking Heads : Foreign legion patrol......

[Chris Boonzaier]

For decades the "PM" (or in English "MP") patrols used to cruise around in old jeeps looking for troublemakers in the town.

Catching Anyone "going over the wall" for an unauthorised night out, or getting into a drunken brawl could be picked up by the PMs, probably get roughed up on the way to base and then land in the regt drunktank/Jail.

Ahhhh yes.... the PM Jeep coming round the corner... and everyone trying to look innocent...

The Legion was the only unit in the French Army to have a PM.

Recently the powers that be declared that the Legion was no longer allowed to have a PM.

Sooooooooooo......

from this month on...

On the red and green Brassards... the letters "PM" will be removed. Instead "PLE" will be put on the Brassard .... "Patrouille de la Legion Etrangere"...

The task of the patrol will be to assist and protect legionnaires, especially the young ones who have not yet integrated into society....

Of course... if they have time, down on the list of tasks is... making sure noone goes over the wall, or gets into drunken brawls etc. etc. etc.....

As my man Jesus Rodrigues sings

"Dont try and fool me

with your manner of dress

Because a monkey in silk

is a monkey no less"

;-)

[Veteran]

Hi there Chris

Lots of fun your story. Trust the Legion to obey orders..... in such a way things really work out, despite official nonsense.

Thanks for sharing. Amitiés légionnaires

Veteran

[Chris Boonzaier]

There was an interesting comment on a forum...

The new "PLE" members will actually go through a special course...

Whereas the old "PM" were recruited along the lines of "Wanted: the Regiments 5 biggest Taihitians"

[PKeating]

Whereas the old "PM" were recruited along the lines of "Wanted: the Regiments 5 biggest Taihitians"

The Parachute Regiment had its own "Regimental Police", drunken Paras tending to see normal Military Police as legitimate targets and said MPs tending to find ways of not attending incidents involving drunken Paras. "Wanted: the battalion's five biggest mutants". Seriously though, when are civvie politicians going to stop messing about with the military just to 'make work' and justify their over-inflated salaries? It is my imagination or was it less pronounced when we still had politicians who at least had done some military service themselves and appreciated the maxim about not fixing things if they ain't broke?

[Chris Boonzaier]

Here are some hard at work.... ;-)

[Chris Boonzaier]

"The task of the patrol will be to assist and protect legionnaires, especially the young ones who have not yet integrated into society...."