Chapter 36

October 19th 1943

Three hundred miles off Oahu Hawaii, a Japanese submarine I-36 launches a floatplane to survey Pearl Harbour. It succeeds undetected, and returns to its mother submarine. The Japanese were gathering intelligence; submarines such as the USS Haddock were based in Hawaii and were destroying enemy craft as far away as the Formosa straits.

October 22nd 1943

British bombers in a nighttime raid attack Kassel, Germany, causing colossal destruction with one hundred and fifty five factories destroyed or damaged, three factories making V-1 flying bombs were damaged, twenty six thousand homes destroyed. Nine thousand people are killed or missing with ten thousand people left homeless.

Early November

Hitler issues Directive No. 51 which says in part:

For the last two and one-half years the bitter and costly struggle against Bolshevism has made the utmost demands upon the bulk of our military resources and energies. This commitment was in keeping with the seriousness of the danger, and the over-all situation. The situation has since changed. The threat from the East remains, but an even greater danger looms in the West: the Anglo-American landing in the East, the vastness of the space will, as a last resort, permit a loss of territory even on a major scale, without suffering a mortal blow to Germany's chance for survival.

Strategic bombing

The British Bomber command attack the principal rail connection between France and Italy, the Turin-Col du Mont Cenis (Mount Cenis Tunnel)

Radar

'Chaff' - strips of foil dropped by aircraft to blind the defenders radar was first used by the Japanese when attacking Guadalcanal in the Pacific war in May 1943. It was however known to both the Allies and the Axis powers and was used by the British RAF. The British achieved substantial reductions of aircraft losses before the Germans introduced new radar technology that was less affected by chaff.

Radar technology advanced the progress of Electronics, although it was not until the 1960's that the term 'Electronics' became universally popular.

Although it was technology that helped win the war for the Allies it could not have succeeded without the guts and determination of the men in the Allied forces.

Operation Goodtime

United States Marines land on Bougainville in the Solomon Islands. The fighting for this island will continue until the end of the war. In the early morning hours, American and Japanese ships fight the inconclusive Battle of Empress Augusta Bay off Bougainville, but the US Marines prevent the Japanese landing reinforcements.

Thursday October 7th Bern

After shaving and washing, Gerry joined Hilda and her mother Lillian in her small eating nook for breakfast. The quiet conversation that Hilda and Lillian were having ceased suddenly as Gerry entered. Lillian looked away, wiping tears from her eyes with her hand. Hilda avoided Gerry's gaze but rose and walked to the tiny gas stove and started toasting bread for him. She took two freshly boiled eggs, set them in eggcups and with fresh hot toast she placed them in front of him.

"For my lover," Hilda said sweetly.

Lillian smiled and looking directly at Gerry, her eyelashes still wet with tears, "I want you to take good care of my daughter; don't expose her to any danger!"

Gerry knew then that Hilda had been talking to her mother about his past exploits and possibly about the money and equipment he had received from Tom Warner.

"Lillian, listen to me carefully. My past activities have been life threatening and I survived. I survived because I thought about keeping myself alive. I learned many things from others that allowed me to stay alive and I'm sure that I know enough to assure you of two things. One, Hilda will always be at arms length from anything that I do and two; she has no skills that would be useful to anything that I do. Therefore she will always be in the background, perhaps never knowing what I'm doing," Gerry said as he settled back into his chair.

Lillian looked momentarily shocked; Gerry's directness had left her breathless but strangely reassured. She found herself thinking that she wanted another man in her life, someone as intelligent and confident as Gerry. She rose from her chair walked to Gerry's side of the table. She cupped his face in her hands and looking into his eyes she kissed him softly on his lips.

She lingered a little longer than Hilda found acceptable. "Mother! Enough! Gerry is not for sale! That's enough sampling," Hilda said but she couldn't sustain her stern look and started laughing.

As Lillian withdrew she whispered, "Thank you Gerry."

In the afternoon Lillian travelled with them to Railway Centrum where she farewelled them amidst a torrent of tears. The train to Kruezlingen left on time, only stopping at major cities en route.

"So, am I to assume from your little speech to my mother that you don't wish to tell me about your activities in Kruezlingen?" Hilda asked.

"No, that's not the case. I wanted to reassure your mother and I think I did," Gerry said looking around the train seats closest to them to see if there was anyone eavesdropping.

"I will tell you everything when we get to Kruezlingen because I don't yet fully understand what Richard is planning," Gerry said.

"After breakfast this morning my mother told me that she wishes she had a man like you; she made me feel very proud of you," Hilda looked away but not before Gerry saw the tears in her eyes.

