by Griff Hosker
There was a reception committee waiting for us. Hugo had told the men my mission and they were eager for their letters. I threw the sack to Hugo, "There you are Lieutenant Ferguson! Enjoy!"
I was walking to my hut when I heard Bill Hay give a whoop. "I am a dad! I have a son!"
Everyone crowded around to congratulate him. I turned to walk back. Suddenly he said, "Oh no!"
A deadly silence fell over the men. This sounded like bad news. "What's up Corp? Summat wrong with the bairn?"
"No Fred, well at least not yet." He looked up. "It's the name. She has named him after her uncle, Maurice!"
"What's wrong with that?"
"If it gets shortened it will be Mo Hay! You can't do that to the poor little bugger can you?" There was relief all around that the only problem he had was with a name.
We had two days without orders and then Hugo came one morning and shouted, "Lieutenant Magee, we have orders!" He waved his acknowledgment and clambered down to the dinghy.
"Where to this time, Hugo? Sicily again?"
"No, Tom, Italy!"
"Italy?"
He held up a hand, "Best I explain what Major Fleming wants when Sandy arrives. But he has promised us more men. There is some good news."
Sicily was one thing but a voyage to Italy on the schooner involved greater distances and more danger. Sandy was beaming as he strode over to us. "Don' t tell me, the holiday is over? We have had our two days of relaxation and now it is back to the fray, eh?"
"You seem remarkably philosophical about the prospect, Sandy."
"When you went through the Great War then every day you are above ground seems like a gift from God."
Hugo had the maps out. "The Major was very pleased with the last operation. He wants the section to go to Italy to do a little sabotage." The surprise must have shown on my face for he said, "Let me explain. Your information confirmed that there is a lack of harmony between our enemies. The Major wants you to exploit that. There are Italian Communists who are opposed to Mussolini. Sadly they don't like us very much either. He wants you and your men to cut the railway line north of Reggio and make it look like the partisans did it."
"And how do we do that?"
"Use dynamite and an old fashioned detonator. The partisans and resistance all use them!"
"That increases the risk for us."
"I know but you get to choose the place to do it. You could pick somewhere really quiet."
I sighed, "Give me the map then." The first glance did not appear to offer anything. "There are settlements all the way along the coast and look here, Messina! You can guarantee that there will be more patrol boats there than anywhere."
Sandy said, "Let me have a look."
I leaned back as Sandy examined the map, "We don't mind the difficult, Hugo, it is the impossible we don't like. I am not certain that this is worth the risk."
"It diverts Jerry from looking too closely at Sicily. The powers that be want the Germans looking further east for an invasion. I think, although no one has told me, that there will be similar attacks in Greece and the Balkans. Now that North Africa is sewn up we can strike anywhere in Europe."
Sandy said, "Here!"
"What?" I saw that his finger was almost on Reggio. "Are you mad? That is less than a mile from Reggio harbour!"
"And that is why it is perfect. Look, Tom, there is the railway line and nothing else nearby. The mountain almost comes down to the sea. It is like that bit of coast close to the Menaii straits in Anglesey. Why you could probably block the line for a long time if you set the charges to bring down part of the mountain."
"What about you and the schooner?"
"Oh, don't worry about us. We can play the wind trick."
"The wind trick?"
"Pretend we are poor sailors and get caught out. We have done it before. You lads paddle in and leave your dinghies, here." He pointed. "The nearest house is a good two hundred yards away. I have seen you operate. You are invisible when you want to be. Ten minutes to get to the railway and then however long it takes to set the charges."
"An hour, tops."
"Then there you have it. It will take that time for us to turn around and get back in position for you."
"The trouble is we only have seven men we can take. I am not risking the two wounded lads."
Hugo smiled, "Technically this just needs a couple of you."
"You two seem determined to make light of this."
"No, Tom, we are just doing what you normally do, seeing the positives. You have had two rough missions. This one might not be as bad."
"Right. I suppose I am resigned to it. We will need dynamite then."
"They have some in the stores at Marsalaforn. I'll nip over and get it."
