Fresh eggs were like gold and we carefully gathered the two dozen we found. We took off out helmets to make improvised carriers. Reluctantly we left the chickens and made our way back to Nev. He looked shaken. "Poor sods. It looks like the bomb fell in the middle and killed them all."
I gestured with my head. "We found two more on the other side. They were machine gunned."
As we trudged back across the field carrying our treasure and grisly mementoes from the dead Nev said, "You know what this means don't you?"
Willy asked, "No, what?"
"The Germans are ahead of us. They are between us and the coast. We are trapped."
Sergeant Greely was delighted with the food but, like Nev, he was disturbed by the implications of our discovery. He took the discs and the papers. "I'll take these to the Lieutenant. Distribute that food. Make sure we all get a fair share."
"Right Sarge."
Willy chuckled, "Like feeding the five thousand eh? Instead of loaves and fishes we have bully beef and eggs!"
The Lieutenant and Sergeant Greely joined us. "Well done lads. The Lieutenant here wants you back in that farmhouse. You can guard the road to the south. If Jerry comes up that road you can give us warning. Corporal Higgins, you take the rest of your squad and these six orphans we have found. We have been feeding them for the last three days. They might as well sing for their supper."
The Corporal nodded. The six trudged towards us and none looked happy. Sergeant Greely shook his head at their attitude. Corporal Higgins was a good sort. He tried to get on with everybody. "Right then, let's get to know you all. I am Corporal Higgins, this is Nev Wilkinson, Willy Holden and Tom Harsker. Who are you blokes?"
"I'm Reg Brown and this is Harry Smith, Royal Engineers."
"Eddie Cartwright, 99th Bucks Yeomanry."
"Bert Entwhistle 1st Battalion Royal Berks."
Two had said nothing. "And you two? Are you a pair of Harpos?"
They both looked sullen, "We're Royal Artillery and we shouldn't have to do sentry duty."
We had reached the farmhouse and Corporal Higgins turned to them, "Listen pal, you are in for the duration and if the Lieutenant says you do duty then that is what you do. Names!"
"Private Brian Peters, Royal Artillery."
"Private Phillip Harris, Royal Artillery."
"That's better. Find yourself a bunk. I'll work out a rota and you new lads better have a clean rifle which is ready to fire!"
The six reluctant heroes went upstairs to check out the bedrooms. Nev shook his head, "What a shower we have."
"Corp, why do you reckon we got lumbered with them?"
"Dunno, Willy. Perhaps the Lieutenant thought we could make soldiers of them."
Nev lit a cigarette. "This is no bloody school room."
"And that's no word of a lie. Tom and Willy you take first stag. I'll get two of the charmers to relieve you in a couple of hours or so."
"Righto Corp."
We dumped our greatcoats and our bags. We had had spare knapsacks with the German grenades we had captured. We headed along the track to the main road. We could hear the noise of battle but it appeared to be more south and west than south. The road looked empty. Willy threw away the tiniest vestige of his cigarette. How he did not burn his lip I would never know. "Well, Tom, we are almost veterans eh? There are just the three of us left now."
"You are right."
"What do you make of Nev? He's a dark horse and that's no error."
"I think he suffered in the Spanish Civil War. I know my dad is reluctant to talk about the actual fighting in the Great War. He'll talk for days about the fine fellows he flew with. It may be that Nev has had to exorcise his demons."
"You what?"
I forgot that I was not talking my dad. "Sorry, getting rid of the problems he had inside. Since he laid those booby traps he has been a different fellow."
"He'd make a good sergeant. I know that."
The two Royal Engineers tramped up the lane. "Seen owt?"
"Bugger all." Willy pointed to the south and west. "There was some shooting over there a while back."
"That is only thirty miles from Boulogne. They are getting close to our way out."
When we went back into the farmhouse we saw that Nev and the Corporal had organised it. It looked almost homely. "We have sorted the food out." Nev gestured upstairs with his thumb, "Mind with the extra mouths to feed we will still be on short rations."
