The Shadow of War

by Jack Murray

  The men went inside to await details of their posting. Within twenty minutes a call came from the parade ground, and the men poured out of the barracks to see two planes returning, both Spitfires. Once more the recruits cheered but sound died down as they realised there was no third plane. Danny and the rest of the men took off their hats. They looked at one another and then continued back to the barracks in silence.

  One by one the men in the room received news of their posting. Tom and the Gissing’s were to join an infantry regiment. Carruthers was to join signalling in the Artillery. Bob, Arthur and Danny were to join the Royal Tank Regiment. This meant they would be posted initially to Tidworth for further training before being garrisoned in nearby Thursley.

  When they had all received details of their posting, they met back at the barracks. Danny was happy with his news. He had wanted to join a tank regiment. Tom was less pleased. He had also wanted to be in a tank.

  ‘Lucky buggers,’ said Tom with a grin, ‘You get to ride into battle. We’ve got to bleedin’ walk.’

  ‘Nice big targets for Jerry though,’ pointed out Bert.

  ‘True enough,’ agreed Tom. Looking towards Carruthers, Tom said, ‘You’ve got the cushiest number of the lot.’

  ‘They clearly recognise officer class, chaps,’ responded Carruthers, grinning.

  Tom and the rest laughed at this before Hugh pointed out the one salient fact, to their friend.

  ‘Remind me of your rank, Private Carruthers.’

  ‘Temporary, old chap. Cream always rises to the top. They’ll see sense soon.’

  ‘Like they saw sense in calling you up to start with. Don’t hold your breath mate,’ said Arthur. ‘More chance of Hitler wearing a dress and taking up with a bloke.

  ‘How do you know that he doesn’t already?’ asked Hugh.

  ‘I hadn’t thought of that.’

  -

  Early afternoon and the group gathered together on the parade ground for the last time. There was a genuine sense of sadness at the parting of the ways. Danny shook the hands of the Gissing brothers and grinned.

  ‘Who’d have thought, boys?’

  ‘I know, Danny,’ replied Bert. ‘I hope you give Jerry as hard a time as you gave me all those years ago. We’ll win in no time.’

  Hugh grinned also, ‘Do you know, Danny, in all the years I never got to throw you? It never rankled, though. However, just this once.’ At that moment he pushed Danny who fell back over Tom, who was kneeling behind him. Arthur caught him before he fell to the ground.

  The whole group broke into cheers and then laughter, none more so than Danny. Arthur gently lowered him to the ground. A few other recruits came over to see the source of the hilarity. One was O’Dowd. He glared at Danny and ordered him to stand to attention. All of the recruits did so.

  He walked around all of them with silent malevolence. Then he said, ‘You can laugh now but you’ll change your tune when the bullets are flying.’ And then he walked away. It was the last they ever saw of him.

  ‘Always so sunny, isn’t he?’ said Arthur.

  Tom was the last to step on to the three-ton truck that was to take them to the station. He looked at his younger brother.

  ‘I guess this is it then, kid.’

  ‘Looks like it,’ replied Danny. His breathing had suddenly become laboured such was the weight in his chest.

  ‘Come here,’ said Tom, putting his brother in a bear hug. This brought good-natured wolf whistles from the truck. In turn the two brothers gave a time honoured gesture by way of response.

  ‘Look after yourself,’ said Danny, finally.

  ‘You too.’

  ‘Head down.’

  Tom hopped up into the truck. Moments later it was on its way to the train station and then it would be a short stop to war. Danny wanted desperately to be alone. The public nature of the farewell was not what he wanted. There was so much more he had wanted to say but realised, given the opportunity, he wouldn’t have said it. Nor would Tom. It wasn’t necessary. He felt a pat on the back and then another. Bob looked at him with sympathy as did Arthur and Carruthers.

  ‘Don’t worry, Danny. Tom will all right. Just you see,’ said Bob.

  Danny nodded and turned to watch the truck drive away into the distance and then it was out of sight. He turned and walked back towards the barracks to collect his bag and the rest of his gear. The truck taking the recruits to the Tidworth garrison was making ready.

