On the other hand, the French contingent returning to Algeria felt mortally discouraged. One of Lartéguy's para officers explains in The Centurions, “It's specially bad for our men. They thought they had escaped from prison. Now they're going to be taken back to their cells under police escort.” Indeed, in the French news films of the time the contrast between the tough, confident professionals setting off for Suez and the broken men shambling from their ships at Algiers spoke volumes.

Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Alge…, loc. 496