"Right lads, get your guns and your tin lids!"
Even as we were arming ourselves the MTB was heeling to starboard as we steered for the E-Boats. There were six of them and they seemed to dwarf us. I cocked my gun. There was little point in firing until they were much closer. I had a thousand questions in my head for this was a first. I concentrated on the leading E-Boat. The two heavy guns on the E-Boat began to pound out. The Bosun was weaving our boat from side to side. We were a smaller target. Our Oerlikon could not be brought to bear for it was at the stern. I had no idea how the two Vickers were coping.
Suddenly the Bosun threw the boat to port. The Oerlikon gunner must have anticipated the move for he began to fire. I almost cheered when the shells stitched a line across the hull of the leading German. The captain of the Schnellboote took evasive action.
"Well done, bosun!"
We had turned our stern to the chasing E-Boats. The manoeuvre had been very clever. One E-boat had been taken out of the equation and we now had our biggest gun able to bear.
"If you Commandos want to fire now is your chance! This bugger will come like a bat out of hell!"
Sergeant Johnson shouted, "Let's show Jerry that we are Commandos. On my command…"
The E-Boats were so fast that they began to overhaul us. The fire from the Oerlikon gun made them swerve but, even so they came closer and closer.
"Fire!" Ten Thompson sub machine guns all fired at once. The range was less than a hundred feet and the cone of fire enveloped both the German boat's main gun and the bridge. I saw two of the gun crew fall and, as the boat veered to port, I saw some of those on the bridge duck. I had no idea what the LCA and the other MTB were doing. It took all my effort to cling on to the MTB. Then I heard the unmistakeable sound of Brownings as a flight of Spitfires roared overhead and sprayed the E-boats. The one we had hit was hit repeatedly as the twenty four machine guns tore into the hull. It began to sink into the sea and the crew hurled themselves overboard. The three Spitfires climbed and then dived to attack the fleeing E-Boats. They had briefly held the advantage but the Bosun's decision had given us the edge.
The Lieutenant shouted, "Any wounded?"
The lack of a reply meant that we had escaped and we all cheered. We turned west and headed for Harwich. Our bubble and euphoria burst when we reached the safety of the port. The E-boats had claimed casualties. Two Commandos and two sailors on the other MTB and LCA had been killed and another four Commandos wounded. We landed in a more sombre mood than in the moment of victory.
We marched ashore to the meeting hall which had been requisitioned for us. We trudged in with our kitbags aware that some of the men we had trained with were now dead. We had been lucky. "Right lads, find yourself a corner. We will get some food on the go and then there will be a briefing."
Sergeant Dean had been on the LCA and his battledress was still showered with the blood of dead Commandos. I began to strip and clean my Thompson. This was the first time we had fired them in anger and they had worked well. I guessed that we would be in action soon and I wanted to be prepared.
After a basic meal of corned beef and bread the Captain briefed us, "Tomorrow we strike our first blow on Mainland Europe. We will be landed on the Belgian coast and we will attack and destroy one of their newly built radar stations. They are called Freyas." A slide was shown with a picture of what looked like a Heath Robinson device. "We will leave tomorrow afternoon and reach Belgium after dark. We will land and Number One and Number Two sections will secure the beach head. The rest of us will destroy the installation and try to capture a prisoner. The explosive expert in each company will draw the necessary explosives before we depart. All Sergeants will meet with me now and I will issue the maps. The Quartermaster will issue ammunition and explosive." He paused. "The raids in Norway and Guernsey have shown that the helmet does not help. We will not be using them. Just wear you beret. I want every Commando to have at least four Mills bombs. Get a goodnight's rest for tomorrow night we will be in action."
I was the explosives expert in our section and I went to collect my charges. I was issued with five pounds of TNT, two primers and four feet of safety fuse. It meant that we had four sets of explosive. If even two of us were killed then we could still complete the mission. It was a sobering thought that my death had been predicted and catered for.
Sean sat next to me. "Aren't you worried about carrying that TNT?"
