Hitler's Indian recruits

[KingSargent]

I am not sure that there was an actual plan by the Germans to destroy the French Foreign Legion from within, but IIRC the German 90th Light Division included large numbers of ex-French Foreign Legion Germans (supposedly one regiment was almost entirely ex-FFL).

 

So apparently there were lots of Germans in the FFL whose loyalty to Germany was not in doubt.

 

Hojutsuka

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That was the 361st Afrika regiment.

[nitin]

Amazing link- Mark Tully really pulls off a coup. The INA, IA, interviews with veterans and all ...

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/standateast.shtml

[BillB]

Amazing link- Mark Tully really pulls off a coup. The INA, IA, interviews with veterans and all ...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/standateast.shtml

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Yes, I caught this when it was broadcat back in June or July.

 

all the best

 

BillB

[Guest phil gollin]

An off-topic rant.

 

There used to be many correspondents from various Newspapers, magazines, TV and Radio stations that used to really 'know' their area of expertise.

 

Mark Tully was both knowledgeable about the sub-continent and had amazing political and society contacts. Even now that he's retired he has a better pulse on the area than most of the 'western' correspondents that cover it.

 

The age of the great 'outside' correspondents has basically passed, but the age of the 'great communicator' local correspondents has not really arrived. I used to read, watch and listen to news with in depth international news, nowadays (mainly due to fashion) I have to search for decent coverage of anything other than a few headline stories. British news reporting is becoming more and more parochial (although not as bad as US news) in a world that is meant to be more and more global.

 

When I was in Pakistan about 20-years ago it was seen as laughable that the President was always in the first or second TV news item. Nowadays, except when Blair is on Hols, one can almost guarantee that he will be mentioned in each proper news programme - its pathetic.

 

One thing that got the US upset with India many years ago was India's championing of the "Non-Aligned Nations" block. It's about time that that was re-established and got into the media business.

[Ken Estes]

  The only real service seen in this time worthy of the Legion was by the 13eme Demi-Brigade, which was assembled from troops culled from oversees Legion units and was intended to re-inforce the Finns in their winter-war against the Soviets, but ultimately wound up serving in the Norwegian campaign.  Yep, raised and trained in North Africa for service in the artic.

 

An interesting tidbit of history...

 

-Mark 1

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Right you are, Mk I, and many new legionairres [a company in the 13th] were Spanish Republicans recruited from their refugee camps in So. France. Several thousands of these will serve in the Legion and also in LeClerc's 2nd DCM in the liberation of Paris. One of the rare foreign officers in the LE was the former chief of the Republican Navy, who rose to captain! Cheers, Ken

[nitin]

Phil,

 

True. Those kind of journalists are a dying breed. But then again, who knows.

Incidentally Mark Tully got one of India's highest civilian awards as well.

http://www.webindia123.com/government/award/padbhu.htm

 

I think he stayed back in India, if I am not mistaken.

 

http://www.the-south-asian.com/Nov2000/Foreigners_in_India1.htm

When Mark Tully first came to India in 1965 as an assistant representative in the BBC, little did he know that he had come to his second home. Now retired from BBC, Tully is very much a part of the Indian milieu. Mark Tully's stint with the BBC for over 30 years, with a short break during the emergency period, set the standards for future television reportage from India. " After that I didn't feel like going back. Over the years, I realised India had become my adopted home and I was a part of its traditions, its culture." Tully, who speaks fluent Hindi, has travelled extensively and interacted with people from all walks of life. During his three decades long stay here he has written three widely acclaimed books. After retiring from the BBC he has been writing and doing radio programmes for various international channels. He is also working on a programme on religion seeking certain common factors between Hinduism and Christianity.