by Griff Hosker
I wriggled out from under the halftrack and, slinging my Mauser hefted my MP 34. I was some four hundred yards behind my men. I saw that the Colonel was receiving medical attention and the rest of his men were moving forward.
Corporal Powers ran up behind me, “Sir, I have a message from Colonel Devine. The bridges at Trois Ponts have been blown up. The Germans can’t reinforce the town.”
“What does he want us to do?”
“He says to keep on going until you reach the town. He is bringing the tanks and reinforcements. He said, hold until relieved!”
“Good man. Tell him…”
“No sir, I am with you!”
“Good. Then watch my back. That may not be the only sniper around here.”
We headed down the road which was now almost deserted save for the dead and the dying. We had lost the houses and the road was enclosed by trees. It forced us all closer together. I noticed that there were footprints heading into the forest. That worried me. There could be Germans there. They might be cut off but I knew that the S.S. were ruthless. We would have to track them and tend to their threat. The road twisted and turned along the river. The light was fading but, up above us, I saw another two flights of P47 Thunderbolts returning from a raid further south. Higher in the air I saw transports. Had they dropped supplies or even paratroopers?
Up ahead I heard the sound of firing. I forced myself to run faster. As I rounded a bend I saw Sergeant Barker and Sergeant Ford. They and their men were spread out across the road taking shelter behind whatever they could find.
“Sir, there are Panzer Grenadiers. They are blocking the road.” He pointed and I saw them. They were just sixty yards away. Some were in the trees while others lay behind hastily dragged logs in the middle of the road.
“They are trying to buy time. We can’t let them. Sergeant Barker, keep them pinned down. Sergeant Ford, take six men and go through the forest. Flank them.”
“Corporal Powers find four men, we will go along the river.” I handed my Mauser to Gordy, “Here Sergeant. You might find this a more useful tool.”
I pumped my arm three times and plunged into the woods. The river was less than thirty feet away. I hoped that the Germans would think that flank was secure as there was a precipitous drop to the river. The water would be icy and any falling into it would not survive for long. The firing from our right told me that Gordy was keeping them occupied. The noise of firing, allied to the sound of the river made any need for stealth redundant. Speed was what we needed. I glanced to my right and saw them. I turned and waved my men forward. On the other side Sergeant Ford gave a rebel yell as he and his men fell upon them from that flank. The Sergeant’s heroic charge made our life a lot easier. I waited until we were ten yards away and then yelled, “Fire!” I fired four short bursts. Corporal Powers had also picked up a gun when we had chased the Germans from the crossroads. It was the MP 35 and he sprayed along with me. The others used their rifles. There had been twenty two Germans at the ambush. Now there were eighteen corpses and four more who would not last the night.
“Come on, the Colonel has medics. Our orders are to take the village!”
The light was fading fast as we ran along the road. The trees had stopped the snow from melting and the tanks which had driven down it had compacted it. It would be treacherous once night fell. I was anxious to reach the village. It would be more sheltered. What I did not know was what we might find. Had the ambush been to allow them to set up machine guns and wire?
Trois Ponts was just four miles from Stavelot and was a lot smaller. The bridge divided the town. On our side of the river was a tiny hamlet of, perhaps, a couple of dozen buildings. It had not suffered the same damage as the town we had just left. In fact, if it were not for the bridge destroyed in the air attack, it would have looked like a Christmas card. I held up my hand at the edge of the village and then waved Sergeant Barker and Sergeant Ford around the right side of the village. I signalled for Corporal Powers to head along the river. I took the other five men down the road. I had a fresh magazine and my eyes scanned ahead and to the sides for any danger. I saw a German half -track between two houses. I dropped to my knees and braced myself for the machine gun bullets which would end my life. Nothing happened. I ran to the vehicle and felt the engine. It was stone cold.
Corporal Hewitt put his hand underneath and tapped the petrol tank. It was hollow. “No fuel sir.”
Pfc Mason clambered aboard it. “They have taken the gun sir.”
“Search the buildings. John, take charge.”
I ran alone into the centre of the village. It was eerie. It felt like a ghost town. When I reached the middle I saw Sergeant Barker coming through the trees with his men while Sergeant Ford led six men down the narrow road from the north. He shook his head, “No-one sir. It is empty.”
When Corporal Powers arrived he confirmed it, “The bridge is gone sir. There are two wrecked tanks on the other side.”
I nodded. “They have left. Right, Sergeant Ford, set up a perimeter. All of us are on guard until the Colonel arrives.”
A door creaked open and everyone turned with guns at the ready. An old man with a white flag emerged, “You are Americans?” He spoke in French.
I nodded and answered him. “Yes, we are.”
“Thank God, the Germans left an hour ago. I worried they might come back.”
“Hopefully they have gone for good. Where are the rest of the people?”
“They are sheltering in their basements. We feared that we would be bombed. I will fetch them!”
There were more than twenty people who emerged from their holes. They had been lucky. Their village could have been devastated like Stavelot.
