by Griff Hosker
"We both had to fight to get back into action but Major Rose came and said that the hospital was hindering the war effort by keeping us there. He is a brick."
I nodded, "He is no action man but he cares about the Commandos. He is a good adjutant." I told him about the disaster at Slapton Sands.
John spread his arm around the vast field of camouflaged tents, "That does not bode well for this then." I shrugged as he led me towards the officers' tents. "You have been over there, Tom. What will it be like?"
"In a word, bloody! You remember that last exercise before..." He nodded. "When I was umpiring I was being realistic. That is how many of your men would have died."
"But your lads did all right."
I had to be honest with him. "John, your men weren't the Germans. I would have lost half of my men too."
"God! I took heart from the fact that you and your section are so good. I thought we could follow you."
I leaned a little closer, "I think that you will be going in with the rest of the Brigade. Lord Lovat is using us as pathfinders. You don't want to follow us. We will be the first off the boat and if the tanks haven't cleared the mines then you will see our bodies when you land."
"Surely there must be an easier way."
I shook my head as I laid my bags on the bed in the tent. "We have to go in by sea and Hitler has a solid barrier of concrete and steel all the way from Denmark down to Spain. If we are going to take it back we have to buy it back with the lives of our men."
It was now obvious to everyone that the Second Front, as the newspapers were calling it, was coming. All leave was stopped. My men understood that better than most. When we were not training with the rest of the Brigade we took to running down the country lanes of Hampshire. We were under no illusions. Davis and I practised constantly with our sniper rifles. The merits of the weapons had been shown in our manhunt and in the E-boat attack. Crowe became so adept with the grenade launcher that he could hit a target four times out of five. I assigned Hewitt to be both his minder and as a backup. My medic became almost as good with the precious weapon. The K gun proved to be a better weapon than we had thought. The only problem was the weight of the magazines. Gordy and his section would be going in heavily laden.
As May passed we were ordered to keep our Bergens ready for instant action. Every piece of equipment was scrutinised and only packed if we knew we would need it. The officers were now given a daily briefing. Sergeant Poulson took my men on another run each time I was absent. We were confined to camp and the target was known to all. Aerial photographs, constantly updated, were shared. I saw that the battery at Merville had been finished and guns were in place. The calibre could not be seen. Unlike the rest, the defences at Riva Bella were more obvious to me. I had seen them at close hand. Lord Lovat even used me once to go through them. I saw Commandant Kieffer smile and nod as I translated for the French.
Lord Lovat took me to one side. "You and the French will land first. Let them be the first to set foot on the beach eh? National pride and all that. But I want you and your boys to find us that way through. I don't want the Airborne leaving with their arses hanging out to dry." I nodded. "Tell me, what is the fastest that we could make it? From landing to boots on the bridge."
"If we could run all the way, then an hour or so, sir."
"Good."
"But I would quadruple that sir." He cocked an eye. "The roads are narrow. As soon as we land they will block them. It will be house to house fighting. Remember Dieppe and St. Nazaire sir. Our lads showed how hard it was to winkle us out. The Germans know these streets. Four hours sir, that is my estimate and that assumes the minefield is cleared!"
He laughed, "Not an optimist then Captain?"
"No sir, a realist."
"And that is just what we need. The Colonel Flemings of this world think it will be as easy as strolling around Hyde Park. We both know it won't be."
As May ended it became obvious that the invasion would not take place until June. Annoyingly the weather was perfect. As we sat in the tent which was the officer's mess, Captain Marsden said, "Typical! The sun is shining and the sea is flat calm. You can bet that the staff will not send us in until it is blowing a gale."
I was more phlegmatic. "As long as it is not too bad I think it might help us. Hobart's funnies might struggle but a bit of rain makes the enemy hunker down a little."
Major Rose had not seen the new tanks we would be using. "What do you think to these tanks then Tom; Hobart's funnies?"
