The Shadow of War by Jack Murray (latest ebook reader txt) 📗

Arthur,‘They’ll change anything that obviously doesn’t fit. Why do you think I look sogood?’

They were still laughing asthey crossed the parade ground towards the dining hall. Inside they fell into along queue for the food. With an efficiency that could almost have beenmilitary, the queue moved relatively quickly. When Danny saw what they weregetting and how it was served, it explained a lot.

A white watery mound landed onDanny’s tin plate followed by something green and black that looked like it hadbeen hauled from the bottom of a pond. The final item had the colour andtexture of a turd.

‘What is it?’ asked Danny.

The man serving turned toanother man and said, ‘He wants to know what it is.’

In a mock French accent, theman said, ‘Tell him it is beef-bugger-off.’

Danny nodded. It was clear theywere taking the rise out of him.

‘Thanks. Where do I find thered wine?’

He walked on before the two menbehind the countercould add anythingelse to their initial two-word riposte.

‘You do get used to it,’ saidArthur tucking in. So, Danny and the others did likewise. Only Carruthersseemed to be completely put out. After picking away at his food for a minute hestood up angrily and marched out of the dining room. The others from thebarrack room saw him leave and they looked at one another.

‘Looks like he’s going to see thecaptain,’ said Arthur. ‘I give him three minutes.’

In fact, it was closer to fivebefore the ashen-faced Carruthers returned to his seat. By then the mush hadbeen nicked by some of the others. He looked at the empty plate and his facefell further.

‘Serves him right,’ whisperedArthur. ‘We’re in the army now and that’s that. Ain’t no one better than anyoneelse, and that includes the officers. A German bullet does the same damage tothem as it does to us.’

 3

Caterham Army Barracks, Surrey:January 1941

By ten in the evening, they wereall in the dormitory sitting on their beds waiting for lights out. Arthur, asever, had a cigarette stuck to his bottom lip. A few of the other recruitsgathered around his and Danny’s beds.

‘We’ll be here for six weeks,boys. So no snoring.

‘What happens then?’

 Arthur glanced at the clockand stubbed out his cigarette. ‘Then we’re separated off to the units we’lljoin for another six weeks of training then look out Jerry. Get ready, you canset your alarm by old Sod.’

Just as he said this SergeantO’Dowd strode into the barrack room. Arthur winked to the group raising a fewsmiles. All of therecruits stood to attention beside their beds. O’Dowd was carrying paper bags wrappedup in string. He walked down the aisle handing out one of these packages toeach man.

‘What are these for, sir?’asked Bob.

‘It’s sergeant, not sir.They’re for you to put your civvy clothes in and send home.’ When he’dfinished, he took out a notebook and said, ‘Now, I want your names.’ The rollcollection took a few minutes. When it was finished, O’Dowd left them with awarning that lights would be out in five minutes.

Tom glanced at Danny to tellhim to look at their friend Bob. Danny glanced over. Bob was sitting on the bedstaring at the paper and string. The Gissing brothers had also seen theirfriend and looked concerned.

‘What’s up, Bob?’ asked Tom.

Bob shook his head and said, ‘Ican’t do this, boys. I can’t. I should be at home with Beth.’ He held the paperand string tightly, scrunchingit in frustration.Tom put a hand on his shoulder. There was nothing to be said. He glanced at hisbrother. Danny looked on sympathetically. Bob had married. Tom was engaged toRosie. Across the way, Bert Gissing was also doing a strong line with a youngwoman from a neighbouring village.

Danny realised at that momentthat war was something that was fought by the whole country, not just the menat the front.

-

Trainingbegan in earnest at six-thirty the next morning. A bugle echoed across thebarracks and O’Dowd burst into the room shouting at the recruits and banginghis stick on the end of the beds. A few of the late risers were tumbledunceremoniously out from their beds.

Tobegin with, it was mainly drill parades and lectures. The new recruits weretreated to talks on a variety of topics from life in the army and grenadethrowing to instructions on the opposite sex.

‘Whenwill we get to train with live ones?’ asked Arthur at the end of thisparticular lecture. This brought a burst of laughter from the men and also fromBudd before he dismissed them. The men liked Budd. He knew when to let the menhave a release and when to step in with a rebuke.

Drillparades were run by the corporals and sergeants for each platoon. The squarebashing and rifle drill required perfection in execution. Failure to do so wasrewarded with punishment as Carruthers discovered when he had to run around theenormous parade ground holding the rifle over his head. He collapsed after acouple of laps.

Witheach passing day in the first week, Bob’s mood grew increasingly dark. This wasnot helped by his friendship with Harn. At the end of each exercise they wouldtake themselves off for a chat and a smoke. Danny looked on with feelings of bothsorrow and helplessness. The physical nature of the training was not a problemfor him or Tom and the Gissing brothers. Like them, Bob was a bit larger butlacked their height for the weight to be distributed. This made things especiallytough for him. O’Dowd soon picked up on Bob’s discomfort. He took particulardelight in picking on the weaker members in the platoon.

Despitehis initial reluctance and also his lack of physicality, Carruthers wasbeginning to win over the rest of the members in the group. O’Dowd’s bullyingmeant the others were now on his side and more likely to help him as trainingtoughened with each day. In fact, each morning started in a routine fashion.

Buglecall at six-thirty would be greeted with groans all around, but Carruthersalways took it further. He was a particularly light sleeper.

‘I’mnot sure I had more than two hours’ sleep withall the snoring,’ he complained. This was greeted with the usual sympathy.However, by this point, Carruthers was as impervious to the insults as theother