Monday October 4th 1943 Outside Amsterdam.

Lein and Sophie crouched down; the canal embankment hid them from view of the farmhouse.

"Why don't we just go and ask the farmer for some eggs. If he says no then we'll steal them," Lein said.

Sophie who was feeling apprehensive about stealing from others, "Yes, good idea; let's do it."

They rode their bicycles down the narrow dirt road and when they approached the farm gate two large German Shepherd dogs ran to the gate snarling and barking. Frightened, Sophie drew back but Lein who had previously endured savage dogs on her escape from Rotterdam, with Gerry, stood her ground.

The barking dogs drew the farmer's wife to the front door of their small thatched cottage. She waved them away but Lein yelled over the din that the dogs were creating. "We want to talk with you, please! Please!"

Reluctantly the farmer's wife walked to within ten metres of the gate and stood waiting for Lein to take the initiative; idly patting one of the dogs.

"We're from Amsterdam and we need some food for our children. They're starving, they have ricketts and they look awful. Please help us, please," Lein said as she burst into unexpected tears.

Without a word, the farmer's wife turned on her heel calling to the dogs. They followed her to the barn. She locked them in and returning to the gate, "Come in."

Looking at Sophie and Lein closely she saw that they looked tired and perhaps hungry, "Have you eaten today?" she asked.

Lein wiped at her eyes, she was feeling exhausted and mumbled, "No, we haven't had any food today."

Inside the farmhouse the farmer's wife introduced herself as Rina and quickly prepared bread with cheese and made two cups of chicory coffee extract.

There was no further conversation until Lein and Sophie had eaten. Settling back with their hot drinks Rina started questioning them.

"You realise that if you're caught with food you could be in serious trouble with the Nazi's? They would conclude that you had stolen the food and could shoot you on the spot." she said.

Lein sensing that Rina was sympathetic replied, "Sophie here has had her son taken away to who knows where in Germany. Her husband is a baker and he becomes weaker everyday from our poor diet. There are nine children that we want to help; they're starving. We need eggs, cheese and meat of any kind..."

"I understand your problems, I assist many mothers in the village," Rina interrupted, "You mentioned that the children are developing ricketts. I used to be a registered nurse so let me tell you my little secret. Ricketts are caused by a lack of calcium in their diet. Whenever you feed them eggs, you have to keep the eggshells. Using a mortar and pestle you grind the eggshells into a powder. You sprinkle this over their food like you would salt. Over a month or two you will find that you can halt the course of the disease. In those that have developed twisted bones only specialist treatment can help them. Unfortunately, there are no specialists, that I know, left in private practice. All we can do is pray for a quick end to the war," Rina said.

"I'll remember that, thank you. But first we need some eggs..."

"My husband would kill me if he caught me giving our food away. I can give you some eggs, cheese and fruit then you must be on your way," Rina said.

Lein and Sophie quickly wrapped the eggs in soft cloths they had brought with them then carefully they hid them in the many inner pockets of their traditional flared pants. The cheese was split into small portions and they hid the cheese and apples in the trouser legs of their pants. The bulkiness of their many pants hid the food; no outlines appeared in their outer clothing.

They thanked Rina telling her that they would return in a week's time with some flour for her.

They rode away on their bicycles and had covered about ten kilometres when fatigue overcame them. It was mid autumn and the sun was now low in the sky. Passing a farm with a haystack Lein waved Sophie to stop.

"Want to have a warm bed for the night?" Lein said.

"What do you mean?"

"See that haystack, your son showed me how to make a bed inside one. Let's get off the road and hide our bicycles. I don't want to sleep in the open again."

After hiding their bicycles they crawled through the fence and the trees lining the fence as a windbreak. Lein found a tree branch and fashioned a spear from it using a knife that she carried with her.

Retrieving the food from their clothing they placed it in the open alongside the haystack. Pulling enough hay over it to hide it from view, Lein started making a small opening into the hay.

After eating a little of the cheese and an apple they slid into the small hay cave. Lein pulled her spear inside.

"This hay stinks!" Sophie said.

"You'll get used to it and you won't freeze to death," Lein said.

Tired and still hungry they huddled together inside the haystack.

"How did Gerry know that it was warm inside a haystack?" Sophie asked, "We never told him."

"Your son is smart one. He told me that he read about it in a book at the school library," Lein said hoping that Sophie would stop discussing Gerry. She constantly pined for him and she worried that she would betray herself if they discussed him further.

Sophie wondered how close Lein and Gerry had become when hidden away in a haystack but it was a subject that she didn't want to discuss with Lein. Besides talk of Gerry brought pain to her chest.