  7

  Tidworth Army Barracks, Wiltshire, March 1941

  The truck reached the crest of a hill giving Danny his first view of Tidworth. The valley below seemed to be dotted by dozens of large daisies lined up in neat rows. As the truck neared the camp, he saw they were medium-sized tents. This was to be his home for the next six weeks. The village hove into view, but it was dwarfed in size by the area taken up by the garrison.

  ‘Bloody hell,’ complained Arthur. ‘Don’t tell me we’re roughing it.’

  ‘Looks like it,’ said Bob glumly. The barracks at Caterham now seemed like a luxury hotel in comparison to the garrison they were approaching.

  ‘Do you think there’s even a NAAFI?’ asked Bob.

  ‘Can’t afford to eat there anyway,’ replied Arthur.

  They passed one young lady on a bike who smiled and waved at the truck.

  ‘Not so bad really,’ said Bob.

  ‘Yeah, could get used to it I suppose,’ agreed Arthur. Danny grinned at the two of them and rolled his eyes.

  The sign outside the camp read: Royal Tank Regiment (RTR), Tidworth. The truck rolled past the sign and a corporal standing guard at the gates, into the camp and the twenty recruits debouched from the back of the truck. Danny looked up at the clear blue sky and the shining sun. He felt both excited at what lay ahead but also apprehensive. He missed having Tom around. His ready grin made him a reassuring presence and not just for Danny, either. His manner was more passive than Danny’s, but he was well-liked by all.

  ‘What do you reckon then, Danny-boy?’

  ‘We’ll soon find out, Arthur. Tell you what. Although, I’ve never been here before...’

  ‘You’ve never been anywhere, yokel,’ said Arthur quick as a flash.

  ‘It’s like Little Gloston,’ said Bob, finishing Danny’s thought. ‘I know what you’re thinking.’

  Around them the silence of the garrison was broken only by orders being barked in the distance and the sound of birds singing. Arthur mimicked shooting one of the birds.

  ‘You’re evil, you know that?’ said Danny grinning.

  ‘No, just a city boy who likes his sleep. I suspect we won’t get any more of it here than at the other hotel.’

  A sergeant came over to the group and they instinctively formed themselves into ranks.‘

  Well done boys,’ said the sergeant sardonically. ‘Let’s see how sharp you are after a ten-mile route march. Right turn, and quick march.’

  The group jogged over to a large wooden hut where they were registered and assigned tents. The registration process did not last long and after depositing their belongings, they were back on the parade ground. The sergeant tried his best to sound mean-spirited but after O’Dowd who, to Danny and his friends, seemed a genuinely nasty piece of work, this man came across as the very incarnation of nonchalance.

  The initial inspection came off with no casualties. The sergeant, whose name was Sykes, resumed his ‘pep’ talk. It was a beautiful September day and the heat of the afternoon was having its impact on him. Sweat poured off his forehead, as it did for all of them.

  ‘I don’t know what kind of summer camp you’ve just come from, but this is the army now and there’ll be no more shirking. Reveille is at six am, and I‘ll have you drilling and polishing until lights out.’

  Sykes continued mining a similar furrow for another few minutes before realising, in the warm sun, his heart wasn’t in it. Nor were the hearts of the soldiers, if their bored expressions were anything to go by. He decided to make an
ordered retreat.

  ‘Any questions?’

  ‘Sergeant Sykes, sir,’ called out Danny immediately.

  Sykes looked at Danny and said, ‘Name?’

  ‘Shaw, Sergeant Sykes.’

  ‘Proceed.’

  ‘Can we see a tank?’

  This struck Sykes as a reasonable question given the fact that they were a tank regiment. It also struck him how rarely new recruits ever asked. However, in the past there had been no tanks with which to practice. Since last August, there had been an influx of several A9s and A13s.The RTR had, if not an embarrassment of riches, then at least a good few tanks to give the new recruits the badly needed, first-hand experience they would need.

  A few minutes later Corporal Coldrick was detailed to provide a brief tour of the garrison. Unlike many of the NCOs they had encountered, Coldrick seemed to have more sympathy with the new lot, and a sense of humour.

