by Griff Hosker
Shade off the trees,
Swing, swing together,
With your bodies between your knees,
Swing, swing together,
With your bodies between your knees.
Rugby may be more clever,
Harrow may make more row,
But we’ll row for ever,
Steady from stroke to bow,
And nothing in life shall sever,
The chain that is round us now,
And nothing in life shall sever,
The chain that is round us now.
Others will fill our places,
Dressed in the old light blue,
We’ll recollect our races,
We’ll to the flag be true,
And youth will be still in our faces,
When we cheer for an Eton crew,
And youth will be still in our faces,
When we cheer for an Eton crew.
Twenty years hence this weather,
May tempt us from office stools,
We may be slow on the feather,
And seem to the boys old fools,
But we’ll still swing together,
And swear by the best of schools,
But we’ll still swing together,
And swear by the best of schools.
It was easy to pick up and actually helped us. Beaumont had a fine voice. We didn’t pick all the words up but that didn’t matter. We did two circuits of the island and then I said, “Let’s stop and see if we need any adjustment.” We slid into the bank. I grabbed a branch to hold us there. “Are you all happy with your seat? If you want to swap then you can.”
“No sir. It’s fine.”
“Where did you learn that song, Beaumont?”
“Eton of course sir. I did two terms there.”
Davis said, “You went to Eton. I thought that was a posh school.”
“It is.” He sighed, “Father had a good business. He had, however, too much invested in the stock market. The Spanish Civil War saw him lose a packet. We weren’t poor but the school had to go. I didn’t mind but I had some good chums there. We had been at prep school together.”
“Right, let’s go again. Foster and White, if you turned the paddle after you take it out of the water it causes less drag and less splash. Keep it smooth. The song helps.”
By the time the hour was up they were all confident about their stroke. I had the boats beached and we stepped ashore. “Any problems?”
Poulson and Barker shook their heads. “No sir. It took a couple of laps to get the balance right but we are happy now.”
“Good, then it is time for the race.”
“What are the rules, sir?”
“Rules, Sarn’t Major?”
“Yes sir, rules.”
“I will count one, two, three, go and we run to the boat, launch them and then row around the island three times. We finish up here at the starting point.”
“We can sail as close to the island as we like, sir?”
I smiled. My men were competitive. “Of course, Sarn’t Major, of course I should point out that there are underwater obstacles close to the island. If you puncture your vessel then you have to repair it!”
“Righto sir.”
“Any questions, lads?”
They chorused, “Sir, no sir!”
They were ready.
“One, two, three, go!”
Gordy wanted to win. He and his team were in their boat and on the water first. Lieutenant Poulson and my team were neck and neck in second. What I had done was to check the wind. It was from the east and was quite strong. I intended to use it.
Jolly boating weather,
And a hay harvest breeze,
Blade on the feather,
Shade off the trees,
Swing, swing together,
With your bodies between your knees.
Swing, swing together,
With your bodies between your knees.
We began draw away from Lieutenant Poulson. I saw that our paddles went in as one. The other two teams were slightly off. It was not much but it meant we were faster. The song helped too. I saw white around the blade of Emerson and Ashcroft’s paddles. In contrast Billy Hay’s was as smooth as my team’s. We were catching Gordy. He had a length and clear water on us but I was not worried. When we reached the end of the first lap the clear water was down to a two feet. He glanced over his shoulder. A sure sign that he was worried. I kept us directly behind him as we headed west. The wind was from behind and we took it from Gordy. Lucky Lady closed with the back of his dinghy. He exhorted his men to paddle harder. That was a mistake and they became more ragged. As we turned to head south I used my paddle to steer to the starboard of Gordy and we began to overtake the rear of their dinghy.
Gordy’s team were paddling far harder than we were but they were not as smooth.
Jolly boating weather,
And a hay harvest breeze,
Blade on the feather,
Shade off the trees,
Swing, swing together,
With your bodies between your knees,
Swing, swing together,
With your bodies between your knees.
We drew level with Ashcroft and Richardson. They glanced over and Richardson missed his stroke. We began to overtake them. As we came around to the start position we were ahead. With one lap to go I knew that we would win. My men were singing and that showed they were not out of breath. The last lap was a victory parade. I saw that Lieutenant Poulson was now catching Gordy. The two of them were desperate not to come last.
We pulled in and were out of the boat as the two crews paddled towards us. My men all cheered for one boat or the other. In the end it was a dead heat but both crews looked wrecked.
Beaumont said, cheekily, “We could go again if you want a rematch!”
He received a murderous look from Gordy and Lieutenant Poulson just laughed and gasped, “That is all right Lance Sergeant. We know when we are beaten!”
The last few hours were spent in launching the dinghies and then paddling and landing at the island. Now that the men were comfortable with their paddling they were able to focus on making a good and safe landing. The two men at the bows watched for obstacles and the second two were able to use their paddles to control the approach. By the time the light had gone from the sky we were all exhausted. We were fit men but we were using muscles we did not work as hard, normally. I had them carry the boats back to the barn. They were as valuable any weapon we might take.
