Life was just a routine round of milk bottles for milkman Richard Atkinson until a wild moment when he yielded to an impulse to join the Foreign Legion. Now he's facing trial for theft after a crowded 8 weeks which took him from Canterbury to Paris to Sidi-Bel-Abbes to Oran & back to Canterbury. When the impulse struck, a court was told, Atkinson: Parked his milk truck in the street, pocketed the day's proceeds and took off for Paris. Lost his money in Paris & joined the Legion. Was sent to Sibi-Bel-Abbes, Algerian HQ of the legion, where he was issued equipment & sent to Fort Mascara to fight Algerian rebels. Made his way to Oran stowed away on a German ship bound for Marseilles & arrested on arrival as a deserter from the legion. Escaped from his guards enroute to Paris & got to the British embassy, where he was given papers for his return to England. Pleaded guilty to taking $19.60 -- the proceeds from the milk sales on that first day. --Beaver Valley Times, 1 Jan 1957
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