Shattered Dreams

by Vivienne Dockerty

  One day, a small accordion was being played by a young boy in a corner of the kitchen. Anny invited Eddie to try the Dutch style of dancing and gave him a pair of clogs to dance in. He found it much faster than the ballroom dancing that he was used to, but it was bouncy and exhilarating and he found himself out of breath when the music stopped.

  The convent washing hung down from a pulley suspended from the ceiling and Eddie and Anny had brushed it several times as they had danced around the kitchen. Finally a pair of stockings fell off the pulley and into a pan of soup that was bubbling away on the stove. Eddie glanced around the kitchen apprehensively, but as no one was looking, Anny fished the stockings out of the soup, wrung them out in the nearest sink, then placed them back on the pulley.

  Eddie remarked that the soup may taste a little different than usual. Anny just smiled, it was not going to be her supper.

  When more troops moved in and occupied the town, Eddie’s platoon was billeted in the hospital wing of the convent. Eddie was really out of order, when he asked in a jocular tone, that the young novice he had brought the chocolate to should give him a kiss. The young girl blanched, dropped the cleaning bucket she was holding and fled.

  She must have complained to Anny, who came posthaste to give him a lecture on his bad behaviour. He didn’t appear to be very repentant, as when she had finished, he asked her to give him a kiss instead. He came as near to having his face slapped as he ever did!

  She forgave him later when she got to know him a little better, becoming good friends. There was no language barrier, so he could talk freely and she came to understand the kind of man he was.

  The people in the convent were the only Dutch folk that Eddie had met at first. He supposed there must have been others, but he never met them. After the troops had conducted house to house searches in the town, more people started to appear. Eddie never found out where they had been to, whether they had been evacuated by the Germans, or gone into hiding, he never knew.

  By the time that Eddie’s company moved out, the town had come back to near normality, or as near as possible in war time. The Canadians were the next troops in, but by that time Eddie’s regiment were some miles south of Cuyk. When they had made camp, the Major asked Eddie to give him a haircut.

  The Major sat on an upturned jerry can by a slit trench, while Eddie snipped away at his hair. A shell came out of the blue sky and buried its nose in the soil some yards away, but it didn’t explode. Eddie had thrown himself into the trench in two seconds flat! The Major, with the towel still around his neck and the comb in his hair, looked down at him from above.

  “My word, Dockerty,” he said mildly. “Your nerves must be in a terrible state, we will have to do something about them.”

  Eddie expected to be given leave, or at least be sent to the M.O., but instead the Major, not given to running a one man welfare state and convinced that therapy was the best thing, sent Eddie to cut hair in a place called St. Anthonis. He was instructed to open up one of the empty shops there, but he was only to cut the hair of his own ‘A’ company men.

  It was night time when Eddie arrived in St. Anthonis. He was hungry, thirsty and very tired, having had to walk fifteen miles to get there. He could hear a cook’s blower going as he passed a building, so he tapped on the door and, after explaining his mission and how far he had travelled, asked for food and drink. The cook, who was a surly man, refused him saying that his rations were up the line and there’d be nothing for him there.

  Eddie went to bed in an empty shop that night feeling very hungry, but in the morning, after he had folded his blanket, had a wash, dressed himself, then opened the shop, putting a sign outside which said he was the ‘A Company Barber’; the door opened and in came his very first customer. He sat down in the chair provided and waited to have his hair cut.

  “You can get out of that chair and clear off,” Eddie said when he came in from the privy out back and saw the cook had come for a haircut.

  “I want my haircut!” The cook said angrily.

  “Can’t you read? My sign says ‘A Company Barber’. So clear off, you’re not from ‘A’ Company.”

  The cook fussed and fumed, but he had to leave without a haircut.

  Eddie cut the hair of everyone available in the company and when he had finished he asked the sergeant in charge if he could go to visit friends in Cuyk. Anny had extended an invitation to him as he was leaving, that he should go and meet her parents if he was ever that way again.

  The sergeant said that he could, but he was unable to give him a pass. There was also no transport available, as the vehicles were all engaged in taking supplies up to the front line. He had to make his own way back again and found it hard going, as tracks had been made in the soft sand by heavy tanks and trucks and, as there had been a recent downpour, there were lots of pools of rain. He had to take all his possessions with him, as the hairdressing tools were too precious to be left behind.

  Eddie walked through miles of the flat Dutch country with its long flat roads. Had he been at home, there would have been shortcuts he could follow, but in this foreign country it was safer to stick to the roads. He changed his mind, though, as he got nearer to the town and the area became more familiar.

  He walked some way down a dark high-hedged lane, looking forward to seeing his friends at the convent, especially Anny, but suddenly the hairs on the back of his neck stiffened. He stopped in his tracks. Was that a row of gun barrels poking out through the hedge to the right of him further along the lane?

  After a few frozen minutes, he noticed that all was silent, no one had moved or spoken. He forced himself to move forward and investigate.

