by Griff Hosker
“Good question. I will give the order for the transport to be ready October 1st.”
“Sir, that is two days away!”
“I am sorry. Major Rogers and his team are earmarked for another mission and this one was supposed to be Brevet Major Poulson’s.”
I sighed and sat back in my seat, “And from which direction will our forces be advancing?”
“The road comes from the south and west.”
I nodded. That would help us. If we waited to the south and east, we should be able to avoid being hit by friendly fire. “And the airfield?”
“In Seoul; it is being repaired even as we speak. He spread his arms, “Look, Major, this is a tall order, I know that, but you of all people should know that the planners do not worry about small details such as how the hell can we do this? They just expect the job to be done. We have a good pilot. He dropped SOE behind the lines in France and we have good equipment. Have you a demolition specialist?”
“I know my men’s names, sir, and that is about it. I need to get back and see them now. You will keep me informed, won’t you?”
“As soon as I know anything then you will. The situation is dependent upon New York and the UN.”
I stood, “If you could send the ordinance and equipment to our billet, sir, we can check it out and I will let you know of any shortfalls.”
“Of course.” He picked up a piece of paper, “And here is some good news. There are another ten men, including another officer, on their way to you. They landed last night.”
I saw nothing on the way back for my mind was still reeling. Every Commando could operate a radio and set demolition charges but, in every section, there was one man who was a specialist. Scouse Fletcher had been my radioman for most of the war and Roger Beaumont was a genius with explosives. Commando Blackwood had been a competent radioman and I had had high hopes for Black and Hope. Now the three new men were dead or captured. As for the new men, they would be of little use until I was able to assess them. If they arrived the next day it would be too late to brief them but, at least, another officer would be handy
Commandos are not, by nature, lazy men and all of them were busy with their weapons when I arrived, “Cup of tea, sir?”
“Good idea Sergeant Major and bring one for yourself to my tent. We have a mission. The three of us need to talk about it first!”
He could tell, from my tone, that I was concerned, “Right sir. Corporal, go and get the Major a brew and bring it to the Major’s tent.”
“Righto, Sarn’t Major.”
When the two sat down on two upturned packing cases we had found I said, “Well we have a parachute drop behind enemy lines in two days’ time.” They both looked stunned. Both had served in the last war but this was hasty even by those standards. I smiled. “And it gets better. We have to drop in the mountains at night and blow up a road. Then we have to hide and wait until the advance reaches us.”
Ken Thorpe nodded and he took out his pipe and began to fill it, “Then the rumours are true; we are invading.”
I took out my pipe and began filling it too, “It looks that way. We need to know the skills of our men. So do we have a radioman?”
“Harry Ashcroft. He liked to mess about with short wave before he joined up. He was talking to me about it on the way over here.”
“Good and an explosives specialist?”
They both sipped their tea as they wracked their brains. Ken Thorpe said, “As I recall Sam Williams did well on the course. It was in his file.”
“Doing well and being a specialist are worlds apart but, unless there is someone better, then he will have to do and then we have the crucial question, who can make the jump?” We all knew that while all of us had trained to jump most regarded it as a box to tick and then forget about. I saw Ken Thorpe flush and look down. “Sergeant Major, the truth.”
“I will be honest, sir, I am not keen but if I have to, I will come.”
“Thanks for being forthright, Ken. How about you, Matt?”
He grinned, “I joined for an exciting life and I have completed six drops but none were in a war zone.”
“Well, the first thing we need is to find six of these lads who can and want to jump.”
“You aren’t taking the whole section, sir?”
“No, Ken. It is not necessary. A radioman, someone to set the charges and a couple of lads to keep watch. That is all that I will need. Right, let’s go and speak to them.” We stood, “And we have ten men and an officer arriving in the next couple of days. Ken, until we see what he is like you had better keep being the adjutant.”
“Right sir, and I am sorry about the jump!”
“Forget about it. That is why we have paratroopers.”
