Chapter 7

The next morning the men began to check the weapons. The pan shaped magazines for the Vickers Ks were clipped into place and spare magazines placed within easy reach. The boxes of 50 calibre API were placed near the middle mounting whilst Cookie checked the fuses of the Mills grenades.

Shaun checked and cleaned his personal weapons, the MP40 and Cartwright .303. Then he drew his Colt M1911.45 semi-automatic. Removing the clip, he checked the action before reloading it again. Spare magazines for the MP40 were at the side of his seat alongside the bandolier his grandfather had used for the rifle.

Satisfied, he looked around at the other troops, all similarly occupied.

He lit a cigarette, drawing on it nervously, knowing that the lives of these men was now in his hands.

He thought for the thousandth time had he overlooked anything in the planning? He was interrupted from his thoughts by Sammy handing him a mug of tea. “Here Boss, get this down you. It will all be all right on the night,” he said cheerfully. Shaun nodded and smiled, accepting the mug. Sammy’s job would be to hand out the magazines and boxes of 50cals as a gun went empty.

Titch had his head inside the bonnet tinkering with the engine. “Everything all right Titch?”

“No problems Boss; Sue won’t let us down,” he replied.

Shaun had a walk around the other trucks, asking if there were any problems and finding none. They were ready.

By 3pm everything had been done that could be done.

He gathered them all around and went through the briefing once more with them. Ending by saying “Sue will be tail-end-Charlie has we leave the base so we will pick up any one whose truck has bought it. No one will be left behind. No matter how badly wounded, the Gestapo would soon ring the truth out of them as to our location.” He let that sink in, looking at their faces. “In the event I buy it, Bobby will take command and get you home. So to recap: we will leave the base has follows. Bill first, followed by Tim then Bobby and then me. We will form up again back at the place where we joined the coast road. At that point I’ll take the lead back to the cave. We’ll stop at the entrance to the wadi and let you pass. Sammy needs to send the signal of success or failure. That will be the last transmission we send until we are on our way back. It only remains to wish you all good luck gentlemen.”

He watched has Titch bolted on the 4-inch angle iron upright to the front of Sue that he had made back at base.

“So you reckon that should do the job, Titch,” he murmured.

Titch chuckled, “If it doesn’t, we’re going to have a bad headache Boss.”

The angle iron was to break the wooden bar that crossed the gate entrance to the base which had a counterweight that allowed the guard to raise or lower it across the road. The trucks didn’t have windscreens on them, and the guard post bar was at head height of the driver and passenger.

They had an early meal, then the men began to put on warmer clothes against the cold that was invading the cave as night fell.

Shaun shrugged on the sheepskin-lined flying jacket, zipping it up. He glanced at his watch. It was 10:50.

“Mount up,” he commanded.

One of the men moved the camouflage net to one side as the cave reverberated with the sound of truck engines. Taking his place alongside Titch, he nodded, “Let’s go.”

The moonlight cast a silvery glow on the desert. As Titch navigated the rocky wadi floor he kept the speed down to 5 miles an hour as the other trucks fell in line behind them.

They arrived at the point where the coast road was in front of them at 3:10 and switched off the engines. Shaun knew the drivers would have been memorising the route they had taken to arrive here, ready for the return trip.

He sat back in his seat and lit a cigarette, masking the glow with the palm of his hand and glancing at his watch, trying to hide his nervousness. The minute hand moved to 3:18 and he stubbed out the cigarette. He reached forward and cocked the two Vickers Ks in front of him, hearing others doing the same with their weapons. “OK Titch, you know what to do,” he said quietly.

At the sound of their engine starting the others started theirs, following Sue out on to the coast road. They started down the escarpment the airbase coming into view. Only the side lights were on, the trucks bunched tightly together.