That evening, after we had eaten, they shared their experiences. Sam and Tom approached me, “Sir, we have that song in our heads. We can’t get rid of it.”
“Good. When we row up the Lippe you will not be able to sing it you know.”
“Yes sir, we know.”
The next morning would be more of the same but I was giving them the afternoon off. I wanted to practice night launches and landings. In the end it proved serendipitous for Major Foster arrived just after we had eaten lunch. I could see from his face, that he was troubled.
I turned to the men, “Have a couple of hours off. If you want to go into town for a beer then that is fine by me.” I saw their faces light up, “Just a beer mind!” They all left the Lieutenant and me to get washed and changed. “Problem?”
“Patton has crossed the Rhine!”
“What? But it is not scheduled for another nine days!”
He shrugged, “Publicly he is saying that his men found the Ludendorff Railway Bridge at Remargen still standing. He is pouring men across.”
“And privately?”
“Sam Politho reckons that he does not want to lose out to Monty. He intends to beat him to Berlin.”
“Does that mean we go in early?”
“Only a day or two but the ultimate objective has changed. We are going to head north towards the Baltic once we have broken through. Monty wants to deny the Russians Denmark. They are moving far faster than we are. Their generals appear even more competitive tha
n ours do.”
“So, when do we go?”
“The attack will begin before dawn on the 23rd of March. You and your men will cross the Rhine on the evening of the 21st. You need to be there on the 22nd. Monty wants no chances taking.”
“So, four days then?”
He nodded, “That isn’t a problem is it?”
“No, we should be up to speed by then.”
“You need to take your radio. You can warn us of any problems.”
I frowned, “We have not tried the boats laden yet. I was not certain we would need the radio.”
“We need it Tom.”
“Right, we’ll try it out tomorrow.”
He nodded, “I will be back again on the 21st. I will come and see you off.”
“Right sir. Well we had better get on with it then!”
After he had gone I said, “I don’t fancy risking our radio while we are practising. Let’s take the lorry and see what we can scrounge.”
“Sir, you sound just like Fletcher!”
“I know. He is a bad influence.”
We drove around the various army camps. There were dozens of them We struck lucky at the camp of the Black Watch. They had a radio they had cannibalised for the workable parts. It was roughly the same size as ours and almost the same weight. I saw the question forming on the Captain’s lips and then he saw our shoulder flashes, “I was going to ask a wee stupid question but seeing who you are I will just nod and say, help yerself.”
“We appreciate that.”
“Are you on this little jaunt too then?”
I nodded, “We’ll be with you.”
“Good then I am happier already. I hear, from Intelligence, that there are two German Airborne Divisions ahead of us. We ran into them at Falaise.”
“That is useful intel, thanks.”
As we loaded the broken radio I reflected that we already knew that. Major Foster had given us a break down. The 85th Infantry Division were not a problem but the Heavy anti-tank battalion, 47 Panzer and the Airborne were.
When we compared the two radios there was barely any difference between them. Fletcher could carry the one we had been given and if it received a dousing then there would be no loss. They came back in good humour and I was pleased I had given them a leave. There would be no more beer now until we had finished this mission and that would be at the end of the war!
Chapter 11
There was now urgency to our work. The deadline had been brought forward and the men were competitive. They wanted us to make the advances that Patton had made. It was good that we practised the night landings. We realised it would be hard to follow each other. It was Sam White who came up with the solution.
“Sir, if we paint a white line on the back of each dinghy then we will be able to see it but the enemy won’t.”
We tried it with the spare dinghy and it worked. That would make our passage up the river easier. It was as well we had the broken radio for it took some work to balance it. We had to rearrange Lieutenant Poulson’s boat so that Fletcher steered and the Lieutenant paddled. It worked out quite well as Hewitt was about the same build and weight as the Lieutenant. By the 20th we were confident that we could land without having a disaster.
We spent the last day preparing our war faces. We all had equipment we would need to take. Ashcroft and Betts would operate the mortar. They had just one day at the practice range. It was not enough but it was all that we had. We spent the afternoon of the 20th loading and paddling our dinghies around the lake. We used everything but the real radio. It was not as easy and I estimated it would add an hour to our journey. We would still have time to reach our target. We had our camouflage nets. They would be invaluable.
Major Foster arrived with the latest intelligence. “Patton is racing through Germany. Huge numbers of Germans will be cut off in the Ruhr. Monty is not happy. He and Patton do not get along. He is expecting everything to go smoothly.”
I shook my head, “He can wish all he likes but we both know that all it takes is for a German version of us to decide to be belligerent and we could get held up for a week.”
He nodded, “You are right. Just do your best.” He gave me a sad look, “Tom, don’t think I don’t appreciate all that you have done for me and our country. Just do me a favour will you? Keep your head down. Susan told me that you have a wedding planned at the end of this nightmare and I would like to be there. I remember when you were in the Loyal Lancashires. There was something about you even then. I recognised that there was a diamond hiding beneath that roughhewn exterior. Stop going first. There are young lads in your section now. Let them take the chances.”