"I think the Duplex tanks will help us. They don't need to disembark from a landing craft on the beach and as soon as they are in the sand they can fire. I just hope they aren't launched too far out. The Crabs with their flails and the Bullshorn Ploughs could, potentially, save lives. They will clear the mines. That is my biggest fear. If we have to rely on the Engineers to clear the minefield then it will be a bloodbath. The machine guns and mortars on the beach will have a field day."
Captain Marsden had begun to smoke more heavily since his return from hospital. He nervously lit another. "I wish we could go right now."
I glanced at Major Rose. We had both been worried about John since he had been hit by the grenade. The Captain and Sergeant Curtis felt more foolish than anything. They realised now that they should have searched Osborne. Then they would have discovered the grenade. I know that John had run through the incident in his mind over and over. He saw now, in hindsight, what went wrong. He had allowed a gap to develop between the prisoners and the rest of the section. He had not had his weapon out; it went on and on. As I told him 'hindsight is always twenty, twenty'. Now he was eager to prove himself again. The person he was trying to impress was himself and that is always harder.
"We will soon be ready to go. My uncle, one who was killed in the Great War, told my dad that the hardest time was just before you went into action. When they began to advance you had no time to think and to worry. That's the trouble John, we are sitting and wondering. I think Dad had it the easiest. He took off and was in control of his own destiny."
Major Rose downed his whisky, "Suppose he was outnumbered? What then, Tom?"
"Dad is a superb pilot. Talking to the pilots who flew with him they reckon he had a sixth sense about flying. You know he tangled with the Red Baron? Damaged his aeroplane once. Even when you are flying into flak there is always more chance that they will miss than hit. On a beach they can create a killing zone. Even with smoke blinding them they know that a man will be on the ground or six feet in the air. That is a narrow window. A man on the beach does not have many places to hide."
John suddenly stood and went outside. I heard him vomiting. I shook my head, "That was stupid of me! I have just fuelled his fears."
"John has his own demons, Tom. He wasn't even listening." He shook his head, "Look after him, Tom."
"I'll try sir." Realistically I knew that it would take all my concentration to watch after me and my men.
I received a letter from Mum in the last week of May. I had written to her and told her about Susan. To my delight Mum had taken it upon herself to visit with Susan and give her a hand. I could not have had a better mum. She was thoughtful and kind. As a nurse she was able to give Susan solutions she had not thought of and being of an age with Susan's dad she was able to talk his language.
It was the last paragraph which touched me the most:
"Susan has told me a little bit about what you have been up to. I should have known you wouldn't tell me! I still worry about you, Tom. I imagine the worst. I know that soon you will be in danger once more. It is your lot in life. Know that Susan and I will be here for you when you return. Your Dad hasn't met her yet but, like me, he knows she is the girl for you. Don't wait for the end of the war! God knows when it will end!"
Mum was a realist. Perhaps she was right. Once we had finished with this invasion I would put my house in order. And then the thought struck me; for the first time I was imagining surviving. That was always a mistake. I folded the letter and put it wit
h the others. I would read them but not until I was safely back home. They were dangerous; they gave you hope. Hope was a luxury for others; not a Commando.
We moved down to Southampton on the 1st of June. The vast fleet which was being assembled was gathered there. I went down to LC(I)523. Bill Leslie was at the gangplank, smoking his pipe. There were two young seamen with him. He was obviously imparting some knowledge for they were nodding as he spoke and gesticulated with the stem of his pipe. He grinned when he saw me, "Good to see you, sir. Ready for a trip across the pond eh?"
"I am indeed. I thought I would see if you were still here."
"Can't get rid of me." He pointed at me with his pipe, "Now this is a real hero. He isn't wearing them but he has the Military Cross and the Victoria Cross. There's not many of them about! More than that he is a real gentleman."
I felt embarrassed by his comments. "Do they know about your medals Bill? Or that you have saved my life before now."
"Not the same sir. It's like comparing an ordinary horse with a Derby winner!" Bill liked his horseracing. "These two are my gunners. They are keen to get to grips with Jerry. This is Ordinary Seaman Jack Higgins and Ordinary Seaman Walter Grant."
They saluted, "Pleased to meet you, sir."