As we walked back to the beach Sandy said, "We both do what we do, Tom, because we want to make a difference. There are risks in everything."
"I know." I whistled and my men looked over. "Front and centre! We have work to do!"
"I'll tell my lads. See you later and don't worry. You young lads can handle this."
I waved at him. My men squatted around on the sand. "We are off again. We leave tonight. We are going to Italy."
Unlike me they seemed enthusiastic. "Lance Sergeant Lowe and Private Crowe you will stay here. You have been wounded and I can't risk it."
They both looked devastated. "We'll be fine sir! Won't we, Doc?"
I shook my head, "There is no point in appealing to Hewitt. It is my decision. You can stay here and make this camp a bit more organised. It looks like we are getting more men."
I took out the map and laid it on the sand.
"We are going here. It is the railway line just north of Reggio." I looked at Ken Shepherd. "It will come down to you and you will be using dynamite not our usual explosive." George Lowe gave me a look of surprise. "I know Lance Sergeant but we have to look like Italian partisans. We want to be as primitive as we can be."
"It means he will have to use an electrical charge to set it off, sir."
"All sorted, George, and that is why we have chosen this place. We can run the fuse down to the shore. It is as safe as we can make it. Lieutenant Ferguson is getting the dynamite, fuse and everything else that we need. You need to work out how to blow up the line and bring some of the mountain down too."
George looked at his acolyte, "You and I will have to spend the next few hours going through this."
Bill Hay said, "I have used dynamite before. I'll give the lad a hand."
"Thanks Bill."
"Now it doesn't need us all so most of you will just be needed to row us in and guard us. Take the German guns and leave the Commando weapons here. We use German grenades rather than Mills bombs. You have the rest of the day to get ready. We will be at sea for a few days this time."
"How about wearing civilian gear, sir, like the crew of the 'Fly'?
"Good idea, Scouse." I looked around the faces. They were good Commandos. I had given them a problem and they had come up with solutions. They were better Commandos than I was. "If there's nothing else, let's prepare."
I would take my Luger. It was a shame it had no silencer but if Sandy was right in his estimation then there would be no enemies nearby anyway. This seemed to me like it might be our easiest operation to date.
Just after two o'clock Hugo reappeared with dynamite, fuse and detonator. My three explosives experts scurried away to examine them. Sergeant Poulson came to see me, "Who will you take with you, sir?"
"Who would you take?"
He grinned, "Hay and Shepherd, sir. I just thought you might need me too!"
"I need you to watch our backs. The schooner is no E-Boat. Mr Magee will have to tack back and forth. We have to wait until he is on station before we set off the charges."
"What about trains using the railway line sir?"
"I know, that could be a problem. We will have to cross that bridge when we get to it."
Chapter 6
Hugo and Alan Crowe made th
e meal for us. We ate while the sun dropped in the west. We set sail at dusk when there was just a thin line of red on the horizon. George, Hugo and Alan Crowe waved us off. We looked just as piratical as Sandy and his crew. The comforter was the only piece of uniform, apart from my rubber soled shoes, that I wore. I had donned the bisht as it covered a multitude of sins. It kept you cool when it was hot and warm when it was cold. The rest of my men had been equally imaginative. We were able to lounge around the deck. To a casual observer the schooner might have appeared to be over crewed but as Sandy played the smuggler it might be expected.
"Have you been to Italy before then?"
Sandy nodded, "A couple of times. Once was not far from where we are going to land. It's why I am so confident about the site. I remember having the willies put up me by a train once. I know how close to the shore it is."
"How far is it then?"
"About a hundred and ninety miles." He pointed to the masthead pennant. "Light winds and from the wrong direction; it could take all night and most of the day to reach it. We are subject to the wind. Timetables are hard to keep to."
"We don't want to get there in daylight though."
"No. We will head around to the east if we are early. My worry is that those Jerries we ran into the other day will have reported us. The last thing we need is for inquisitive eyes on us." He pointed the stem of his pipe to the hatch. "You might as well get your head down for a bit."