  ‘You’re very lucky, you know. We’ve just had a fresh bunch of tanks delivered. This is good news and bad news for you. The good news is you’ll get a chance to ride in them and learn how they work.’

  ‘What’s the bad news?’

  ‘You won’t be allowed to drive any. You’ll be like kids standing outside the sweetie shop,’ guffawed Coldrick. ‘And don’t even think about trying to sneak into one and taking it for a spin. Trust me, it won’t be jankers for you. It’ll be an all-expenses paid trip to Aldershot for a month or two.’

  Danny furrowed his brow and looked at Arthur for an explanation.

  ‘The glasshouse. It’s were they sent Harn,’ answered Arthur.

  Then it dawned on Danny. He’d heard about the glasshouse before but not shown much interest. Not a place to visit, he decided. They’d never seen Harn again. Nobody talked about him. Nobody missed him.

  They marched down to an open area away from the tents. Finally, the tanks emerged from behind the tents. There were half a dozen sitting stationary in a line. As they were walking towards them, Coldrick explained the differences.

  ‘These are what you call cruiser tanks. And, no, I ain’t talking about your holidays in Skegness.’

  This lightened the mood although Danny could feel butterflies in his stomach as he neared the two beasts. He tried to imagine himself inside. He also tried to imagine what it would be like to face the larger and more powerful Panzer tanks the Germans were reputed to possess.

  ‘The A9 is on the left. These boys are pretty nippy. While the Germans are crunching their tanks into reverse gear, we can take a pot shot or two at them and be back in time for a cuppa by the time they start moving.’

  ‘Assuming we can get near enough,’ whispered Arthur. Danny frowned and looked at Arthur, a question in his eyes. Arthur pointed to the gun. ‘Not very big is it?’

  Danny smirked and glanced down at Arthur’s crotch. Arthur began to laugh and said, ‘I’ve had no complaints.’

  ‘Oi, what are you two gabbing on about?’ shouted Coldrick, noticing the exchange between the two men.

  ‘Looking at your gun, Corporal Coldrick. Not the biggest.’

  Coldrick grew more serious. He pointed to the two guns and said, ‘Actually, you’re not far wrong. Both the A9 and the A13 have a two pounder which is thirty-seven millimetres. But the new Honeys match up better to the Panzers. They also have their eighty-eights’. These anti-tank guns can take you out from a mile away nearly. You’ll have to ask the powers that be as to why we are using smaller, more mobile tanks and not big ones like Jerry uses. These cruisers are meant to be used for quick engagements. In, out and then on your bike. Bit like you with your missus. There’s another type of tank called a ‘Mathilda’. That’s an infantry tank. It’s heavier because the armour is thicker. No Jerry shell will get through it.’

  ‘You mean Jerry shells can pierce this, Corporal Coldrick?’ This was Danny, asking the question that was now very much on everyone’s mind.

  Coldrick nodded and then smiled, ‘It will if you stand still and let them shoot at you long enough. The idea with this, boy, is you shoot while you’re on the move. You’ll notice they also come with machine guns. That’s for dealing with infantry.’

  ‘Do these tanks stop bullets?’ asked Danny.

  ‘You really don’t fancy being shot at do you, son?’

  ‘Not if I can help it,’ laughed Danny. Coldrick laughed also.

  ‘Sensible lad,’ replied Coldrick. The group was now gathered around the lighter A9. Coldrick pointed to the armour and said, ‘In answer to your question, the A9 has fourteen millimetre thick armour. The A13 has thirty. Won’t stop a shell but both will stop rifle shots, so you’re better off than those boys in the infantry. Anyone want to go inside?’

  There was a chorus of yeses. Arthur stepped forward and climbed up the side and went in though the turret. A voice from inside, ‘Lumme, I’ve been inside bigger things than this.’

  This brought a predictably ribald response from the other men. One or two others were also climbing in through the turret.

  ‘See if you can move the two machine guns at the front,’ ordered Coldrick. There were cheers when the men managed this. Over the next twenty minutes the men climbed into the tank and inspected what was likely to be their future workplace.