  He moved himself up to the first of the gun barrels, only to find on closer inspection, that it was just a big bluff. Slim tree trunks had been trimmed and shaped exactly like guns, then placed in position in the hedges. Eddie had experienced tricks like this before, but this one was clever and had really scared him. He continued along the lane walking on the vehicle tracks, in case there was an unexploded land mine.

  It was getting really dark when Eddie finally reached his destination. He only had verbal permission to be there by the sergeant, so as the Canadians were occupying the town by then, he was nervous of encountering their Military police or any English ones for that matter. He had sped silently through the deserted streets towards the convent, which was the only place he knew.

  His heart sank, as he knocked on the thick oak of the convent, when he realised that it was possible that Anny had gone back home for the night, making conversation impossible with the convent dwellers and he didn’t know where she lived.

  After a short interval the door was opened by a nun and, without speaking, she beckoned Eddie to go inside, then ran quickly to fetch the priest to see him. Eddie managed to convey to the priest that he wanted to speak with Anny and the small boy on the bicycle was dispatched with a message.

  Anny came quickly once the priest’s message had been given to her. She had many calls on her services as a linguist now that the Canadians were billeted in the town. She was surprised to see Eddie in the courtyard, possibly because he had taken up her invitation so quickly, but now his duties as a barber were over, he had been left to cool his heels.

  He was made very welcome by her parents, though they couldn’t speak a word of English, but with Anny interpreting, they were able to communicate.

  Anny also had other brothers and sisters who had learnt to speak English at school, so they were really happy to practice the language too. He never found out, though, why Anny had introduced him as “Jimmy” but he was happy to be called just that.

  When the meal was over, a simple meal, but enjoyed by all as they had only recently been reunited as a family, the daughters got up to clear the table and Eddie offered to help with the washing up. They were horrified. It wasn’t done for a man to do a woman’s job, he was to sit with the father, a small grey-haired man, whom Eddie had been told was a businessman, but if he hadn’t
known that, thought he looked like a professor. The matter was settled and Eddie sat with Father who had produced a stone bottle containing schnapps to share. Eddie, who was used to drinking brandy, found the spirit very palatable and he settled back quite comfortably with his new found friends.

  As the evening wore on, Anny told Eddie that as every bed was occupied at their house, she had made arrangements for him to stay in their neighbour’s home and, when the parents showed signs of wanting to retire, she took him across the road, where again, he was made very welcome. It was all very quiet and peaceful, far away from the noise of battle and he got to sleep in a real bed again.

  Anny called for him next morning when he had woken, refreshed after sleeping like a baby and took him back to eat breakfast at her home. He was welcomed by Anny’s mother, a quiet little woman, who had given Eddie the impression she was deeply religious and the family, much taken with the chance of plying him with questions in their best English, found once again it was a heaven sent opportunity to speak with an Englishman.

  After breakfast was over and Anny had the opportunity to speak with Eddie again, he found that one of her many jobs included delivering the mail. It was her day, opportunistically for Eddie, to drive out to St. Anthonis, where she had a parcel to deliver. He drove back to his barber’s shop in style, although he had to lie on the floor of the vehicle as they drove through the streets of Cuyk, as he hadn’t got a pass.

  When he got back, he went straight to the sergeant who had given his permission and handed over a bottle of cherry brandy that he had found in a small abandoned brewery on their way. Anny had said the owner hadn’t been seen in the district for quite some time and it appeared that a lot of his stock had gone with him.

  Eddie felt much better for the short break, as it was a return to normality for a while. It had been sheer luxury sleeping in a real bed and taking his meals with a family. He opened the shop, preparing himself for business again, but nearly all the soldiers had had their haircuts, and Eddie began to realise that it was time to join his company again.

  In the next few days, his only sighting of Anny was when she came by with a friend, this time on Red Cross duty, and there was not much time to talk. Then the Major sent a messenger telling him he had to return.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  His company had moved behind the lines when he rejoined them. They had been in action for some time and were due for a well-earned rest. Eddie had noticed a horse trough in a nearby field and as the weather was getting a little warmer he decided to have a bath. He had to clean the trough out first, which he painstakingly did with clumps of hay. Next he carried bucket after bucket of clean water, done with a cheerful heart as he liked to smell nice.

  When he had prepared everything to his satisfaction, he stripped off and lowered himself into the trough, he left his rifle and towel in easy reach and began to give himself a good wash with a piece of soap. He gave a sigh of satisfaction and lay back.

  Two German soldiers had been hiding in the bushes at the end of the same field. They were deserters from the retreating army, not really Germans, but they had been pressed into service and were determined to give themselves up at the first opportunity. They both emerged from the bushes and walked over to the centre of the field, shouting loudly as they ambled along with their hands above their heads, “Kamerad... Kamerad.”

  Eddie, lying back with his eyes shut in the makeshift bath, opened his eyes and sat bolt upright in horror. His reaction was to reach for his rifle and towel as he stood up quickly in the trough. His apprehension was short lived as his own soldiers on guard duty had spotted the Germans and ran up to take charge. They accepted their formal surrender and were passed on to H.Q.

  It was discovered during interrogation that the men were Polish and had been pressed into service or shot and had been determined to surrender to the Allies when they could.