Willy said, "I have an idea. Come with me Tom."
We went into the back place. It looked as though it had been a repository for anything they couldn't find a home for. Willy rummaged around in what looked like a pile of junk to me.
"What are you looking for?"
"When I see it I will know." His hand suddenly emerged holding a thin piece of leather triumphantly. "There you are, this will do."
I was intrigued and I followed him outside where he kicked the gravel from the farm yard and then reached down to select about eight or ten round pebbles. "Now we hunt!" We returned to the barn. The chickens were all in the same place, They were out of reach. Even as we watched two of them laid an egg but both struck not the rotting hay but the wood of the cow byre and smashed. I remembered this happening close to our cottage. When hens did this the farmer had no recourse but to shoot them and begin again. We could not waste bullets on chickens. We had perilously few as it was.
"Right, Tom. I am going to hit one with this sling shot. It will probably only stun him but when he falls take your bayonet and chop off his head. I'll try and get a couple."
I took out my bayonet glad that I had recently sharpened it. "Ready when you are William Tell!"
"He had a crossbow. It's David and Goliath you are thinking of."
He whirled the improvised sling around his head and then released the pebble. It smacked again the side of one hen's head and the bird tumbled to the ground. I pounced upon it amidst a cacophony of squawks and squeals. It was as though a fox had entered this particular hen house. I hacked down on the side of the chicken's head. Amazingly the body still thrashed for some time after its head had been removed. It was not until there was a puddle of blood that it stopped.
Looking pleased with himself he said, "Ready?"
"Whenever you are."
He repeated the trick but it would be the last one. The remaining birds fluttered up to hide in the rafters of the barn. They were dumb animals but even they recognised a predator. We carried the two chickens into the kitchen. Willy gave a dramatic, 'Ta - Da!' as we flourished them.
"Well done lads! Let's get them plucked." Nev pointed to the two artillery men, "Right Muff and Chuff go and relieve your oppos."
One of them stood up, "You aren't a corporal. You’re the same as we are."
Nev laughed, "Don't make me laugh, that's like saying a poodle is the same as a hunting dog. One is bloody useless and the other works for a living now get on stag before I kick your arse!"
Willy and I had to cover our faces as the two of them made a hasty retreat. Willy was right. Nev would make a good sergeant.
We had a fine meal. The only thing lacking was some bread and some wine but we ate every scrap. I collected the bones, after the meal, and put them in a pan of water with some of the herbs and green vegetables we had gathered. Corporal Higgins asked, as he lit a cigarette. "What's that for Tom? More soup?"
"We have no idea how long we are going to be here do we? I'm fed up with being hungry."
"Can't hurt. Well lads it is you two again. Me and Nev will relieve you at midnight."
"Righto, Corp."
We took our greatcoats. It might be summer but the nights could still get nippy.
"That chicken was lovely Tom. Where did you learn to cook? Were you planning on being a chef or summat?"
I shook my head, "No I was supposed to be at University when I joined up. Mum believed that everyone should know how to cook. I enjoy it."
Willy shook his head, "You really are a daft bugger. You have the
chance of a cushy time in Blighty and you volunteer."
"So did you."
"Aye because there was nowt else for me. I can barely read and write and there were precious few jobs in Fallowfield."
I shrugged, "It seemed the right thing to do."
"Do you regret it?"
"Not for one second."
We had a quiet watch and we had the luxury of a roof over our head and the cushions from the chairs as a bed. It was like a four star hotel. We were all rudely awakened at about four o'clock in the morning by the sound of machine gun fire. We were up, dressed and armed in an instant. Corporal Higgins went to the door and opened it. We joined him. To the north the dawn was lit up by machine gun fire and explosions. The battalion was being attacked. I looked to the road, There was a column of tanks heading up it. There was no sign of the sentries. "Corp who was on duty?"
"The two artillery men."
"Well they aren't there now."
We looked at the other four. One of the engineers said, "They said they were fed up of this and were heading to the coast. They asked us to join them."
Nev shook his head, "I will gut the bastards if I get my hands on them."