"So long as there is no fuse it is as safe as houses."
"But if a bullet hits it then it might set it off."
I laughed, "And as you are the bloke going in with me you will know about it as soon as I do. Stop worrying. The Germans will not be expecting us. Besides if it is our time to die there is nothing we can do about it."
"You are a cheery sod."
I shrugged, "I am a realist."
We all had the luxury of a lie in but I was awake and up by eight. I could not lie in bed. We began to prepare for the raid. And then, at twelve, the mission was postponed. "What's up Sarge?"
"The Germans have just launched a massive air raid on Dover. The top brass reckon it is too risky to go tonight. We go tomorrow instead."
I did not like it. We were all ready to go. I could not see what difference a raid on Dover meant. Then I remembered Dad. He had told me that there was always a bigger picture. We were but a tiny cog in this huge machine. I lay back on my blanket and tried to relax. There was little point in getting upset. We would go when we would go. I had already said to Sean that if it was our time then we could not fight it. I idly wondered how Willy was getting on. Thinking about my death had made me think about Nev and the others who had fallen. Nev had come through so much and yet he had died. Willy had been unscathed and he was busy training. Anything could happen. Percy had told us of one of the men he had trained with who had lost a hand due to a faulty fuse on a Mills Bomb. We were soldiers and we knew the risks. With that happy thought I fell asleep.
We boarded the MTBs and LCA in the late afternoon. We had no kitbags this time and I placed the demolition charges and their fuses under the table in the mess. We set off after six. It was still light but we expected to approach the French coast just after dark. We were going to land between Dunkirk and Calais. The photographs we had seen indicated that the Freya would just be a mile or so inland. When Sean had asked why the RAF could not destroy it he was told that it had been disguised. It meant we had an idea where it was but we would still have to find it. We were all acutely aware of the failures which the Commandos had experienced. Guernsey and Boulogne had been disasters. If it had not been for the Norwegian raid and Churchill's support then I suspect we would have been disbanded and sent back to our parent units. As darkness fell the three ships moved a little quicker towards shore. It was a little choppy but the cloudy skies made the blackness complete.
We had covered up our faces and hands already. We wanted nothing white to show. Lieutenant Reed, who was with us aboard the MTB, said, "Get your gear."
I went below and put on the rucksack with the charges. I left my Thompson on board. I would need both hands for the demolition. If I had to use a gun I would rely on the Browning. The shadow of the coast line appeared. A month or two earlier and this had been thronged with the remains of the BEF. It was now, we hoped, empty. The LCA lowered its ramp and the others raced ashore. We had to jump into the surf and wade. I was lucky, it only came up to my waist. Some of the smaller men spluttered their way ashore. Everything was done with hand signals. Sean had been assigned as my guard and we followed Corporal White and Sergeant Johnson. Each section would make their own way to where we thought the target was. Behind us came Lieutenant Reed and the rest of the section.
We struggled to the top of a dune and halted while the Sergeant peered into the dark. The sand made everything look the same. We headed east and a large black shape appeared before us. It was a building and it was just a hundred yards away. It did not look like the photograph of Freya that we had seen. It appeared to be a small h
otel.
Sergeant Johnson waved his arm and the rest of the section ran forward to cover the building. Once they had overtaken us we moved forward. I took out my Browning. The dunes had finished and I realised that we were running on sand which covered concrete. Had we been wearing our boots then it would have made a noise. The rubber soled shoes were silent. The first of our section had reached the walls of the building. The other sections were moving around the side when there was a sudden flash, an explosion and screams. The night was then lit by the flashes of guns and the sound of shots. We had been spotted. This was not the time to panic. We had to keep going and complete our part of the mission.