They continued talking quietly as they watched the sun set and then they were sleeping.

Thursday October 7th Kruezlingen.

Richard settled into the chair he was offered. He had just been introduced to Jennell and Jas. He could tell that the three of them were intimately involved because of the way Kurt behaved around them.

"I told you that Gerry was also coming to Kruezlingen tonight. He said that he would go directly to your father's house," Richard said.

"Shit!" Kurt said. He jumped up from his chair, "My parents don't like me anymore and they badly treat anyone that knows me. I'll have to go and collect him."

"He has a friend with him and I promised that I would book them into a hotel," Richard said.

"A hotel! No hotel. They can stay here. We have enough beds and blankets," Kurt said.

"I'd better come with you because it's a little more complicated; Gerry's friend is a woman," Richard said.

"That doesn't matter, you stay here and rest, I can handle it, I won't be long," Kurt said as he left the house.

Kurt ran down the street leading to the waterfront where his parents lived. Puffing slightly he knocked on the front door and was greeted by his mother Katherine.

"Yes?" she said without emotion, holding the door close to her body.

"Has Gerry and a friend called here?"

"They're downstairs talking with Luke. You wait here and I'll get them," Katherine said and slammed the door closed.

Kurt shook his head in disgust.

A minute later the door opened again, it was Luke throwing his arms wide in frustration. He yelled over his shoulder to Katherine, "That's no way to treat family. Come in Kurt."

"No! I don't want him in this house!" his father Axel yelled.

Gerry and Hilda appeared behind Luke.

"I think we had better go now," Gerry said quietly. He was embarrassed as he steered Hilda through the door and onto the street. He hefted their heavy bags putting one on his shoulder.

"Are we going to a hotel now?" Hilda whispered to Gerry.

"We'll go with Kurt and see Richard first," Gerry said smiling at her.

When they arrived at Kurt's house Jas greeted them. With her outgoing friendly manner Hilda felt more comfortable as Jas introduced Jennell. Hilda took a seat alongside Richard. Gerry sat on a small stool immediately behind them.

Richard spoke first, "We intended to stay at a hotel. I think we'll be too cramped here..."

"Rubbish!" Kurt said, "We'll be happy to have you stay here; believe me! What do you think Hilda?"

"I'm happy to stay here as long as I can sleep with Gerry," Hilda said smiling and twisting in her chair to see what Gerry was thinking knowing that he might be embarrassed. But he was smiling broadly.

"We have two bedrooms. Jas, Jennell and I will have one. The second bedroom is for Hilda and Gerry and Richard will sleep in the anteroom. Come on Gerry, let's get the portable beds erected."

While Kurt, Richard and Gerry were busy with the beds, Jas led a lurid conversation with Hilda about their three-way relationship.

"I'm happy but I think that we'll be putting some strain on Kurt!" Jas said causing Hilda to laugh loudly. "We take alternate nights in Kurt's bed but now we'll all be in the same bed. I'm looking forward to it!"

"Poor Richard, he'll have no one to share his bed," Jennell said.

"If I see the signs I'll look after him, he's a good looking man," Jas said.

Hilda and Jennell laughed softly to hide their unease.

Jennell looked at Hilda, "She's not joking; our Jas is a sexual dynamo."

The men filed back into the room, "There are blankets and sheets on each bed..."

"Come on ladies, let's fix the beds," Jennell said rising quickly from her chair.

Later the woman prepared a meal of fish that Kurt had caught that day.

After the meal Jas and Jennell entertained their guests in their small dining room. Jas took her cello from its stand as Jennell seated herself at the piano.

Tuesday October 5th 1943 In a haystack outside Amsterdam.

It was dawn as Lein eased out of the haystack and slid to the ground. She reached up and helped Sophie ease down to the ground.

"I want to get out of here fast, you never know the farmer can appear at anytime," Lein said grabbing her spear.

Quickly they stuffed the food into their clothing and were crawling through the fence when a lone dog came running at them.

"Keep going Sophie while I keep the dog at bay," Lein said as she swung her spear in a wide arc.

The dog dived under her spear and bit into her leg. The dog hung onto her outer trousers as Lein tried to move closer to the fence.

"Give me the stick!" Sophie screamed from outside the fence.

Quickly Lein gave up the stick; she was relieved as Sophie hit the dog across the back. Yelping, the dog moved back but was still snarling as it prepared for another lunge at Lein. She had one leg through the fence when the dog charged again but Sophie's aim was accurate as she hit the dog across the shoulders. Lein was through the fence and with Sophie they raced to their bicycles. Riding swiftly away Lein glanced back to see that the farmer had discovered them and was waving his fist at them.

