Ambush At The Oasis: French North Africa 1908 (1 Viewer)

[PolarBear]

A French Foreign Legion patrol sent ahead from the main column has been ambushed by a band of Tuaregs during a stop to fill their canteens at a desert well. NCO Heinz Bremer fires his 1908 Parabellum Luger, a recent birthday gift from his brother Klaus back in Vienna while bugler Frank "Spuds" Flanigan, a former trumpet player in a ragtime dance band in Kansas City, signals the column for reinforcements. The other members of the patrol include a former sailor from Marseille, a grape farmer from Provence, an ex-pickpocket from Paris, and a Russian dock worker.

 

[Warrior]

NCO Heinz Bremer fires his 1908 Parabellum Luger, a recent birthday gift from his brother Klaus back in Vienna..............

Nice diorama PB; thanks for the caveat on the pistol as I was going to point out that the officer's pistol is incorrect, but you explained how he came into possession of that item, I am a stickler for detail as you know and egregious errors like this will not be tolerated in most cases unless they come with a valid explanation..............

 

[mikemiller1955]

Randy...excellent photo...I'm anxiously awaiting mine...

 

[PolarBear]

Thanks all for your likes and comments. I have loved the FFL as a subject since the 1950s when I (as a pre-teen)wrote to them and asked for info on joining. They sent me a nice letter in French and a copy of Kepi Blanc, their magazine both of which I still have. I recently picked up a DVD of Moroccothe 1930 Gary Cooper film (see below)

Mike I am looking forward to your FFL fort and the multiples you will fill it with.

 

[Warrior]

Thanks all for your likes and comments. I have loved the FFL as a subject since the 1950s when I (as a pre-teen)wrote to them and asked for info on joining. They sent me a nice letter in French and a copy of Kepi Blanc, their magazine both of which I still have. I recently picked up a DVD of Moroccothe 1930 Gary Cooper film (see below)

Mike I am looking forward to your FFL fort and the multiples you will fill it with.

That's a cool story, good thing you didn't follow through, you might have ended up at Dien Bien Phu.......{eek3}

As a kid growing up in the early 70's, I remember seeing the Guy Stockwell/Telly Savalas/Leslie Nielsen version of Beau Geste, about a week later I was in Woolworths and right in from of me were the Airfix 1/72nd scale FFL and Arab sets, I was floored. I later picked up the Airfix FFL fort and the rest is history, the FFL are at the top of my list for favorite units along with Napoleonic Old Guard, WWII British Airborne and Union Iron Brigade..............

 

[villagehorse]

Good story Randy, puts to rest on the officers gun issue. You must be about the first in the world to get & display these FFL and they certainly look good. I am thinking these were very tough men with mostly unsavoury pasts, so I am not so sure why a grape picker joined up, perhaps a failed love affair.{sm4}, Robin.

 

[REVWARBUFF]

I echo everyone else's sentiments about your great scene. As usual your dio is artistically done with a well written narrative. Great job Randy!

Thanks for sharing.

Mark

 

[PolarBear]

Good story Randy, puts to rest on the officers gun issue. You must be about the first in the world to get & display these FFL and they certainly look good. I am thinking these were very tough men with mostly unsavoury pasts, so I am not so sure why a grape picker joined up, perhaps a failed love affair.{sm4}, Robin.

Robin

Don't forget they took these 2 guys^&grin

 

[villagehorse]

Robin

Don't forget they took these 2 guys^&grin

Ah yes, but with such checkered backgrounds, this pair were always going to be signed up, much to the regret of the Legion, as they were to soon learn from their antics.{sm4}{sm4}, Robin.

 

[Guy]

Great story, great bunch of soldiers .Nice set up. Do I spot Beau Geste amongst the FFL
guy

 

[maddadicus]

March or Die has to be my favorite FL film with Gene Hackman and Terrance Hill....Michael

 

[Warrior]

Agreed, I love that movie; "If the desert doesn't get you, the arabs will, if the arabs don't get you, the legion will, if the legion doesn't get you, I will; I don't know which is worse."

The funny part about the movie is of all things the TV version has several scenes in it that the theatrical and DVD version do not have, including a battle scene prior to the last climatic one, strange the way that worked out...............

Love the Hackman line "One of MY men became restless" after the Terrance Hill character pops the arab who was torturing the captured legionaire.......

 

[Artillery_crazy]

Nice diorama PB; thanks for the caveat on the pistol as I was going to point out that the officer's pistol is incorrect, but you explained how he came into possession of that item, I am a stickler for detail as you know and egregious errors like this will not be tolerated in most cases unless they come with a valid explanation..............

Hi Warrior,
Although Polar Bear has come up with a great idea on how to explain that a FFL Officer was holding a German pistol...instead of the issued Lebel 1893 issue revolver. But still a closer look at the pistol will give away a mistake I pointed out to Tom back when the prototypes were being shown..but too late given that production was already going.....the pistol actually is a Carl Walther 9 mm P38 or a Walther AP issued to the German Army in 1938.......( Most likely his brother was in some time warp to the future and back....and remebered to pick a souvenir for him on the way back^&grin^&cool)...
Cheers
Artillery_Crazy