Sean and I kept close to the wall. As we ran I slipped and steadied myself against the wall. It was hollow and it was wooden. Turning the corner I realised that it was a façade. Four men were down. We ignored them. Each section had its own medically trained Commandos. Two Germans loomed out of the dark, next to us. They were as surprised as we were. Having a hand gun I was able to react faster than Sean. I fired six bullets at point blank range and both men fell. Sean fired four rounds into each body to make sure they were dead and then we stepped through the door through which the Germans had come. There, ahead of us was the Freya. They had cleverly hidden the radar behind what looked like a hotel. It was now time for me to do my job. There might be other demolition Commandos but I was the first one there. I took out the TNT and placed it below the metal framework and on top of the metal box. I placed the fuse and looked for Lieutenant Reed. Our primers were simple timers and were set for five minutes. I had to wait for orders. The Lieutenant arrived, "Charges all ready?"
"Yes sir but it would be better if one of the other lads with charges put his under the metal box. It would do more damage."
He shook his head, "We haven't time." Just then we heard the sound of a heavy German machine gun. He shouted, "Everybody back to the beach! Blow it, Harsker!"
They all raced out leaving just Sean and myself. "Stand clear!" I primed the charge and I ran. As we emerged I saw a German half track with a heavy machine gun and he was firing at the departing Commandos. I took out a grenade as Sean fired the rest of his clip at the gunner. The German ducked as the bullets came at him. He was swinging the gun around when the grenade went off. Although it exploded twenty yards from him shrapnel flew through the air. I heard the shouts as the grenade did its work. I thumped Sean on the back. "Just run, we have three minutes left!"
We turned the corner of the façade and we ran towards the beach. I could see Lieutenant Reed waving us on and then I felt myself thrown forward as the explosives were detonated. The concussion knocked me to the ground and then I was rained upon by sand and debris. I stood groggily and grabbed Sean's arm. He was lying face down in the sand. There was no point in shouting; he would have been as deafened as I was. We ran to the bow of the MTB which was already backing away from the beach. Hands reached out and hauled the two of us to land, unceremoniously, on the wooden deck. I looked up and saw the sergeant's face. He shook his head and began to laugh. He pulled me up and led me back to the safety of the bridge. The Germans had now set up machine guns on the beach. Thankfully the darkness soon hid us and the Germans fired blindly. We had completed our first mission. We did not know if it had been a success.
Chapter 18
As dawn broke behind us we saw the coast in the west. A flight of Hawker Hurricanes was overhead like an aerial umbrella. E-Boats would not surprise us this time. There had been desultory talk on the journey home. Lieutenant Reed had spent the trip speaking with Lieutenant Herd. I was lost in my thoughts. I had expected better things. We had trained well and I thought that we were a good team and yet there had been chaos. Only one set of charges had been laid rather than the four which should have been. And we had been surprised. Perhaps I had expected too much.
We trudged back to the meeting hall. I saw the bodies being carried from the LCA and I waited for them to pass us. The dead needed respect. There was a pot of steaming tea waiting for us and a pile of buttered toast. The local Woman's Institute, whose hall we used, had taken matters into their own hands. We were their guests whether we wished to be or not. Their smiling faces forced smiles on ours and stopped conversations about the raids.
I sat with the rest of the section and drank the tea. "You lads will need to get your digs sorted out today." Sergeant Johnson waved vaguely towards the town.
Percy waved a piece of toast around the hall. "Aren't we staying here?"
"We only used it temporary like. We will be here for at least a month, maybe more. The ladies will need to use it too."
It made sense to me. We were closer to enemy territory; it would be a good base to raid the French and Belgium coasts. However that also put us close to them and their raids.
The officers were the last to enter and, after they had a mug in their hands the Captain said, "You did well last night chaps. If any of you have ordinance left in your bags take them to the Sergeant Dean and he will return them. You need to get your digs sorted out; get your heads down and we will meet back here at seven in the morning. We will have a proper debrief then when it is more private."
It seemed an anti climax. I had used all of my explosives. I saw the other three as they handed their bags to Sergeant Dean. He glanced over at me and nodded. It was enough. Sean and Daddy tagged along behind me as we headed for the town. There were holes in rows of terraces and piles of rubble showing where German bombers had been. The billets here would be more dangerous than those in Oswestry.