All of the men were keen to jump, that much was obvious as soon as Corporal Dixon returned but I also realised that some of them were afraid for I saw it in their eyes. I did not need all of them and so I chose just five. I included Ashcroft and Williams as they had been identified as having skills but I was not certain that Sam was as confident as his answer suggested. I had learned to look in a man’s eye and see the hidden terror. I softened the blow for the others.
“We will have other parachute drops but this one needs a small number of men. The rest can help us prepare.”
Sergeant Major Thorpe and I sent them away to prepare their Bergens. We might have to sleep rough for a couple of nights and that meant camouflage netting, food and plenty of spare ammunition. I had chosen John Lofting and I gave him my sniper rifle and scope. You would have thought he had won the football pools. In the middle of the afternoon, a truck appeared and our equipment was delivered. When I saw Sam’s face, I knew he was not confident about the explosives. I now regretted that I had allowed Roger Beaumont so much control over the demolitions. He was good but I should have kept my hand in. It could not be helped. The good news was that not only was Harry Ashcroft good on the radio but also his oppo Jack. I was glad I had chosen both of them. The afternoon flew by and I still had so much to do. I sent most of the men to eat while I sat with Sergeant Major Thorpe and Harry Ashcroft and went through the signals and codes we would use. They had to be right or we might risk being shot by our own side.
I ate in the Officer’s Mess to enable me to speak with Colonel Wilding. He had told me, when I spoke to him, what time he ate. He was with a Major Jones and I saw the Intelligence flashes on his uniform. I could speak. “I have chosen my men, sir, there will be five of them. All that we now need is the time to check your equipment and then get to the airfield as early as we can”
“You aren’t taking all of your men?” It was the Major who spoke.
“No Major, the more men you drop the more you risk losing. At the airborne drop on D-Day, one man tripped as he was heading along the aircraft and by the time he got up the stick was five miles from its drop zone. No sir, the fewer the better.”
The Colonel nodded, “You know what you have to do better than any. I still have no further information but I will have transport to take you and your men to the field tomorrow afternoon. You might as well wait there. The code and passwords have not changed, it is just the timing of the operation which is in doubt.”
“And when we are done, we return here?”
“For the time being this is your base. We are close to the airfield. This terrain makes travelling overland hard. Using an aeroplane is easier.”
As I ate, I reflected that Sergeant Major Thorpe and the others who were reluctant to drop would have to get over that reluctance. We could afford no passengers. “And is there any word on the replacements you said were on their way?”
“As far as I know they are still on their way. You travelled those roads and know how clogged they are. They could be here tonight or in three days’ time. Sorry Major, this is Korea!”
When I got back to our tents, I told the team what we would be doing. We went through all of the maps and I gave detailed instructions for the whole operation. It was another reason f
or taking the smallest team possible. They asked me questions and I saw that as a good thing. I made it clear that our task was very specific and also highly dangerous. If the advance was held up for any reason we could be hung out to dry and we had to be prepared to march all the way home!
“Sergeant Major, you will command until I return. The replacements will be here anytime and this will be our base for a while. Winter is coming and these tents will be chilly, to say the least. We had better scrounge and improvise.”
The Sergeant Major nodded, “I have a feeling, sir, that the Americans will have huts brought here. They had them at Donbaek-ri but you are right, it will be cold and we had better prepare. Could you ask the Colonel if we are being sent winter uniforms?”
In normal circumstances, we would have our quartermaster requisition such equipment. “I have a feeling that we will be using American equipment.”
Ken Thorpe nodded, “They have good gear, sir. Right lads, early night, we have a lot to do tomorrow. Are we going on the run again, sir?”
I nodded, “We did not manage a second one today so, yes, we go for a run at 0500!”
Chapter 3
The good night’s sleep was interrupted at 0400 when a lorry pulled up outside our tents. I was woken by the noise and went outside in my shorts and vest. A Lieutenant snapped to attention, “Sir, Lieutenant Jacob Morrison and the replacements reporting.”
