The Engineers took to their time off full duties very quickly, most going to have a sleep or wander around the city. Supper was set for 7 p.m. All of them had been told not to leave the city limits.
Major Richmond washed and changed and then went to speak with General Haas. His office was in the old city hall. He had moved it to be nearer the front of the city where they thought an attack would most likely come from. The major passed several guards along the way. He was then directed up some stairs to the office. The door was slightly ajar and inside he found the general. He was smoking a cigar looking over maps.
“Major Richmond, would you like some coffee?”
“Yes, thank you, general.”
The general showed the major to a luxurious armchair. He lowered himself down into the chair and the general brought over some coffee.
“They had a better suite over here. That’s worth moving for, huh?”
The major looked around the office at the mini library and grand paintings. It was all very impressive. The view from the window allowed one to see over the city walls and out onto the valley ahead.
“What happened whilst we were in the mountains?”
“Major Richmond—”
Before General Hass could say any more the major interrupted.
“Please, call me Harry.”
“Harry, the city will be totally evacuated over the next few days. The Austro–Hungarian Empire is coming to an end. This is what happens to Empires; they come and they go. There is a new challenger on the scene. Europe had better be ready.”
There was a pause as the general sucked in a large amount of smoke from his cigar. His eyes gave away his thoughts and the look of bewilderment on his face was condemning.
“There is still hope, General. Your old friend Von Bloch gave his life for us to reach here, as did many others. I’m sure there will be an emergency War Council in Europe to discuss this latest attack.”
The general looked him straight in the eye.
“Europe will only unite if they are all under threat. No one knows where this force is coming from and why they want the Austro–Hungarian Empire.” He sat back in his chair almost, trying to reassure himself about his last comment.
The major stepped forward.
“Politics are not my game, but you’re right about self preservation. Many would not flinch should the British Empire fall. Empires have been built on war and domination. Colonial rule can not last forever. We will do our best to help Austria whilst we are here. I will make sure I put your case to the high council in Paris.”
Both men took their drinks and looked out of the window. They then discussed the evacuation of the town and how the civilians would be taken out by wagons and carts and the soldiers moved by steam trains.
He suggested they could travel with the Austrian Engineers to Vienna. Once they got there, they could then take a train to Munich and then on to Paris.
The train would have cannons on it and even the newly purchased Gatling guns. The general said this weaponry would change modern warfare as they knew it.
They both sat chatting for a while. Corporal Heinz arrived and was escorted in. He was asked to help with some of the translation, although the major thought General Haas understood English very well.
The general started laying out his evacuation plans and explaining how he wanted the city cleared within the next week. Some civilians were staying behind. They wanted to fight for their land or houses. He had urged them not to undertake such a task as it could mean certain death, but their determination had been strong and he understood people would be patriotic. The major explained about the rogue regiment and how they had killed General Von Bloch, something which General Haas wanted to address. He wished he had a detachment to go after them and bring them to justice. Treason would be punishable by death.
His anger soon returned to the job in hand and how they needed to load up the trains and wagons over the following week. He was not sure how long the city had before it would come under attack. They could put up a small scale show of strength, but if a large enough force arrived they would soon seize on the weakness of the defenders.
After some frank discussions, the general recommended the men get some rest. “Tomorrow we will start the retreat.”
Corporal Heinz looked a little down on leaving the general’s office. Hearing about the downfall of your country was never going to be easy to take – he loved his homeland. He was also concerned about the welfare of his family. They lived on the borders of Prussia and he hoped that the evacuation would take them somewhere safe along with the other civilians leaving the warzones.
He did wonder, if news came of his family town being under siege, whether he would be able to resist not travelling there to find them. He was aware it would be a court marshal offence, but did not know how he would react. If every soldier abandoned, then there would be no one left at the front. He told himself it would come down to how the war was being fought and that the chances of total defeat would affect his decision.
Just before they went their separate ways, Major Richmond spoke to the corporal and assured him that Europe would rally against this force of evil. He tried to install some hope, but it was hard to be totally convincing. He had witnessed something out of this world. A new type of enemy, which not only wanted to beat you, it also wanted to consume your soul.
They saluted each other and returned to their quarters. Major Richmond looked at his family pictures before blowing out the candle in his room.
Chapter 15
The sun was warm early in the morning. It lifted people’s spirits as they set about their duties.
The British and Austrian Engineers were allowed to rest longer that morning. Private Brown had been concerned about not seeing Heidi again, but she had asked for permission to go with the soldiers to Vienna. She was also undertaking basic nurse training, as they needed more help with the sick and wounded.
The other civilians were moving out by wagon and cart. It had been hard on them as they had had only one day’s rest in a proper bed. The train of thought was that it would be better to leave now at a slow pace and not risk being attacked or chased along the route.