"How did you two lads get digs in Shropshire?"
"We asked in the town if there was anyone who had a room to spare."
"There are three of us. Why don't we see if there is a house we can rent."
"Suits me."
We headed for the High Street. Although there were some boarded up buildings most seemed open for business. We were lucky; the second letting agent we tried had a property. "It's close to the docks I am afraid but I have a building with four rooms. It was the office of a German shipping line. They were interned and it has been empty ever since. There's no beds but it has a kitchen and even an inside toilet." I could see that impressed Sean. "The proximity of the docks makes it unpopular. I can do you lads a good price."
"We will take it for a month. We may need it longer but we will let you know." We paid him a deposit and then he took us down to it. It was perfectly placed. We could actually see our ships and the hall. After he left us we assessed what we would need. There were no curtains and no beds. The beds we could do without but not the curtains. We split up to forage and scavenge.
I headed for the part of town which still had smoke rising from the fires lit by the bombers who had made a nightly visit. It looked like they had hit a row of terraces. The ARP wardens and the fire brigade were still damping it down. I spied a couple of mattresses which had been blown from the buildings. They looked damp but serviceable. The chief warden saw my approach, "It's too dangerous to be here, Private. Some of these walls could fall at any time."
I pointed to the mattresses. "Are they going spare?"
He looked surprised, "They are wet and smoke damaged. We were going to dump them."
I smiled, "Then I will do you a favour and dump them for you."
"Be my guest."
I carried the first one back and laid it in the yard at the back of the offices. The yard faced south and the sun would dry it. I returned for the second. The kitchen was a smart one. The Germans had obviously liked their comfort. They had left in a hurry and there was a kettle, a couple of pans and even a coffee pot. It would double as a teapot. Their cups and plates were also undamaged. Sean and Daddy Grant arrived back with the curtains and they too had a mattress. This was not old and it was not wet. That meant we had three mattresses and curtains too. We soon had the blackout curtains in place. We used a hammer and nails to put them in position permanently. We would not win any home design competitions but it was functional.
"Well lads, we have a l
ittle home from home here. All we need is a couple of lamps for when the gas is out and we are well sorted."
I nodded, "I am going to get my head down now." I took my kit bag upstairs and laid my greatcoat on the floor. I piled my clothes neatly to the side. As soon as I lay down I was asleep.
We arrived at the meeting hall just after Sergeant Dean, "You lads were quick."
Sean proudly pointed to the office which was clearly visible. "We got handy digs."
"Good. You can help me sort out the room." We placed the chairs so that they all faced the small dais. "Harsker, see if you can find an easel or something." I went into the back rooms and found two of them. I brought them back out. "Stick them at the front. The Captain has aerial photographs of the damage we caused."
Soon the hall was full and we sat ready to be briefed. The Captain pinned up the photographs on the easels. "As you can see we did disable the Freya but I am afraid we did not destroy it. The antennae were destroyed but the metal box looks to be in one piece. Only one charge was laid. That is disappointing. However I must take some responsibility for not securing our perimeter. We were surprised by the half track and that will not happen again. We have learned lessons from this."
Lieutenant Reed stood, "We are going to practise today. We will be raiding again and soon. Obviously we need to do it away from prying eyes. We are going on a ten mile run. There is an old barracks ten miles from town. It was damaged in the early days of the war and has yet to be repaired. It is perfect for what we require." He pinned up a piece of paper. "Here are the map coordinates." Grinning, he said, "We will see you there eh?"
We were on more familiar territory as each section humped bags and guns and began to trot out to the west. The good burghers looked up in surprise as fifty odd men jogged through their town. I suppose to them it was as though we were running away. When we reached it I could see why they had not repaired the barracks. It had been almost totally destroyed. There were but three or four complete walls. The craters which proliferated would take bull dozers to fill them. However it suited us. We were here to train and not to live.
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