"We have no time for that. Get everything you can. We'll head west and try to rejoin the battalion. Tom and Nev use the German grenades and booby trap the front. We will have some warning of their arrival."
"They are tanks! We have no chance. We should surrender!"
The Corporal looked at the Engineer. "Over my dead body."
The two infantrymen said, "How about heading back across the field and rejoining your regiment."
Corporal Higgins shook his head, "You'll never make it."
"We could try. We could let the officers know that there are tanks from the south too."
"Go on then but keep low. They haven't seen us yet."
Nev and I were busy with the booby traps while the Corporal and Willy were stuffing our bags with the last of the food. None of us saw the Engineers run towards the road. We had just finished the last booby trap when we heard rifles from close to the farmhouse. "Willy, go and have a butchers from upstairs!" There was another flurry of fire from the front. Willy hurtled down the stairs. The lads heading to the battalion have been shot and those two Engineers are prisoners. The Krauts are heading this way."
"Right lads out the back and be quick!"
We shut the door and Nev put one last booby trap with a Mills bomb this time at the back door. As we ran we saw that the German tanks had advanced to the west. We were cut off from the battalion. We were alone!
Chapter 9
We heard shouts and a rattle of bullets struck the farmhouse. We heard them clatter off the stones. The sky was becoming much lighter and soon, once they had cleared the farmhouse they would be able to see us. I was the fittest of the four of us and I found myself in the lead. I saw that the fields seemed to go on forever but there was cover to our left. The only problem was it was away from the battalion. "Corp there is a wood on our left. We might lose them there."
The Corporal was not a man to dither, "Lead on Macduff! It's as good a way as any."
Just then there was an explosion behind us as the first of the booby traps exploded. They would be more cautious and we had a minute or two. I hoped we could make the shelter of the woods by then. There were two more explosions and then a rattle of gunfire. The wood was just twenty yards from us when the back door exploded when they tried to open it. We saw the explosion and we dived to the ground. We would crawl the last few yards.
Once in the safety of the eaves of the forest we turned and looked at the farmhouse. The explosions had set it on fire and it was now an inferno. We saw the Germans silhouetted against it. I saw an officer with binoculars scanning the fields. "Jerry has binoculars and is looking for us."
"Then we keep still until they have gone."
I kept looking from the farmhouse to the north. The tanks had rolled over the position our battalion had held. They were now between us and safety. "Have you got a map, Corp?"
"Aye, Tom, why?"
"We will need to find another way to Boulogne. Jerry has shut that door."
The Germans searched for an hour or so and then gave up. We slipped into the woods and then stood up. From the map we had about fifty or sixty miles to go to reach the coast. To reach Calais we would have to cover more than forty and Dunkirk would be over a hundred. We knew that we were supposed to halt at Arras. That was just a few miles away. Between Arras and the Belgian border was my parents' holiday home. I knew that it was on the way to Boulogne. We could kill two birds with one stone.
I could see that the Corporal was perplexed about the decision he had to make. "Look Corp if we head to the north of Arras we might get ahead of the tanks. That was a big column coming from the south. If not then the road takes us to Boulogne anyway." I pointed to the map. "The fields will give us cover. We just keep parallel to the road. We can see Jerry. When we can't see him then we head north and catch up with our lads."
He looked at the other two. Nev nodded, "I can't see any flaws. It is better than sitting here and doing nothing. The battalion is getting further away by the minute."
"Right! Out in front Professor. You take the map and lead us home."
I slung my rifle and begin to move through the woods. According to the map once we were through the woods and some open fields we would cross the main road the battalion had used and was now being used by the Germans. That would eventually reach Arras but the Germans were using that one for their tanks. We would have to sneak across the road unseen. It would not be easy. I suddenly remembered the broth I had made. No one would enjoy it now. At least we had all the supplies in our bags. We would eat, for at least two days anyway. Every time an aeroplane was heard we dived for cover. We no longer had the protection of the battalion. We were four soldiers with four rifles amidst a sea of grey clad Germans.