"Keep pedalling, don't stop, the farmer is climbing through the fence," Lein said.

They stopped three kilometres away.

"Are you hurt Lein?" Sophie asked.

"No the dog couldn't get through three layers of pants," Lein said laughing, "But I can feel something wet around my left ankle. I think the dog has broken some eggs. Let's keep riding, we should be home in about six hours."

Friday October 8th Kruezlingen.

Richard, Kurt and Gerry walked down the street to the waterfront. They turned right into the dock area. Breakfast had been a quick meal and when it was over Richard had used the subterfuge of going fishing with Kurt and Gerry. Hilda noticed that Gerry had not taken the camera and binoculars and she believed Gerry when he said that they would be back as soon as they had enough fish for the evening meal.

Kurt bought a small bucket of baitfish then fuelled the boat. When Richard and Gerry were aboard he untied the painter from the ring attached to the dock, he quickly jumped aboard as Gerry started the motor.

"I see you managed to hang onto Bert's boat," Richard said to Kurt.

"Yes the same boat that took you across the Bodensee when you were seriously injured," Kurt said as he took the tiller from Gerry.

"I don't remember that. Take us out to your favorite fishing spot. We can talk there without fear of being overheard," Richard said.

As they motored to Kurt's fishing spot Richard constantly scanned the shoreline looking for any spot that was in easy walking distance from the dock. For surveillance of German army movements on the Bodensee he wanted remote places with easy access where they could scan the Bodensee unobserved.

Idling the motor Kurt said, "Gerry take the anchor and throw it onto that sandbar."

When the anchor held he swung the tiller and slowly eased the boat away from the sand bar. When the anchor rope was fully extended he switched the motor off.

"Now we can fish and talk as we drift. This is a good fishing spot it shouldn't take any time at all to catch enough fish for tonight's meal," Kurt said.

"Gerry, how did you fare with Tom Warner in Bern?" Richard asked.

"Tom was good to us, he gave me five thousand Swiss francs, a higher level codebook, a camera with telephoto lens and binoculars. He has a new assistant, a man called John Tristran. Tom was highly secretive about money and asked me not to talk about it in front of Tristran," Gerry said.

"He may be under scrutiny, it's also a good idea not to have too many people knowing what he's doing. Now here's what I want to do: I scanned the shoreline on both sides of this small bay as we came out here. I was looking for a number of spots where we can scan the Bodensee for German troop movements. If the camera that Tom gave you is good enough we will also photograph any significant activities," Richard said.

Gerry felt a bite on his line and twenty metres away a fish broke the surface of the lake, and then it dived deep. It took all of Gerry's wit to control the fish as it again broke the surface.

"Hang on to him Gerry! Keep the line taut at all times," Kurt yelled, "It's a good sized fish; looks like a trout to me."

It took Gerry five minutes to bring the fish alongside Bert's boat where Kurt leaned over the side with a small net and scooped the fish aboard. Taking the hook from the fish Kurt lowered it into a hessian bag; tying a rope around the neck of the bag he lowered the bag into the water.

"That'll keep it alive; it'll be nice and fresh for dinner. Jas has a Chinese recipe for cooking trout." Kurt said.

The three men sat with their lines in the water; Richard continued with his revelations of the plan he had formed for his surveillance of the Bodensee.

"The biggest problem I have is that we have no means of communicating our intelligence back to SOE in Bern. It would be stupid to try and buy a communications set. It would open us up to much danger. Going back to Zurich to use Franz's equipment is one option but the time to travel back there would make our news stale by the time Tom received it. What's the possibility of using Luke's equipment?" Richard asked Kurt.

"I don't like our chances. My father is very upset with me but I have a suggestion. After dinner tonight why don't the three of us go to my house and see if we can borrow Luke's set or possibly buy it outright from him?" Kurt said.

Tuesday October 5th 1943 Amsterdam.

At around 5 P.M. Lein and Sophie turned left into Olympische Weg, it was cold and the sun had set but the sky was bright with twilight. In winter the light from the sun below the horizon was diffracted by the atmosphere with darkness coming around 8 P.M. They pedalled faster knowing that home was only ten minutes away.

They rode into a side lane near the bakery. When they arrived at the back gate it was locked. Lein kicked at the high flat steel covered gate, the sound echoing along the lane. Soon the rear light came on and they heard Marius undoing the padlocks. When the gate swung open Sophie ran to him and hugged him tightly.