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

you give Jerry as hard a time as you gave me all those years ago. We’llwin in no time.’

Hugh grinned also, ‘Do youknow, Danny, in all the years I never got to throw you? It never rankled,though. However, just this once.’ At that moment he pushed Danny who fell backover Tom, who was kneeling behind him. Arthur caught him before he fell to theground.

The whole group broke intocheers and then laughter, none more so than Danny. Arthur gently lowered him tothe ground. A few other recruits came over to see the source of the hilarity.One was O’Dowd. He glared at Danny and ordered him to stand to attention. Allof the recruits did so.

He walked around all of themwith silent malevolence. Then he said, ‘You can laugh now but you’ll changeyour tune when the bullets are flying.’ And then he walked away. It was thelast they ever saw of him.

‘Always so sunny, isn’t he?’said Arthur.

Tom was the last to step on tothe three-ton truck that was to take them to the station. He looked at hisyounger brother.

‘I guess this is it then, kid.’

‘Looks like it,’ replied Danny.His breathing had suddenly become laboured such was the weight in his chest.

‘Come here,’ said Tom, puttinghis brother in a bear hug. This brought good-natured wolf whistles from the truck. In turn the twobrothers gave a time honoured gesture by way of response.

‘Look after yourself,’ saidDanny, finally.

‘You too.’

‘Head down.’

Tom hopped up into the truck.Moments later it was on its way to the train station and then it would be ashort stop to war. Danny wanted desperately to be alone. The public nature ofthe farewell was not what he wanted. There was so much more he had wanted to saybut realised, given the opportunity, he wouldn’t have said it. Nor would Tom.It wasn’t necessary. He felt a pat on the back and then another. Bob looked athim with sympathy as did Arthur and Carruthers.

‘Don’t worry, Danny. Tom will allright. Just you see,’ said Bob.

Danny nodded and turned towatch the truck drive away into the distance and then it was out of sight. Heturned and walked back towards the barracks to collect his bag and the rest ofhis gear. The truck taking the recruits to the Tidworth garrison was makingready.

 7

Tidworth Army Barracks,Wiltshire, March 1941

The truck reached the crest ofa hill giving Danny his first view of Tidworth. The valley below seemed to bedotted by dozens of large daisies lined up in neat rows. As the truck nearedthe camp, he saw they were medium-sized tents. This was to be his home for thenext six weeks. The village hove into view, but it was dwarfed in size by thearea taken up by the garrison.

‘Bloody hell,’ complainedArthur. ‘Don’t tell me we’re roughing it.’

‘Looks like it,’ said Bobglumly. The barracks at Caterham now seemed like a luxury hotel in comparisonto the garrison they were approaching.

‘Do you think there’s even aNAAFI?’ asked Bob.

‘Can’t afford to eat thereanyway,’ replied Arthur.

They passed one young lady on abike who smiled and waved at the truck.

‘Not so bad really,’ said Bob.

‘Yeah, could get used to it Isuppose,’ agreed Arthur. Danny grinned at the two of them and rolled his eyes.

The sign outside the camp read:Royal Tank Regiment (RTR), Tidworth. The truck rolled past the sign and acorporal standing guard at the gates, into the camp and the twenty recruitsdebouched from the back of the truck. Danny looked up at the clear blue sky andthe shining sun. He felt both excited at what lay ahead but also apprehensive. He missed having Tomaround. His ready grin made him a reassuring presence and not just for Danny,either. His manner was more passive than Danny’s, but he was well-liked by all.

‘What do you reckon then,Danny-boy?’

‘We’ll soon find out, Arthur.Tell you what. Although, I’ve never been here before...’

‘You’ve never been anywhere,yokel,’ said Arthur quick as a flash.

‘It’s like Little Gloston,’said Bob, finishing Danny’s thought. ‘I know what you’re thinking.’

Around them the silence of thegarrison was broken only by orders being barked in the distance and the soundof birds singing. Arthur mimicked shooting one of the birds.

‘You’re evil, you know that?’said Danny grinning.

‘No, just a city boy who likeshis sleep. I suspect we won’t get any more of it here than at the other hotel.’

A sergeant came over to thegroup and they instinctively formed themselves into ranks.‘

Well done boys,’ said thesergeant sardonically. ‘Let’s see how sharp you are after a ten-mile routemarch. Right turn, and quick march.’

The group jogged over to a largewooden hut where they were registered and assigned tents. The registrationprocess did not last long and after depositing their belongings, they were backon the parade ground. The sergeant tried his best to sound mean-spirited butafter O’Dowd who, to Danny and his friends, seemed a genuinely nasty piece ofwork, this man came across as the very incarnation of nonchalance.

The initial inspection came offwith no casualties. The sergeant, whose name was Sykes, resumed his ‘pep’ talk.It was a beautiful September day and the heat of the afternoon was having itsimpact on him. Sweat poured off his forehead, as it did for all of them.

‘I don’t know what kind ofsummer camp you’ve just come from, but this is the army now and there’ll be nomore shirking. Reveille is at six am, and I‘ll have you drilling and polishinguntil lights out.’

Sykes continued mining asimilar furrow for another few minutes before realising, in the warm sun, hisheart wasn’t in it. Nor were the hearts of the soldiers, if their boredexpressions were anything to go by. He decided to make an ordered retreat.

‘Any questions?’

‘Sergeant Sykes, sir,’ calledout Danny immediately.

Sykes looked at Danny and said,‘Name?’

‘Shaw, Sergeant Sykes.’

‘Proceed.’

‘Can we see a tank?’

This struck Sykes as areasonable question given the fact that they were a tank regiment. It alsostruck him how rarely new recruits ever asked. However, in the past there hadbeen no tanks with which to practice. Since last August, there had been aninflux of several A9s and A13s.The RTR had, if not an embarrassment of riches,then at least a good few tanks to give the new