The old man returned with a bottle of brandy, “And now you will have a drink with me.” He handed me a glass of brandy and poured one for himself. “Merry Christmas!”
“Merry Christmas?”
“Yes! Today is Christmas Eve. In a few hours it will be Christmas Day and this is the best present we could have; freedom.”
Situation on the night of 24th December 1944
Chapter 12
“Christmas Day?”
“Yes Gordy. Not quite what we had planned eh. Still it could be worse.”
“How sir?”
“We could be dead.”
I had just finished the brandy when we heard the sound of Shermans. Headlights marked the column which came through the trees. Colonel Devine was standing atop the leading Sherman.
“Where are the Germans?”
“They left an hour ago.” I pointed up the road. “They must have headed west.”
“Then we will camp here for the night and I will see what the general has planned for us.” He saw the brandy glass. “I see you are celebrating Christmas early, Major!”
“Conquering hero and all that, sir.”
“You and your men have done more than enough for today. The relief troops can stand guard tonight.”
The old man gestured towards the house. I am not certain how much of what we had said that he understood. “You will stay with me tonight, I think.”
I shook my head, “I share the same hardships as my men.”
“I can put twenty of you up if you do not mind sleeping on the floor.”
There were twenty of us who had survived the road. It seemed appropriate. “Right chaps, we have accommodation tonight with Monsieur…?”
“Lagarde, Albert Lagarde! My wife, Clothilde, will be delighted to have company. It will be good to talk with you.”
I felt guilty about just landing on the poor woman and so I had Corporal Powers find some coffee and ham. The Belgians love coffee and the Americans never ran out. The Belgians, like the French, are wonderfully formal. The table was covered with a cloth. Everything on the table was the best that the old couple possessed. I knew that if I took off the cloths, which were probably sheets, underneath I would find three or four tables. It didn’t matter. They were trying to make us feel welcome. It t
old me how much they despised the Germans. Dad had told me the same. When we had visited our farmhouse in France the locals always spoke glowingly of Dad and his comrades but they hated the Germans.
I was proud of the way my men, American and British, were. They were polite and they offered to held Madame Lagarde. She tried to brush their efforts away but they were all gentlemen. I suspected that the two of them reminded them of their grandparents. I sat with Albert and we drank wine. The village was too small for a mayor but we saw, over the next few days, that he was the one they all deferred to. His sons had been killed when the Germans had invaded. When he found out that I had been with the BEF he bombarded me with questions, just in case I had come across them. I had not. The fact that I could speak in French helped. He was a true gentleman.
Albert’s wife, Clothilde, brought over some thin slices of cured ham for the two of us as an appetiser. She nodded to me, “Thank you Madame, my men are far from their families and you have made them feel like they are in a family again.”
She smiled and a tear formed in her eye, “Thank you sir. We have lost our sons but these fine young men remind us of what our sons might have been. This is an honour for us.”
I could see that she was filling up and she scurried away. The ham was beautiful. Albert looked at me, “And you have a family?”
“Not yet but I have a fiancée. When the war is over I shall marry her.”
He shook his head, “I would have married her already if she is the right one. Time waits for no man, my friend.”
“I know but I owe it to my men to see this through to the end.”
He nodded, “I fought in the Great War. We should have learned then that the leopard does not change his spots. You say your father fought too?”
“He was an airman.”
“Ah, I envied them and yet their deaths were always horrible to watch. How did they go up in such flimsy things?”
“My father still serves but he no longer flies.”
We sipped our wine and enjoyed a companiable silence. “You are a gentleman and you speak truly so tell me, this new attack by the Germans, is it a threat? Should we worry that we will be invaded again?”
That was a hard question. I felt my heart sink into my boots. “They have surprised us. Not me, I did not think that they were quite beaten yet but there were others who thought that because the Rhine was within spitting distance they were finished. Those men were wrong.” He nodded and drank some more wine, “However, by accident I have had to lead Americans and I can tell you this, the British and the Americans will not be beaten. Nor will the Canadians or Australians. I have fought alongside both. We might not win soon but we will win. I have seen courage which breaks my heart. I have seen sacrifices which merited medals as yet to be cast. We will win but I fear there will be more men like your sons who will die. There will be more young men who will not have children and our worlds and our countries will be the worse for that.” I shrugged, “We can do nothing about that. We have a short time on this earth and we must try to make it a better place. If I have a son or a daughter, and I pray that I do, I hope that they will know what we did and why we did it.”
I was suddenly aware that John Hewitt had been listening, He could speak French quite well and he said, in English, “Without doubt, sir you are right. Ours is a just cause but, like you, I mourn our dead comrades. Ken, Alan, George, Jimmy, all of them. When I go to the pub each Sunday I will raise my glass to them. I just hope that those at home remember what they have done for us.”
“So do I John, so do I.”
