Chapter 27

As usual Ted was on hand as they drove up. “Well, you two look a hell of a lot better than you did”, was his opening remark. He indicated that they should follow him into the command tent. When they were seated, he began. “Bobby and Bill got back yesterday. They ran into trouble out there. Jocko McPhee and Kiwi Bell are dead, and Sargent Haney is badly wounded. He’s now in base hospital.” He let the shock of the news register with them before continuing. “Bill’s jeep was pretty well shot up and they had to tow it in. I’m afraid it’s a write off.”

“What was it? Aircraft?” Shaun asked.

Ted shook his head, “No, they had troops under the truck canopy with MG34s waiting for them. If it had been the normal crew in the Jeep Bill would have bought it. He’d had an eye infection, so Sargent Haney replaced him.”

Shaun and Tim sat stunned, where are Bobby and Bill now?” Shaun asked.

“Flat on their backs getting some well-deserved sleep,” Ted murmured.

As the men from the patrols returned from leave, they were given the news. It had a dampening effect on the Oasis. The men were unnaturally subdued has they went about the business of getting the vehicles ready.

Shaun had a chance to speak to Bobby before he left on leave. “Bobby, when you go out next time come over to the cave. The LRDG and the SAS are raiding between Slum and El Alamein and that’s where Jerry expects trouble so we can concentrate between Derna and Bardia.”

Bobby nodded, “It is getting a bit crowded with the other units”. Shaun agreed.

Shaun ran his idea through with Ted who agreed with it. For the next week they ran supplies out to the cave, stockpiling.

He had a chance to speak to Bobby when they came back from their leave. Telling him to pick up the tents and livestock from the outcrop and erect them at a spot he showed him on the map. “We will meet you there on the 6th. You can then go on to the cave,” he said. Bobby nodded his understanding.

Four days later they were at the cave. “Home, sweet bloody home,” Cookie grumbled as they climbed down from the trucks.

Shaun had already spoken of his plans to Tim and his Sargent Walker as well as Jack. They would rest up in the cave for two days, then leave on the evening of the second day. He had shown the Prof the position and knew he would select the best course to reach it.

On the morning of the second day they began preparing the trucks and Jeeps. Four Jerry water cans were strapped to the bonnets of the Jeeps and extra petrol cans were loaded on to the Jeeps and trucks. Ammunition and food had to be loaded since they knew they could be out for two or three weeks.

As the sun began to set in the east, they set off. At times they stopped whilst the Prof checked their position with the stars. The light of a new day was appearing in the east as they neared the agreed meeting point. Jack spotted the figure waving from a dune.

Bobby had set up the tents in a shallow depression surrounded by sand dunes. Shaun had to admit that the camp with camels and goats looked quite lifelike as they descended into it.

After a much needed mug of tea, the men began to change the places of the trucks and Jeeps with Bobby and Bill’s. It was decided that Bobby would set off to the cave at sunset, in the meantime he brought Shaun up to date with the happenings in the front.

“Rommel tried to attack but we stopped him cold. We have been getting reinforcements in from Suez and have a new commander for the 8th Army, a General Montgomery. On a more serious note, the enemy is taking precautions against our attacks. They have spotter planes following the convoys now with halftracks and armoured cars mixed in with them. I’ve heard that when they spot one of our patrols the spotter plane whistles up the Stukas.”

They waved as Bobby and Bill left. After their meal Shaun rolled out his bed, having scooped out a hollow for his hip in the sand, shivering in the cold as he took off his RAF jacket and climbed into his blankets. He heard the guard changing as he drifted off to sleep.

The next morning the seven chosen due to their eyes being brown dressed in the Teraquas garments. The Prof, owing to the fact he spoke Arabic, was elected Chief. His garments were finer with a jewelled dagger thrust into his waistband. Their faces were darkened with cream that Tim applied, and finally the turbans were put on with the tail of it going around the face so that only the eyes visible. All wore crossed bandoliers and carried a German rifle. Two were dispatched to stand guard on top of the sand dunes.

After breakfast Shaun gathered Tim and the Sergeants together. “I propose to take the Jeeps out today leaving at four. The target will be outside Bardia where the road climbs up to the escarpment and we should arrive about six has the sun sets.” He looked around their faces for any comments. They just smiled and nodded.

They stopped about 500 yards from the road, going forward on foot to scout it. From this position they could observe about five miles of the road below them on the coastal plain. The road was empty. They waited until full darkness but nothing came into sight. “Perhaps Rommel has run out of trucks,” Tim murmured at the side of him.

Shaun shook his head, “Or he’s changed tactics”.

They returned to the Jeeps and drove along the road until they looked down on Bardia. Going forward on their feet they used their binoculars to view the small village. “There’s trucks down there,” Jack murmured excitedly. Through the glasses Shaun could see troops walking around.

“I’ll bet they will move out at dawn so they will have air cover all day,” he said. They returned to the Jeeps. “Assuming that they have a spotter aircraft to watch over them, it will no doubt check the route before they set out. They would spot us right away. We’ll have to let this one pass, but the next time we come out we need to carry camouflage nets.” They nodded. “Okay, let’s return to camp.”