The Centurions (65 page)

*
Route Provinciale
, as opposed to R.C.:
Route Coloniale
.

*
“Darling.”

*
Groupe de Commandos Mixtes Autonomes—an organization engaged on creating guerrilla bands behind the Vietminh lines.

*
The spare parachute which is fastened on to the stomach, while the main parachute, the dorsal, is worn on the back. It is only used in an extreme emergency, when the first parachute fails to open.

*
The régime entitled the patient to improved rations consisting of less abundant but richer food: chicken, molasses, tinned sardines (for the most serious cases) and half a banana.

*
The armistice was signed in Geneva on
20
July
1954
.

*
Algerian slang for “homosexual.”

*
“Long live President Ho!”

*
Paris-Presse
,
11
November
1954
.

*
An association of former Saint-Cyr cadets whose aim is to protect the interests of army officers. It serves more or less secretly as a trades union for the only social group in France that has no right to belong to any such organization and in consequence has no one to protect it.

*
Literally, “Allah sees us.”

*
Abbreviation of
division navale d'assaut
—a small coastal or river flotilla equipped with landing craft and flat-bottomed support vessels.

*
Comité de Co-ordination et d'Exécution
, the clandestine-rebel government created at the Soumman Congress.

*
This letter was published
verbatim
in
L'Affaire des Officiers Algeriens
by Abdelkade Rahmani (Editions du Seuil).