“Major Harsker,” I smiled, “At ease, Lieutenant, you are a sight for sore eyes.” Sergeant Major Thorpe had emerged from the NCO’s tent. “Sarn’t Major, sort the men out. Lieutenant, this luxurious tent is the officer’s quarters.”
“I will get my gear, sir.”
I went back in and lit the lamp. The tent was meant for more and was spacious, the Lieutenant had two beds to choose from. I began to dress for the run as I knew I would not be able to get back to sleep and, this way, I could chat with the Lieutenant. I could hear him outside shouting commands. He knew his business. I was sitting on my cot filling my pipe when he entered. I took him to be in his early twenties. He was dark and shorter than most men. I saw that he had a broken nose. Many Commandos had such noses; it came with the training. As much as I wanted to tell him of the mission, I knew this was not the right time. He had had a long journey and his mind would not be sharp. He needed to sleep.
I got the pipe going and said, as he unpacked, “Was it a bad journey?”
“Slow, sir. We ground through villages slower than we could have walked. Is the whole country like this?”
I realised he had just come from England and would have no idea of the terrain. “I am afraid so; Korea is made up of lots of mountains and little twisting roads. Did you join after the war?” I knew the answer would be yes but his reaction surprised me.
He stiffened, “Yes sir, I did!”
His tone had changed and I decided to discover the reason sooner, rather than later, “Is there a problem, Lieutenant?”
“Sorry sir, no sir. I am just tired.”
“Listen, Jacob, is it?”
“My friends call me Jake, sir.”
“And I hope that we can be friends. I am Tom. You and I are, at the moment, the only officers in this section. Tomorrow I will be leaving you in command while I drop behind enemy lines, so we need to be on the same page. I will ask again, Jake, is there a problem? My question was harmless. I asked all of the new men when they joined and why. I joined because we were fighting the Germans. That war is over so, why did you join?”
“Sir, I am a Jew!”
He said it as though he expected a reaction. I nodded, “Good for you but what has that to do with my question?” I saw that I had confused him. He was tired and I regretted beginning this conversation now.
His tone softened, “During the war, I encountered a lot of anti-Semitism, sir. I was called a Jew boy.” He tapped his nose, “This was a result of a fight in school and not Commando training. My father was killed in the war. He was in the paratroopers and he was captured at Arnhem. When they found out he was a Jew he was taken away from the rest of the airborne division and shot. I decided to join up.” He must have sensed another question for he added, quickly, “The Commandos have more chance of action and I wanted action.”
My pipe had gone out and I took out my penknife to clean it. “Why?”
“Why sir? I wanted action and the Commandos seemed my best chance to get it.”
“Why do you want action?” The last thing I needed was a death or glory boy as my second in command.
“Sir, I am twenty-two. When my enlistment is up, I will get a job and get married. I know that the North Koreans are not the Germans who killed my father but they are as close as I am going to get. I would have revenge. An eye for an eye.”
I shook my head, “You are right they are not the same and if you think that killing North Koreans will exorcise whatever ghosts you have then you are wrong.” I put the cleaned pipe on the spare cot and stood, “I am going for a run with the rest of the section. You get your head down. I will be leaving here sometime after noon. I will wake you before I go and give you your orders.”
“Yes, sir. I can come on the run too, sir!”
I smiled, “I did the same journey you did. Sleep. You and the new men can run to your heart’s content while we are behind enemy lines.”
Corporal Dixon’s voice came from outside the tent, “Major, the lads are ready!”
“Be right there.” I turned to the Lieutenant, “Get some sleep.” I joined my men, “Sarn’t Major, join me at the front!”
As we ran, we talked. I kept looking at my watch to ensure that we were keeping good time but by speaking I kept the pace manageable. “Well?”
“The two NCO’s know their business. Both joined after the war but they seem like good lads. The young lads are just that, young but the two of them reckon they are keen as mustard.”
I sensed a but in his words. “Are you happy then, Sergeant Major?”