Albert hadn’t understood our words but he leaned over and patted the back of my hand. “Tonight Major, forget the war. You are in my home and this is Christmas Eve. The fare might not be what we would wish but I would not change the company for anyone. Let us enjoy this night.”
Poor Albert must have emptied his cellar that night. The men ate and drank as well as a five star general in Paris. The fact that it was homecooked and served on good dinnerware helped but it was also our genial host and hostess. The men insisted on making coffee. Corporal Powers prided himself on his knowledge of beans. While he made the coffee the others washed and dried every dish. This would be a night to remember. I knew that Sergeant Henry and Corporal Cooper would have appreciated it. They were both probably heading back to a base hospital with clean shirts and pretty nurses. I knew they would rather be with us. The house was warm and, after sleeping outdoors, no one needed a blanket. Christmas Eve 1944 was one of the best I could remember.
Every soldier shook Albert’s hand and kissed his wife on both cheeks the next morning as we left before dawn had even broken. Our Christmas had been Christmas Eve and we were going back to war. We had had twelve hours of peace. It made a difference.
We had another difference. Colonel Devine now had a superior. Brigadier General Hamner of the 745th Tank Battalion. Although not at full strength it gave us more tanks than we had had since the Germans had first attacked. With 30 Sherman tanks and 10 Stuart tanks we had real armour. The 3 105 mm guns were also welcome. In addition a company of anti-tank guns were with the column. We now had five 3 pounder guns. They were towed by M3 halftracks.
General Hamner held an officers’ meeting when he arrived at 0800 hours. He used what looked to have been a village hall before the war although it was filled with evidence of German occupation. I saw his face form into a frown when he saw a British officer but he said nothing at the time. Colonel Cavender had been sent back to Brussels with the other wounded and so I stood with Colonel Devine and Captain Stewart as the General spoke.
“I want to thank Colonel Devine for the fine job he and his men have done up to now. All things being equal we would allow the 18th Cavalry to return north and refit with armoured cars. Heaven knows they deserve it but I am afraid things are on a knife edge.” He nodded. “Lieutenant Muldoon.” A Lieutenant unrolled a map and pinned it to the wall. Someone had used a red pen to mark a long line, it resembled a nose, which went from the German lines almost to Dinant.
The General tapped a point half way along the line. “We are here. He tapped further west. “Here is General Gavin and the Airborne boys. We have to meet up with him and then engage the enemy. Their tanks are running out of gas. They would have run out already but they managed to capture one fuel dump up near Stourmont. The rest are already being better protected. Our aim, gentlemen is two-fold. First we have the Engineers throw a bridge over the river here and then we will take my tanks to join up with the Airborne. Colonel Devine you and your men will wait here until transport arrives so that you can keep up with our tanks. Questions?”
There were none. All of us understood that tanks could not wait for infantry to march with them but it was disappointing. The men all had scores to settle with the S.S.
“Very well. To your tanks. The Engineers should have the bridge over by this afternoon. You have until then.” As his officers began to file out he beckoned me to him. Colonel Devine came with me, “Major, what is a British commando doing here in the middle of an American battalion? Lost?”
“No sir, I was attached to the troops at St. Vith where I was delivering a lecture and I was caught up in all of this. I have been trying to get back to our lines but the Germans were always in the way.”
The Brigadier smiled, “Well you can go now, Major.”
“Thank you, sir, although I am guessing I will have to wait for transport to head back.”
“Of course. You have men with you?”
“Two.”
Then I will have my Sergeant Major give you an order authorising transport back to Brussels. In the meantime if you would stay with the Colonel here.”
Colonel Devine said, “Sir, Major Harsker here is responsible for the destruction of two King Tiger tanks as well as two Panthers and a couple of Mark IVs. If it were not for him and his men then we would not have held Stavelot.”
He turned to look at me with new eyes. “Then we are in your debt, sir.” He shook my hand
. “And now, if you will excuse me. Time is wasting.”
Once alone Colonel Devine said, “Sorry about that, Tom. It sounded a little dismissive to me.”
“Don’t worry about it, sir. He is right. This is an American battalion and I should be back with my own men. But I think he is wrong to think that it will be as simple as joining up with the Airborne and then driving south.”
“What do you mean?”
I went to the map. “The General said that they had captured a fuel dump at Stourmont.”
“Yes. So?”
I tapped the map. “That is north of here. That means there are German tanks north of the river. They can’t cross the river at Stavelot and Malmedy is now being reinforced. If they are beaten then they will have to get back home.” I tapped the map again. “That means through our weakest point.”
I saw realisation dawn. “You mean here.”
“Either here or Stavelot. This one is more likely as they will know that the bridge there is down. This one was only destroyed yesterday. They might have tried to head further west and cross at La Gleize. If so then we will be fine but, if I were you, Colonel, I would make sure that I had defences facing north as well as south.”
“Perhaps the General has thought of that too.”
I shrugged, “And then again, maybe not. It might be handy to have a couple of those 3 pounder anti-tank guns.”