  Danny, meanwhile, walked around the outside of both tanks. Coldrick looked at Danny inspect the tank in fascination. Normally the new lot were keen to climb inside and play. They were like children with a new toy. Danny was clearly appraising the tank. He walked over to Danny.

  ‘What are you looking at?’

  ‘I used to be a blacksmith,’ said Danny, tapping the armour of the tank and listening to the sound it made. He ran his fingers over the rivets.

  ‘What do you see?’

  ‘It feels, I know this will sound strange, but it feels thin.’ Danny ducked down and looked at the wheels and the tracks.

  ‘If one of those rivets gets a direct hit, it shatters and turns all of you into mincemeat.’

  ‘So, we keep moving,’

  ‘Now you’re getting it, son,’ responded the corporal.

  ‘How fast does this go?’ asked Danny.

  ‘About twenty-four miles per hour on a flat road.’

  ‘How fast are the Panzers?’ probed Danny.

  ‘Similar but these would work better on hilly terrain. We’re a lot lighter than the Panzers. Our suspension is also better off road.’

  Danny stood up and looked at Coldrick. His face was grim.

  ‘So you’re telling me that they can not only outgun us but on the flat, they’re just as quick.’

  ‘That’s about the size of it.’

  Danny shook his head but remained silent. Coldrick looked at him and asked, ‘What’s your name, son?’

  ‘Shaw, Corporal Coldrick.’

  ‘You’re Shaw,’ said Coldrick. Danny wasn’t sure what to make of the fact his name seemed to be known. ‘What age are you?’

  ‘Nineteen, Corporal.’

  Coldrick looked at Danny for a moment and then wandered off to see how the other men were getting on. Danny, meantime, crawled underneath the tank. It was very narrow, and he came out again after checking the underside armour. It seemed unlikely anyone would be foolhardy enough to attack in this manner although mines would be a worry. A few of the others noticed Danny’s more rigorous inspection and laughed.

  ‘Afraid of closed spaces, Danny?’ shouted one wag.

  ‘Only if they’re anywhere near your arse,’ responded Danny. ‘I’d rather take my chances with Jerry out in the open with a target painted on my chest.’

  Danny hopped up onto the front of the A9 and then levered himself through the turret into the tank. His first thought as his feet hit the floor was its size. The tank was meant to have up to six men, but Danny couldn’t for the life of him see how that would work in such a confined space.

  Arthur was still inside. He looked up at Danny from his position at the machine gun and said, ‘What do you think.’

  Danny was far from happy an
d pointed to the gun, ‘Like taking a water pistol to a gunfight.’

  ‘You reckon?’ said Arthur. Danny nodded in response. He pulled himself out of the A9 and jumped down to see the second cruiser, the A13. His hopes were not much higher for this. It was plain to Danny, even without seeing the Panzers, that they were badly outmatched. The experience of France suggested that the manoeuvrability strategy had been of limited effectiveness, notwithstanding the success at Arras. The excitement he had felt earlier on the way over was gradually evaporating. In its place was a sense of dread, a fear for the future. As he examined his own feelings, he realised it was based on trust. Or a lack of trust in the army command.

  His father’s experience in the Great War remained locked inside his mind. On the few occasions Danny and Tom had tried to talk to him about it, Stan had closed the conversation down. Therefore, Danny sought other sources to understand better the conflict his father had been engaged in. The conclusions from the books, he studied in the library at Cavendish Hall, were unanimous. The British and French had been poorly led. With increasing certainty, Danny realised that the lessons from the War had been learned better by the defeated country than by the visitors. He was the last to jump down from the inspection of the tanks.

  ‘Cheer up,’ said Coldrick, ‘It’s not that bad.’

  Danny looked at him and said quietly, ‘I think it is.’

  Coldrick didn’t disagree.

  Chapter 6: Germany 1941

  1

  Ladenburg (nr. Heidelberg): January 1941

  The road was virtually empty. The snow didn’t help, of course, but someone had done a good job of clearing it to the sides. The brightness made it an uncomfortable drive. Despite the ice, the police car sped along the main road towards Heidelberg without any problems. Manfred and his father said little on the journey. Each lost in his own thoughts. Neither was prepared to be the first to share them.