The supplies were packed into several wagons and there was plenty of space for everyone. They had a small escort to take them to their next destination. The general had wondered about whether his country would surrender rather than risk a total collapse of society. Speaking to Major Richmond and Corporal Heinz had painted a dark picture of their new foe. Not much was known about the long-term plans for the invading force.
Heidi waited outside the barracks for an hour to catch Private Brown on his way to wash. Normal military practice was being observed back in the city. John took a moment though to break off and take Heidi behind a supply shed,
“John, I’ve missed you badly. It’s hard not having you lie next to me at night”
“Heidi, I feel the same. We’ve had some luck that you can transfer to Vienna with us. How is the training going?”
Heidi smiled and explained that it was going very well. She was enjoying it and wanted to help people wherever she could.
Heidi had a very caring side and John liked that. He didn’t want to speak about what would happen after Vienna. His detachment was surely going to be posted back to England or France.
He hoped that Europe would rise up against this force, but knew that “things were never easy in politics” as his father had once said about the local mayor of their town, and the red tape around getting things done.
John and Heidi spent five minutes kissing and holding each other. Sergeant Butcher arrived on the scene and reminded the private he was still in the army and he would have to let the nurse return to her unit. He said this with a sympathetic face, though. Even the sergeant was missing his family.
Corporal Smith arrived at the captain’s quarters. He knocked on the door and brought in fresh coffee. The captain took a moment to have a sip of the warm drink and then grabbed his hel
met and parade stick. He thanked the corporal for bringing him coffee and said he would see him outside.
Captain Hayward joined Major Richmond on the parade square. The soldiers had not lined up for a while. It wasn’t about checking uniforms but was about informing them of their current plans for evacuation.
The men were all looking fresher, the few days’ rest had done them the world of good and the cooked meals had helped. The Austrians had supplied them with rifles and provided extra clothing. The soldiers were once more wearing their smart red tunics and blue trousers.
As they stayed lined up, a roll call went out via the corporals and the sergeant. They were going to be split into small groups to gather supplies from the munitions store and replenish their backpacks.
Private Brown and Private Clegg were assigned to guard the wall. The Austrians had requested some relief for their own soldiers as they needed to prepare for leaving as well.
The parade did not last long as time was of the essence. The men were called to and then brought to attention. The captain saluted the major and gave permission for the soldiers to stand at ease and then fall out.
Private Brown and Clegg went with the group to the wall. They were surprised to see only a handful of soldiers guarding it. The Austrians that stayed with them only had limited English. There were lots of hand signals going about and laughter as they tried to understand each other. Private Clegg showed the Austrians his interpretation of the flesh-eaters and long-limbs. They tried to keep a straight face, but it was hard seeing a soldier doing a crab walk and then shuffling towards them with his mouth open. He was applauded for his efforts and given some homemade ale as reward for his performance.
The wall gave them a great viewpoint over large swathes of grassland. It still had cattle grazing on it. The soldiers guessed they could not take all the livestock with them and it only made sense to let them feed away as normal.
There were several towers along the defences which gave an even higher advantage point to check over the surrounding countryside. John went with William to have a look.
The wall was turning out to be more relaxing than they had originally thought. Corporal Smith was liaising with the sergeant every hour, leaving them some time to stand down. They knew how quickly things could turn nasty so they kept an eye out for the horde.
The rest of the group set about loading the trains in the northwest of the city. The armoured carriages were loaded with extra sandbags. They had five armoured carriages for each train, three carrying cannons and two carrying Gatling guns.
The soldiers were boosted by seeing the heavy weaponry on each train. The British Engineers knew what was out there and appreciated having as much firepower as possible to face potential threats.
The day passed by with General Haas overseeing many of the operations around the station. The country might slowly being consumed by an invading force, but efficiency was still holding firm. The civilians would be leaving the following morning. The convoy was in place and ready to roll out.
With the sun going down the work parties returned to the barracks. A hot meal and a good night’s rest were on most people’s agenda. The next morning, the Austrian soldiers gathered to see off the remaining civilians.
There were no stones left unturned. This was a thoroughly thought-out plan. By the late afternoon the wagons rolled out with the last civilians. Heidi was with the nurses’ unit now, and anyone else who was left was either Austrian military or a British Engineer.
Scouts had been sent out to check the outer perimeter of the city and any local farms for enemy movement. There had been no reported sightings around the wall. The general was not taking any chances and believed this was only a ploy to lower their guard.
That evening over supper, he announced that the wall night duty would be trebled. He knew this meant some long shifts for the soldiers, but it also meant they would have a stronger chance of survival should the city come under assault.
The British Engineers had the first shift after supper. The whole unit was out there. Major Richmond wanted to show his Austrian counterparts they were willing to help in any way, especially after the support they had been given from them.