He looked behind him, “Perhaps we could chat later, eh sir?”
I knew that he wished to talk about the Lieutenant. “Quite and now we can pick up the pace.”
We knocked eight minutes off the first time but Ken Thorpe was out of breath! I still had breath, “Well done, lads. Now have a shower, breakfast and then get your Bergens packed!” When they had gone, I gestured for the Sergeant Major to accompany me down the road which led to the rest of the, as yet, unoccupied tents. “I take it there were some comments about the Lieutenant?”
“Yes, sir, and I wouldn’t mention it but I know the way you operate. The Lieutenant is more than a little standoffish. Sullivan and Lake, the sergeant and lance corporal, tried to offer him advice on the way over. They were on a transport and the Lieutenant kept his distance from the other officers. Admittedly they weren’t commandos, but still.”
“Thank you for confiding in me, Ken. Let us not judge him eh? It is up to us to make him part of this family. I will have a word with him before we leave.”
After my shower, I headed for the Officers’ Mess. Colonel Wilding was there and he grinned and held up a thumb. He had to have learned that from our lads in the war. “It is a go! You drop tonight and…”
“Tonight? We have not had time to check the chutes and speak with the aircrew.”
“Nevertheless, it will be tonight. The transport will be here at noon. You have all afternoon to speak to the pilot. It is only a short flight. The ground troops are at their jumping-off points already and they will be going in at 0430. General MacArthur is worried about leaks of information. There are North Korean sympathisers here in the south and by acting so quickly he hopes to catch the North Koreans off their guard. There will be an aerial attack on the town at 0500 so you and your men need to be under cover before then. Set your charges to go off at 0505.”
I hoped we had better timers than the ones we had used in the last war. I sighed, “Yes, sir but, for the record, in future, I would like more time to prepare.”
“As I said, Major, t
his is just bad luck. The men who were earmarked for this would have had a whole week to get ready for it.”
Those men were my men and I wondered how many had survived. I had put them to the back of my mind but I had not forgotten them. I gobbled my food and hurried back and when I arrived at our camp I went into my tent and began to pack my Bergen. The Lieutenant stirred and then woke, “Sorry, Lieutenant, I didn’t mean to disturb you.”
“I managed to sleep in the truck yesterday. I was not as tired as you thought, sir. Something up?”
“As I said last night, we have to drop behind enemy lines and plant demolition charges on a road.”
He nodded, “You have a good man for that, sir?”
I shook my head, “Marine Williams is the best we have but this will be his first solo attempt.”
“My background is engineering sir and I was top of the class when it came to demolitions.”
“So was Williams.”
“With respect sir, he is a Marine and I am an officer.”
“Listen, Lieutenant, every man in my command is the same in my eyes. I began life as an enlisted man and worked my way up to officer.”
“Sorry, sir, that came out the wrong way but I would be an asset on this raid and you know it.”
He was right but I did not like it. It was always dangerous to introduce a new element, especially at this late stage.
His eyes pleaded with me and he used another argument, “And I have made ten parachute jumps. I was a member of a club before I joined up.”
He looked keen and I confess that the thought of a more experienced demolition specialist not to mention an officer was appealing. His argument decided me. I nodded, “Get your gear sorted and then find Marine Williams. He has the explosives. You can share the load. I will speak with the Sergeant Major.”
Ken Thorpe was surprised but he agreed with me that two demolition specialists could only help. “And one of the new lads, Tomlinson, is a radio specialist. I will give him the codes and passwords and he can talk to Ashcroft before you go.”
We spent the rest of the morning checking that we had everything and ensuring that we all knew what everyone was doing. I took my Colt and its silencer. I made certain that I had plenty of grenades. I also took my Thompson which was well stocked with ammunition as I had been to the armoury. This was an American base and .45 bullets were plentiful. The men now had the Lee Enfield Mark 2. We had two Sten guns which were a little crude and nowhere near as good as the Thompson but we took one with us. We just needed the two guns as a back-up.