Here is the translation of the Dutch News paper articles about my entry into the Legion.
The original clips are on the article link.
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TWO YOUNG MEN SIGN ON WITH LEGION
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It looks like that the 18 year old cook's helper J.van Raamt from the town of IJmuiden will not be coming home for a while on the Lier street 20.
As a crew member of the M.S. Hector from the K.N.S.M., what was supposed to be a small trip of six weeks in the waters of the North African coast, turned out to be a long term stay in the French Foreign Legion.
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On Sunday July 26, the young IJmuidenaar and the 22 year old J. Klaasen-Bos from Amsterdam went ashore in Oran. From this outing they did not return and the Captain of the Hector concluded that he had to do with two deserters from the ship.
In this vein he send a telegram to the ship's Company. Without the two Men aboard the Hector lifted anchor for the trip home.
The KNSM (ship's company) contacted their agent in Oran and the Dutch vice-consulate there.
After an exchange of telegrams, the agent claimed that the men were being well. However, a few days later he had to tell that the two sailors had signed up for the French Foreign Legion. This became apparent to him after a detailed investigation.
Without means to support themselves, they had contacted the agent of the KNSM, who in turn notified his Company about the sailors showing up. being in an unfortunate situation, the men apparently fell in the hands of head hunter (ronselaar) who had little trouble to get them to sign for the Legion.
The mother of van Raamt and her husband had already taken steps to see if they can release them from the claws of the Legion, but without success. The Velsen Police department that was involved with this attempt, did not believe it would work. according to French law, van Raamt is for the military considered adult and only a medical discharge would safe him.
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DUTCHMEN JOIN LEGION AFTER DESERTION FROM THEIR SHIP
Wednesday July 27
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Probably because their ship had sailed without them, these two young sailors let themselves being Shanghaied in the North African port of Oran and signed a contract with he Foreign Legion. It will be tried to get both young men the 22 year old J. Klaasen-Bos from Amsterdam and the 18 year old J. van Raamt from IJmuiden released via diplomatic channels. The chance that this will succeed is very small.
The Amsterdammer and the IJmuidenaar respectively Deckhand and Cook's helper were part of the crew of the MS Hector of the Royal Dutch Steamship Company (KNSM). When the ship docked in Oran on July 26, the boys went ashore with the instruction to be back the same night.
Ronselaar=headhunter =one who Shanghais men.
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When they did not return that night, nor the following morning did the Hector leave the port of Oran without them.
The Captain notified the KNSM via telegraph of the desertion. The KNSM then notified the Dutch vice-consulate who then stated that the boys had been persuaded to sign a five year contract with the Foreign Legion.
From the investigation it proved that they indeed on the 27 July went to the Hector, but after discovering that the ship had left they went to agent of the company. It was after that, that they came in contact with an headhunter.
In name of the Mother of van Raamt, the Velser police contacted the ministry of foreign affairs. However, according to insiders, the probability of them returning home is in theory very small. The chance would have been greater if they had been in a collection center in France. Furthermore, even the youngest had attained the age military adulthood.
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*FYI All the statements about the agent and head hunter was pure fabrication perpetrated by the Company or reporter. Even some of the other reporting was false. For instance, we never went back to the ship and found it gone. The fact was we heard the ship's horn blow for sailors to get back on board while we were already settled into a bunk bed.
nice old cavalry pics. like the one when they are all on parade woth your vehicles. 