I saluted back. Turning to Bill I said, "You know you will have Frenchmen on board. You will be able to practise your French."
He laughed, "I'll leave that to you sir."
One of the gunners said, "Do you know where we are going, sir?"
Bill shook his head. I looked at the gunner and pointed east. Bill laughed, "Honestly Grant! You haven't got the sense of a flea! Captain Harsker knows, Lieutenant Redmire knows, I have a good idea but you have seen the posters, 'tittle tattle lost the battle'. You will find out soon enough."
"And when you do, Seaman Grant, keep your head down." I advised.
"Is that what you do sir?"
Bill snapped, "Don't be cheeky! Just because I am familiar with Captain Harsker there is no need for you to be."
"That's alright, Bill. Let us just say that I have been fighting for five years and I am still here. I make sure I don't get shot! Bullets don't discriminate. They kill anybody!"
Lieutenant Redmire appeared. Bill snapped, "You two cut along!"
"Captain Harsker. I am just heading to the port office. I think we are about to get our orders."
I nodded, "It won't be long; that is for certain. I was just having a recce so that I knew where the boat was. Well I'll be off. See you soon!"
We boarded on June 3rd. The rumour was that D-Day, as it was being called, would be June the 4th. It was a long way from Southampton to Normandy. I had done it by submarine and E-boat. The E-boats which had attacked the American convoy were still out there. I knew from 'Lucky Lady' just how deadly they could be. We were packed like sardines on the landing ship. Even the ramps were covered. We were lucky: the French Commandos knew us as did the crew and we had more room than some of the other Commandos.
We organised ourselves so that we were comfortable. We could be on the ship for eighteen hours; it would depend upon the crossing. Everyone knew their job from the crew of 523 down to the last Commando. I was luckier than most. I knew exactly what faced us. I had given Herbert my Thompson. The K gun needed protection. Besides my Colt and my sniper rifle were all the weapons I needed. Our Bergens had never carried as much. We intended to drop them as soon as we could. It was hard enough fighting without being encumbered with a fifty pound pack. The morning of June 3rd was glorious and promised a fine crossing; perhaps too fine. A clear day would afford the enemy more chance to see us. By the same token the fine weather would make the job of the airborne easier. I did not envy the Horse pilots who had a narrow strip of boggy ground on which to land.
We had not left by the time darkness fell. I left my men sleeping and headed to the bridge. The Lieutenant and Petty Officer Leslie were on duty. Grant had just brought them some cocoa.
"Cocoa, sir?"
"That would be lovely, Grant."
"I'll go and get you a mug sir."
"Is there a problem?"
"The sea is getting up. They are delaying the attack. Some RAF meteorological type reckons the weather over there is too rough."
"Bloody daft sir, if you ask me. Flat as a mill pond!"
Just then, as though the weather gods decided to punish us, the first drop of rain fell. A gust of wind made us rise a little too at our moorings. Grant arrived with my mug as the first drop of rain became a few. He poured my cocoa and the boat began to move in the wind which had sprung up from nowhere.
Lieutenant Redmire said, "Leslie! You and your big mouth!"
"Sorry sir."
Then the heavens quite literally opened. The weather changed almost in an instant. The rain cooled my cocoa enough so that I downed it quickly. "I had better get back to my chaps." It was not my men I was worried about but Captain Marsden. Given his state of mind a storm was the last thing we needed.
Sergeant Poulson was resourceful. He and the others had taken our rubber capes from our Bergens and rigged up shelters. "Here y'are sir. We've kept a little hole for you. Snug as a bug in a rug eh sir?"
"Thanks Emerson. Well it looks like we won't be going tonight."
My men nodded. Sergeant Poulson said, "We can do nowt about the weather. We will just have to grin and bear it." He nudged Beaumont. "It was a damn sight wetter when we paddled them canoes!"
They began talking about the missions we had taken and the night passed. Others found the experience less easy to handle. I heard men vomiting over the side. There were curses, some of them in French, when men failed to reach the water. Soon an all pervading smell of seat and vomit drifted across the boat. I realised then that the delay could hurt us. Trained to a peak we were not used to having to wait and bodies and minds were becoming weaker.