The British force was not that strong, but it was rested and alert. Captain Hayward had around forty men to patrol one half of the city wall, with Major Richmond covering the other half with a similar force.
The soldiers were now wearing their normal British military uniforms. The blue spiked helmets were now more respectable than before and the buttons and buckles were polished. This had not been an order from the major; the soldiers had done it of their own accord.
There was a small contingent of mounted soldiers patrolling the city. General Hass had the main focus on the walls facing the opening farmland and beyond, but he was wise enough to be prepared for an assault from anywhere. The barracks and living quarters were near the station. Should they need to pull out quickly, this option was kept alive.
The general arrived in the afternoon and explained that the leaving date had been pushed back one more day. The reason he gave was logistics, but others pointed to the rumour of his cousin returning with a cavalry detachment. This could mean bringing in extra carriages for the trains to take the horses. .
The general had not come out and suggested as much, but he had been a little ambiguous about the delay.
By late afternoon the Austrians had arrived to swap the shift. The British were glad to stand down. It hadn’t been the hardest shift, but it had been a vigilant one.
The captain spoke privately to the major about being in the city another night. They were respectful to their hosts, but had due care for the soldiers under their command.
The British filed back to the barracks. Normality was starting to creep back into their lives. Routines were good for the soldiers. They wanted to be directed and kept busy. That said, none of them wanted to face the enemy in a hurry.
Major Richmond went to find General Hass. He wanted to get across that the enemy were such a mobile force and could attack with lightning speed leaving them open in this situation. He found the general by the old station, mounted and looking at the trains waiting to leave the next day. All of them were full of supplies and heavily armoured. The sun was slowly disappearing behind the skies. Its last shadows shot out from around the station house and down onto the well-trodden soil.
“General, I would like a quick word, if I may.”
The general looked around and dismounted. He nodded his head to a nearby solider, who came over and took the reins.
“I have heard the rumours as well, Major. You think I’m mad for waiting another day. Believe me, this has not been an easy decision. I’ve got my cousin’s interests at the back of my mind, but the truth is we needed this extra day. I’ve sent scouts along the track to the ‘deep gorge’. This is an area of the train line which could leave us vulnerable to an attack.”
The major nodded. Rumours were always out there and careless whispering cost lives.
“Sorry for questioning your decision, sir. It has been a mad few weeks and the men are wary of most things now.”
The general agreed and said at first light, and after breakfast, they would load the trains. The major returned to his quarters feeling a little more assured on their current situation. He needed to make sure the general was not losing direction on where they should be heading.
Settling into his bed the major gazed at the ceiling. A candle burnt to the side of him on a well-furnished dressing table. He wondered if the Austrian family that had once lived in this house, were refugees now or moving towards Vienna. It was not a happy thought to sleep on, so he tried to think of warm bread and a hunk of cheese. Fresh coffee also came into his mind. Soon he was asleep.
The morning light broke and breakfast was served for everyone. The Austrians laid on a fabulous spread, with meats and cheeses. The soldiers were told to fill their boots as the train was not due to stop until late afternoon.
Sergeant Butc
her called out to the British Engineers to line up. They did so with full military aplomb.
“Right, you horrible lot, let’s show the Austrians how to march to the station in style.”
This was said in good jest, not wanting to offend the Austrian military and the great hospitably that had been bestowed on them. They started to march to the station. It was only a five minute trek so it was not seen as a hardship by the men. It was a good reminder of who they were and what they stood for.
As the soldiers got underway a rider burst into the courtyard. He rode straight to an Austrian captain. Colonel Kiesl was a tall, broad man with blonde hair. He was working his way up the military ladder and was hungry for success. His eyes almost lit up with what he was hearing.
He then turned and went to the general who was watching the British march out of the courtyard. The walls of the outer city had only a small force as most were now returning to board the train. The early morning news had been quiet. This had all changed. The horizon was now a dust cloud for miles around, the flesh eaters were on their way. The small detachment on the wall did not have horses or wagons to escape with. They were worried, but standing firm. The cannons were loaded, and the rifles readied. Some of the Austrians rushed up the turrets.
The obvious problem was the lack of men. The wall could not be defended properly. They were just too few.
In the courtyard the order was given to double the speed to the trains. The general had asked for volunteers to take horses to the wall to evacuate the soldiers there. Colonel Kiesl had put himself forward. He had wanted to face the enemy head on and this was his chance.
Being a God-fearing man, he said a quick prayer before riding out with a group of mounted soldiers with extra horses.
The general ushered Captain Hayward and the major to the station. As they were arriving cannon fire started to echo around the city. The soldiers gave each other knowing looks. The enemy was at the gates.
Europe Has Fallen Page 12