I shook my head, “You don’t understand do you, Toppy? It is the older ones who owe it to the young lads to take the risks for them. We have experience. I have lost two young lads because they didn’t keep their heads down. When I started in the Commandos I was able to watch others and follow. I learned. These young lads are thrown in at the deep end. The war is nastier now than the last time you fought, on the retreat through Belgium.”
He looked aggrieved, “That hurts Tom.”
“I know. But it is still the truth and we both know it. Let me run my war that way I have always done it. I will get the job done. I have no intention of standing Susan up. Mum wants grandkids and I am her best shot.”
“I know.”
“What about the next part? What happens after we are relieved?”
“There will be five jeeps brought to Schermbeck. You will then leapfrog the main column and hold all the crossroads between there and the Baltic. We will have fresh supplies for you. Each time you are relieve there will be more supplies for you.”
“That is honest of you, at any rate. You know that fifteen of us are setting out tomorrow but fifteen of us won’t reach the Baltic.”
He looked at the ground, “You might.”
“Honesty, Toppy, you owe us that. Are these lads worth sacrificing so that Monty will get a knighthood or a victory parade? I don’t think so. The Russians are almost at Berlin. My lads have dealt with the terror weapon. If Monty dawdled to the Baltic would it make a difference? Only to Monty.”
“You have become a cynic, Tom.”
“And that comes from the people I have worked with.” I shook his hand. “When you were in the Loyal Lancashires I admired you more than you could know. You have changed. You have not become a Colonel Fleming yet but you are damned close. Toppy, look in the mirror.”
I did not enjoy hurting him but I was not certain I would ever see him again. The cathedral and the dead who would never come home had affected me. I had to be true to them and true to myself. Once he had gone I gathered my men around me.
“We are on the last leg. The powers that be have great faith in us. When we have held this crossroads we do the same until we reach the Baltic. I am not happy about it and I told the Major so. I want all of us to survive. Do not take risks. You new chaps, you have done well. Two of your comrades died because they kept their heads up instead of ducking. Duck!”
That made them all laugh.
“We all know that our enemies are tricky. If they surrender then search them. If they are wounded then make sure they do not have access to a gun or a grenade. Until we get back to Blighty then do not relax and never think that it is all over. Until we are back in our homes in England, it isn’t!”
Our two drivers had been more than helpful. I called them over while the men packed their Bergens. “You lads have done a first rate job, Tomorrow afternoon we want you drive us as close as you can to the river. I know it is boggy and there is a good chance that your vehicles could get stuck…”
Private Carstairs held up his hand, “Sir, it is no secret that you are going behind the German lines. I think the two of us can cope with getting two lorries out of some mud! We are honoured to be working with you. When this is all over and I am in the pub with my mates, this will be a story I am proud to tell.”
I shook my head, “But what story?�
��
He nodded at my medals, “That story, sir. We kept our ears open and heard your lads talking about what you did. You are proper soldiers. Me and Harry here, we just drive. You? You make a difference. Don’t worry about the lorries. We will get you as close as is humanly possible.”
We loaded the three dinghies on one lorry and the men and Bergens went on the other. Carstairs was as good as his word. He drove until the wheels began spinning, “That is it, sir. End of the line.”
I saw that we were just a hundred and eighty yards from the river, “And this will do.”
We sat and waited for dark. There would be German observers. They would be laughing at the two lorries which managed to get stuck in the boggy ground. As darkness fell the men ran to the river and dropped their bags and equipment. We then manhandled the three dinghies to the Rhine. I said nothing to the two drivers but my handshake was heartfelt. They had saved us time and effort. The mission had more chance of success thanks to two drivers. They were part of the team just as Flight Lieutenant Ryan and Flight Sergeant Harris had been. We could not have achieved what we did without them.
Our practice paid off and we loaded the boats efficiently and, more importantly, silently. Mine was the lead boat. We had the least weight. The newly acquired mortar was the heaviest item we carried. The current was faster than I had expected. That had been the one thing we could not replicate in the small lake. I steered us diagonally across the river so that we would take advantage of the power of the river and keep us on our way. I glanced back. The other two boats were still on station.
On the far bank all that I could see was trees. There were Germans there. They were watching the river but, as the river was more than four hundred yards wide at this point, I hoped that we were just a shadow passing downstream. Beaumont was giving the lead with the rhythm. He had them digging in with a beat between each stroke. This was the easy part of the journey. Here the river was wide and the current with us. The Lippe would be narrow and we would be fighting it until we disembarked.
We passed the mooring dock where, in more peaceful times, river barges would have tied up. Now it was just an empty space of water leading to a lock and then the canal which paralleled the Lippe. From the map, I knew that the river was just on the other side. I stopped paddling and used my oar like a rudder to take us to the gap which appeared before us. On the north bank of the Lippe lay Wesel. When the offensive began that would be the southern target of our strike. There were just shadows. As we turned and Beaumont changed the stroke I caught a few words of German. There were sentries on the north bank. I could not see them. There were trees there.