Chapter 1

He checked his face in the small mirror hanging on the tent post. Satisfied, he wiped the blade of the cutthroat razor and placed it against its twin in the leather case.

The razors had belonged to his Grandfather, liberated from the saddle bags of an Ulan officer during the First World War. He slipped on his shirt, shivering in the cold air of the morning. The sun had not yet fully risen over the skyline but soon it would be hot, very hot.

Putting on his Australian slouch hat and carrying his washing bowl, he ducked under the camouflage net that hid his tent. He poured out the water and the sand greedily soaked it up. Placing the bowl by the box next to his tent’s entrance, he turned to walk towards the mess tent. The men were already there eating their breakfasts before the flies arrived with the heat of the sun.

“Morning Boss,” Sargent Blake murmured, “bloody bullied beef again.”

Lieutenant Shaun Ramage smiled and nodded. Taking a mug of tea handed to him by Sammy, he sat down, taking out from his top shirt pocket a pack of twenty-five Gold Leaf cigarettes. Selecting one he lit it with his brass Zippo lighter.

“Cuppa tea and a cough as usual Boss?” Corporal ‘Titch’ Anderson, the patrol’s mechanic, observed.

“You know me too well.” Shaun murmured, “Have you had a chance to look it over?” referring to the engine of Sue, the patrol’s 30cwt Chevrolet truck.

“The valves are shot and the rings on three, four and six need replacing. The whole engine is pretty well knacked boss,” Titch replied mournfully.

Titch had worked for the Bentley racing team before joining up and was, in Shaun’s opinion, one of the best mechanics in North Africa. The fact he had managed to coax Sue back to base after their last road watch spoke volumes for his ability.

“I’m going into Alex tomorrow. We’ll call in to Ali Barber’s Bazaar and see if he has anything. I’ve given up hope with channels. The request for a new engine has been in for over a month now.” Shaun replied.

He turned to Sargent Blake, “What do we have to interest Ali Barber, Jack?”

Sargent Jack Blake was ex- Guards, a survivor of Dunkirk who had twenty years of service behind him. He had lost his wife and two kids in an early Luftwaffe raid on Portsmouth and had requested his transfer to the Long Range Desert Group in order to hurt the enemy.

Initially he had found the casual attention to military discipline within the group somewhat strange after the rigidness of the Guards. But he had soon learned that each member of the patrol was an expert in their own field and respected has such.

“Four Lugers, two P38s, and two Leica cameras. We have four Iron Crosses and a Knights Cross. There’s a couple of their flags, a bit scorched around the edge. A case of Johnny Walkers and 800 cigarettes. And, oh, 6 jerry cans. Betty won’t be needing them now.”

Betty, another 30cwt truck in the troop, had been shot up by the Luftwaffe and written off. The crew had all been killed apart from Ken.

“I’ve got 200 cigarettes you can add to the pile. Find out if there’s anything else we need. I’m going to see Ted.” Shaun added finishing his tea.

Captain Edward Frazer was sitting in the command tent going over the latest Intel reports when Shaun walked in. He waved to him to take a seat as he placed the latest dispatches to the side of his desk.

“Bobby reports the usual traffic,” he murmured. Referring to Lieutenant Robert Dole who had relieved Shaun on the Benghazi road watch.

Shaun knew that Second Lieutenant Tim Morris was due at the end of the following week to relieve Bobby.

Ted looked at him, “Problem?” he enquired.

“Sue’s engine has had it. If we can’t replace it, we won’t be going out.”

Ted rocked back in his seat, “As bad as that?”

“Titch has looked it over. If he says its kaput then you know it is.”

Ted nodded, understanding, “I’ll contact command again and raise hell with them. But I know what they’ll say beforehand. The convoys are not getting through. The Jerrys have increased their Luftwaffe at Dena. They have 40 Dornier’s and 30 Henkel’s as well as 109s based there by last reports.”

Ted sighed, “Any ideas?”

“It’s a long shot, but what about Ali Barber?” Shaun murmured.

Ted smiled “Well if anyone has one, then you can bet that old rogue is the one to have it. Are you going into Alex tomorrow?”

Shaun nodded. Ted continued “I’ll give him a ring to pave the way for you.”