"Make sure you all have plenty of water."
"You mean drink from our canteens, sir?"
"No Fletcher, save that. You and Crowe go and fetch a dixie from the galley. Let's be the first. I reckon others will realise that they need it soon."
It was a long night. We slept but many others did not. We woke to grey skies and showers but the winds had abated slightly. It was still uncomfortable and the ship stank. During the morning word came that we would try again and that we would be leaving at dusk. We were lucky that we had Commandos, French and English. We were resourceful and we used the ship's hoses to clean the ship. We were damp but the smell had gone and it kept us busy. The galleys provided the used corned dog sandwiches which we ate as we knew we would need the sustenance and then, as dusk fell we heard the order to head out to sea. We edged slowly from our morning and join the huge fleet which was going to assault Fortress Europe. We were the largest number of ships ever assembled and it was humbling to be part of it.
In the blackness all that we could see were the stern lights of the ship in front and the bow lights of the ship astern but we could make out shadows in the dark. We were not alone. Those who could slept but I saw that John Marsden was nervously pacing and smoking. I joined him.
"You need to rest, John. Did you sleep last night?"
"What, in that storm? This is madness! How can we go ashore like this. My men are exhausted already!"
I said, quietly, "They are watching you, John. Try to relax. It helps the men."
He sat down, "I wish I could be like you, Tom. Even when you were just a sergeant I admired you. Leadership seemed to come easily to you."
"It didn't. I suppose I have been lucky. Listen, John, tomorrow try to keep your head down. It is not our job to attack those machine guns. Hopefully the tanks will clear the beach but when we get into Ouistreham make sure you keep looking up and to the side. Have your Colt ready and fire first. The odds are it will be a German that you see."
"You will be going ahead, won't you?"
"Yes, we have to clear a path for Lord Lovat. You will be supporting the French. They are going for the Casino. That will be a
tough nut to crack."
He seemed to relax a little. "I suppose if you and the French are going ahead of us then it won't be so bad."
"That's the spirit."
I noticed that his men had laid down and were trying to sleep. As John lit another cigarette I knew that he would not.
We hove to at about two thirty and I assumed we were off the French coast. I wondered why and then the big guns began to fire. 'Warspite', 'Ramillies' and 'Roberts' began firing their huge guns at the coast. The smaller cruisers and destroyers added their firepower and the horizon was lit by the flashes from naval artillery. No one slept then. We all prepared for war. Everyone had jobs to do. Fletcher checked his radio. Guns were readied and Bergens were checked. It passed the time but, more importantly, it made sure we were ready. We would literally hit the ground running.
We began to make our way towards the beach at about six. Smoke rose from the shore. Targets had been hit. Fighters kept an umbrella up above us and the guns kept firing. I saw Bill Leslie at his wheel. They were wearing steel helmets on the bridge. None of the Commandos were. We had on our berets. The two gunners and their loaders were on their Oerlikons. I knew they were both eager to fire their weapons in anger. I knew that I had my first time. It seemed a lifetime ago now.
The German guns had not been knocked out. I saw one destroyer struck. In the distance I could make out E-boats as they darted in to release torpedoes. The Germans were not giving in without a fight and we were still off shore. Our progress seemed painfully slow. The DD tanks were bobbing about in the water close by. They had been launched three miles from the shore. The sea was not as stormy as it had been but it was still rougher that I would have liked had I been a member of the crew. The waves made it hard to see them and despite lookouts tragedies occurred. I saw LC(I) 527 catch a tank. It was a glancing blow but it was enough to send it and its crew to a watery grave.
The closer we came to the beach the more intense became the gunfire. We were on the extreme left flank of the attack. I saw the mole and the wire in the distance. I had the advantage that I had seen it and knew what to expect. However even I was in for a few surprises. They had mounted an 88mm on the roof of the control tower. It began to duel with the gunners on the landing craft. I saw a shell strike LC(I) 527. It did no damage but it was a warning.