We crossed the first road with such ease that I began to think that it would be a picnic. The next fourteen miles were equally easy. Perhaps we had exaggerated the problems. There was one more road to cross and then we would be within a dozen or so miles of the cottage. We were cautious at the road we had to cross for it was the main road to Arras.
We reached the last obstacle and froze when we heard engines. We cowered in the undergrowth. We could not go forward until they had passed and to go back would be to take us deeper into enemy territory. We had no idea where the front line was. The engines turned out to be half a dozen German trucks. A small German car, a Kübelwagen, with a machine gun at the back led them and they trundled past us heading towards the north. We waited until their motors disappeared in the distance. When it became silent I waved the others across the road. Willy led and then the Corporal. Nev was just moving across the road when I heard the high pitched roar of a motorcycle. A German motorcycle and side car came around the bend. I had not started across and I swung my rifle around. Nev ran as fast as his leg would allow him. The machine gun on the side car rattled. I squeezed two rounds and struck the driver. He clutched his arm and the whole contraption slewed around and rolled along the road.
I glanced up, as I moved across the cobbles, Nev was lying in the ditch. Willy and the Corporal were close by him. I ran to the motor cycle. They were both dead. I grabbed the hand grenades and the ammunition. Who knew when they might come in handy.
"Quick Corp, get him under cover. Those Jerries in the trucks might come back."
As they dragged him to safety I tried to clear any sign that we had been here. Even if the Germans did not return others would be using the road and they would find the dead Germans. I followed the trail of blood and found a white faced Nev lying on the ground. Willy was tying a tourniquet around his thigh. He grinned weakly, "Same bloody leg."
The Corporal looked up at me and shook his head. "The kneecap is shattered."
"So I guess my dancing career is over with?" He tried to laugh but ended wincing with the pain.
Willy looked up, "W
hat do we do then? Surrender and get him to a doctor?"
Nev grabbed Willy's battledress, "Listen sonny, you can shoot me if you have a mind but we are not surrendering. Leave me with a gun and I'll take a few of the bastards with me."
"No-one is surrendering and if you have nowt intelligent to say, Holden, then keep your gob shut! We need to get Wilkinson to some shelter. But where?"
"There is somewhere. It is a few miles south of here."
Willy scoffed, "A few miles? It might as well be a few hundred with his leg in the state it is."
"Willy, I will punch you myself if you don't shut up. Go and find a path to the north will you. Do something useful."
He nodded, "Right Tom. Sorry Nev."
"We carry him, Corp. We keep one on point and the other two carry. We keep swapping over. We can cover the few miles in two or three hours."
Nev looked liked he would say something. "Wilkinson, you shut up now. We are carrying you and that is an end to it. We will use two rifles to make a chair. This place how do you know it?"
"My dad and two of his mates built it. My family own it. Dad and his gunner used the original farm when they were shot down in 1915. They hid there for a couple of days. It is remote and it is secluded. We haven't visited since 1938 so I guess it will be overgrown."
"It's worth a shot."
Willy arrived back. "There is a farm track leading through the woods. We have to cross a little stream."
"Good." I pointed to the path we had just used. There were drops of blood all along it. "They are like a beacon. We need to throw them off the scent. You two carry him while I rig a booby trap here."
The Corporal nodded and they used their rifles and a pack to make a kind of sedan chair. Nev put his arms around their shoulders and they headed south. I walked back along the trail. I put myself in the German's position. They would follow the trail of blood and their heads would be down. I took out a can of bully beef. I opened it and put the meat back in my pack. I put some soil in the tin to give it some weight. I put the filled can to the side. They would spot it and examine it. I took a grenade and removed the pin. Very carefully I covered the grenade with tufts of grass and weeds I pulled up and then I put the can on the handle. As soon as they lifted the can the handle would be released and they would have eight seconds to live. As I followed the others I decided that I would make the fuses just five seconds from now on. Uncle Lumpy had shown me how to do it. He had used them as aerial bombs in the Great War.
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