"I am too wound up. I will stay here, if you don't mind, I find the sea soothing."
"I know what you mean. It is especially true when we are barely moving, like now." We headed through the dark and I sat with back to the stern rail. The Chief came on deck after an hour so that Sandy could go below decks for a call of nature. When the skipper returned he brought me a corned beef sandwich. They seemed to live on them in the navy. It was, simply, two huge wedges of bread filled with thickly cut corned beef and smothered in mustard. It was an acquired taste but I had had enough of them now to quite like the aggressively seasoned sandwich. He also gave me a huge mug of tea.
"Thanks Sandy."
"Don't thank me. Cookie made them for your lads too." He nodded north east. "I reckon four o'clock tomorrow afternoon should see us close so I will head further east. If any nosey aeroplanes see us they will think we are heading for the Balkans or Greece." I saw that we were flying the Irish Free State Flag once more. The rules out here were bent almost to the point of breaking.
At midnight I felt my eyelids drooping and I went below deck. Sandy had retired an hour earlier. They were working four on and four off. He had three watch keepers. Tosh Taylor was the youngest of the three of them and, as Leading Seaman, was the most junior. He nodded as I went below decks. "See you in the morning sir."
"And you, Tosh!"
The schooner was a little more lively when I awoke. I visited the side first and then joined the Chief whose turn it was to steer. "A little livelier than last night, Chief."
"Aye the wind got up an hour ago. The pressure is dropping. My teeth tell me there is a storm brewing. It doesn't change the plan though. We still head east and..."
"Italian aeroplane, nine o'clock!"
I shaded my eyes to see the reconnaissance aircraft which was heading for us. It was high up and posed no threat. That was as long as we behaved normally. We maintained our course and no one raced around the deck. Scouse was lying on the deck and he just said, "Just so long as he doesn't have any mates then we should be fine. This is the life, sir. It is like being a film star." I smiled. He said 'film' as 'filum'. It was a northern trait.
I nodded and watched the Italian aeroplane. He did not deviate from his flight but I had no doubt that he would report us. "Whereabouts are we, Chief?"
He jerked a thumb astern, "Sicily is forty miles that way." He pointed due north, "And Italy is forty miles that way. We stay on this course for another hour and then turn towards the north. It might fool our friend up there."
I went back below deck as the air was becoming a little colder. The rest of the team were gathered in the mess. Ken Shepherd said, "I'm off to make a brew."
"I'll give you a hand. I hate sitting around doing nothing." Doc stood to help him.
Hewitt and Shepherd disappeared. I saw Bill fiddling with the detonator. "Everything all right, Corporal?"
"It's a while since I have used one of these and young Ken here has never used one."
"They are simple enough and more reliable than a timer. Once you have connected the terminals up you just crank her up and push the plunger."
"True sir but we are bringing down a pretty big chunk of the mountain. We need to judge the charge just right. With a timer you can be to hell and gone. With this," he tapped it, "we will be close enough to see it! And, if we get it wrong, feel it too!"
I smiled. Bill was just being careful. He was a dad now and that changed things. There was someone else to live for. Some men changed too much. I hoped that he was not one of them. He was a good man. Soon I would consider promoting him to Lance Sergeant. George Lowe was ready to move on. I would hate to lose him but he deserved the chance to become a full sergeant.
By the time Hewitt and Shepherd came back with the tea the motion of the schooner was more violent. I heard the bosun's whistle, "All hands on deck!"
Fred Emerson started to rise. Sergeant Poulson said, "Just sit down Fred. We can do nowt! It is up to the sailors. They are all old sea dogs. They know what they are about."
We heard orders being shouted. I had done a little sailing myself and I guessed that they were taking in a reef or two. I heard Sandy's voice, "Lieutenant Harsker!"
I donned my bisht and clambered out of the hatch. A wave came over and soaked me. Sandy was laughing, "Sorry about that Tom! I was just going to tell your lads to hang on to something. We are going to come about and it might get a bit hairy!"
I glanced over the side. The normally benign Mediterranean was now like the Atlantic. There were troughs and peaks.