  After his bath, Eddie got dressed and went back to the billet. Many soldiers were there, some playing cards, pontoon and Brag, some were writing home, some were resting on their beds and some were boning up their boots, with thoughts of going out to the nearest town.

  Eddie wanted none of these things, so he decided to go for a stroll. He was joined by two of his mates as he walked down a village street and as he was interested in the houses and cottages that were built in the Flemish style, he stopped to ponder on them.

  It was hot and they were all wishing for an English pub to materialise so that they all could have a refreshing pint of beer. Wine they could have in plenty at that time, but it was country wine, sour and dry to the palates of the English and Irishmen that made up their company.

  It was a real country village, typical of the Continent and Eddie had noticed that, apart from the war damage, the cottages were badly in need of repair, with gutters hanging from the roofs, shutters and gates needed re-hanging, with everywhere having an air of dilapidation.

  They came to the end of the street and found themselves in the centre of the village. There were a few houses on the outside of the square, which were built to a better standard than the cottages. A dog rushed out at them from a gateway, barking as he ran, then a child which was pursuing him, stopped short at the sight of the three soldiers. A drift of cooking smells came on the air from one of the houses, probably from what the locals called frites and it suddenly made them all feel homesick.

  On their way out of the village, their attention was drawn to a lovely house with a colourful garden. It was ablaze with flowers of every hue and the lush green lawns that swept around the house were in a well-kept condition. The soldiers leaned on the gate the better to see and admire, then as they walked a bit further, they saw a ditch that ran along the boundary hedge.

  At the top of the lane stood a farmhouse and, seeing that their way was blocked, they turned to walk back through the village again. It was then that Eddie’s sharp eyes noticed something lying amongst the marshy plants and ferns that grew in profusion in the ditch. On closer inspection, they found it to be the body of an English soldier, lying face down in some water. He had been dead for some while and must have lain there unnoticed, which was puzzling, as mines had been cleared from the area and there was nothing to say how he died.

  Later Eddie and his company were stationed near another city. Tents had been erected to accommodate the swell of soldiers and they had a little free time and transport for a spot of sightseeing. Whenever they could, they would spend their off duty time there, as the King had given in without a fight, so there were no ravages of war and his people were not harmed in any way. It was a very ancient city and the buildings were built in local cream-coloured sandstone, so from a distance it looked like a fairy tale city.

  One day, Eddie climbed into the lorry, which had been waiting to take them into the city. They had a few hours break from the camp, so some soldiers were going sightseeing and Eddie was going to a café for his dinner, where he had established a good relationship with the proprietor.

  He and Eddie had an arrangement. Eddie would exchange his ration of fags for a meal and a bottle of excellent wine. That day he spent a couple of hours there and when he had finished his tasty meal, the proprietor came to have a chat with him.

  It appeared he was having problems with the Military police, who were going to close him down. He had broken the law, on this he wouldn’t elaborate, but cheerfully he announced to Eddie that he was going to reopen next door. He explained that he would have a different name above the premises.

  Eddie had to smile at the man’s optimism and next time he went for his usual dinner deal, he concluded that the man was still having a hard time from the Military, as the shutters weren’t up on either of the places.

  Later, about half an hour before he was due back to be picked up by the lorry, Eddie left the café and walked along the cobbled street. When he got to the compound where the lorry was parked, he met the driver who asked if Eddie had a spare rotor arm.

  Eddie looked mildly surprised as he was not in the
habit of carrying spare parts with him on his off duty time, but then the driver explained, putting Eddie into the picture.

  The soldier had driven the lorry into the compound and was halfway through his meal in a favourite restaurant, when he remembered he hadn’t disabled his vehicle. By now the ‘Redcaps’ would have removed and confiscated the rotor arm themselves.

  Eddie thought over the problem, then came up with an idea. They would ask the other driver, who had come in a bit later, to go and collect his lorry, drive it out, then loan this driver his rotor, so that he could drive his vehicle out.

  The idea was a good one and all went well, the rotor arm was returned to its rightful owner and the first lorry load went back to camp. Then the second lorry got a tow back again.

  When the driver went to see the fitter next day, “Rotor arms,” the fitter said, “there’s loads of them, the Redcaps keep on bringing them in.”

  “I’ll have two then,” said the driver thankfully.

  Back on the Belgium side of the river, Eddie’s company waited for their orders, whilst the action was across the border in Holland.

  The men were not used to such inactivity, so they decided to visit the city, but that evening there wasn’t any transport. They looked at the boat that was tied up by the river bank. It was used to carrying troops across the water, but using it was a bit of a risk, as it might be needed later.

  They decided to take a walk and passed a café that was popular with the soldiers, but it only sold soft drinks, and tonight the men were in the mood for wine.

  A brightly painted caravan passed them as they walked. It was being driven at speed, with the driver whipping the horse in an effort to make it go faster. The van swayed from side to side, lurching with the excessive speed.

  After the van had passed them and was some distance ahead, the watching soldiers saw it turn over and fall into a ditch. The horse was struggling to get free of the van, as the three men ran to assist, managing to free it from the shafts and get it on its feet again.