"Should we be worried?"
The Chief was hauling on a sheet, "Nah, just a bit of a blow. We'll be fine! Just warn your lads though, sir." He chuckled, "It's a good job they are all wearing brown trousers!"
I ducked back through the hatch. "Right lads hold on to something. We are going to come about. We might tip a little." I pulled the teapot closer to me. Thankfully, it was almost half empty.
I saw Scouse. He was cocky and he was lying on his bunk smoking a cigarette and blowing smoke rings as though he hadn't a care in the world. I shook my head. He would not have far to fall. I heard the call, "Prepare to come about! Come about!"
I was ready. I felt the hull as it began to lean. At first it appeared to be gentle but suddenly it pitched so hard that Scouse was thrown from his bunk and he landed on the wet deck, "Bloody hell fire! Are we sinking sir?"
"Not yet, Scouse. I told you, hang on to something!"
"If you don't mind sir, I'll stay here, I haven't so far to fall." He was wrong for, as we turned he was thrown against the bench. He cracked his head. Then we began to right ourselves as the boat came about. By the time we were upright Scouse's head was bleeding.
"Better see to him Doc. Don't get complacent, chaps. The storm is still raging. Expect a bucking bronco ride all the way to shore."
We tossed and pitched for another hour before the storm abated a little. I ventured up on deck. It was getting on to dark. Sandy and the Chief still had their pipes going. They had oil skins on and looked like old lifeboat men. Their beards were rimed with salt.
"That was handy that was, Tom. It meant we could turn about with no one noticing. There will be no one out there looking for us. We couldn't have planned it better." He pointed to the north. "We will make a turn in twenty minutes or so. We will be off Reggio in two hours."
I returned to the mess. "Right lads, we go ashore in a couple of hours."
"In this sir?"
"Suits us Fletcher. Who else would be daft enough to go out in weather like this eh?"
Scouse shook his head and Sergeant Poulson quipped, "You know what they say, Scouse, if you can't take a joke you shouldn't have joined up!"
Hay and Shepherd were the two who had Bergens. My job would be largely that of security. Thanks to our last foray in Sicily I had plenty of ammunition for the Luger. I also had four German grenades. In a perfect world we would have had Russian weapons for they supplied the Communist resistance but the Italian resistance would take weapons from the Germans as well as their fellow Italians.
When we drew close to the lee shore the wind became less violent and our motion easier. The waves were still so big that it would be hard for anyone to identify us. We clambered onto the slippery and slick deck with an hour to spare. We brought the rubber dinghies up, both of them, and inflated them. I made my way to the stern. "When we get there, Tom, we will have to be quick. We will drop you and then come about. If we hang around we will draw attention to you. This weather plays into our hands. It will look as though we are trying to escape the storm. We will sail west for thirty minutes and then beat back. Have your laddie signal three times in quick succession. We will answer with one flash when we have seen you."
"It is a bit rough, Sandy."
"Those dinghies are tough. Keep your weight low and you will be fine."
I was not so sure.
We passed the harbour mouth of Reggio but Sandy kept us well out to sea. We were a mile off shore. If anyone spotted us with binoculars it would have looked as though we were heading north for Messina. As soon as we passed the harbour light Sandy put the wheel over and we began to head towards, what looked to me, like a cliff although Sandy seemed confident that we could land.
Stopping a sailing ship was easier than one might think. The captain headed us for the shore and then turned into the wind so that we just stopped. The Chief and his deck party got the dinghies over and then pushed us unceremoniously into them. I was in the one with Bill, Hewitt and Crowe. It lurched alarmingly as Bill slumped into it. He had the Bergen with the detonator and dynamite. I grabbed a paddle and began to paddle towards the shore. It was just thirty yards away but it felt like a mile. The water surged back from the rocks. It was a case of two steps forward and one back. Our extra weight helped when we drew close to the rocky ledge I was aiming for. I jumped out just before we struck it but there was still a horrible grating noise from the bottom of the dinghy. I prayed we had not punctured it.