Crusader (A Novel of WWII Tank Warfare) by Jack Murray (important of reading books .TXT) 📗

Danny realised he wasn’t winding him up. Parents with mean sense ofhumour, thought Danny.

The second man, a sergeant, made straight for the driver’s seat.He was different from the sergeant Danny had spoken with earlier.

‘Gray,’ said the sergeant, starting the engine. ‘Who are you?’

Danny introduced himself and explained where he’d come from.Buller’s face registered surprise when he heard that Danny was from a tankregiment. He did not seem very pleased about having someone so inexperienced intheir team.

‘Have you handled this before?’ his voice betrayed his concern.

Danny registered the tone of Buller’s voice. It irritated him.

‘I got some practice yesterday with Brigadier Campbell down at theairfield.’

That stopped Buller in his tracks and a slow smile spread over thecorporal’s face. Before he could say anything else, the lieutenant jumped intothe passenger seat and turned around.

‘You’ve introduced yourself, I take it, Shaw.’

‘Yes, sir,’ replied Danny.

Another soldier joined Buller and Danny in the rear of the truck.Buller introduced him to Danny.

‘Fitz, this is Shaw. He’s a tank man,’ said Buller.

The new arrival was a little older than Danny. He grinned andsaid, ‘I’m Gerry Fitzgerald. Fitz is fine though. Welcome to the team.’

He was Irish but clearly from the south, unlike Craig who was anUlsterman. They were soon joined by a fourth man in the back, making it six intotal on the truck. Buller nodded to the new arrival.

‘Hullo, the sergeant told me to come here,’ said the new man. ‘I’mEvans.’ He was Welsh.

‘Bloody hell,’ retorted Buller, ‘we’re only missing a jock andwe’d have the whole of the British Isles represented, wouldn’t we, Fitz.’ He gavethe Irishman a nudge in the ribs.

‘You’re a funny man, Bully.’ Fitz didn’t seem too put out. It wasclear there was a more than a degree of badinage among the group.

‘Are you artillery or do we have another virgin?’ asked Buller.

‘I’m with the 60th,’ replied Evans. The smile wasartless, but his eyes had a hunted look. Perhaps they all did.

‘That’s a relief. So it’s just you, Shaw, that we have to trainup.’

The lieutenant gave the order to drive and the truck jerkedforward. Pail streaks of dawn were visible in the sky. The column moved outfrom the brigade headquarters and into the desert. At this point none of themen in the back had any idea where they were headed. Danny was too tired tocare. The truck bumped along the road as the sky grew lighter. As much as hewanted to close his eyes and sleep more, Danny felt he should use the time tofind out more about his new companions.

Fitz seemed to be the friendliest. Twenty-seven years of age, he’dleft Ireland to enlist.

‘I was a journalist on my local newspaper in Galway City. Neverliked it though. Hated my boss. He hated me.’

‘Is that why he fired you,’ interjected Buller.

Fitz laughed good naturedly.

‘To be fair I did give him a reason. One day when he was off worksick, just for a laugh, I printed a copy of the paper with an article makingall these libellous comments about the leading citizens in the town and theirwives. Anyway I sent the paper to his home. Wasn’t he in at the office tenminutes later rantin’ and ravin’? Of course, when he realised that I’d set thetype and printed only one copy he really went mad. Fired me on the spot. Endedup here.’

Danny and Evans erupted into laughter at the story. Buller, who’dprobably heard the story a hundred times smiled, too. Evans spoke next. He,along with Danny, was the youngest in the truck.

‘I’m like you, Fitz, I joined year before last. I was working in themines. Glad to get out really. Didn’t have any thoughts on where I should go.They sent me to join the artillery. I came here at the end of last year. Justin time to see the Eyeties off. I thought this is easy. Then Rommel came.Different story that was.’

Gunner John Buller was older than both Danny and Fitz. He’d beenin the army for four years. Buller had a hardness to his face that Dannyguessed had been there long before he set foot in North Africa. He suspected itwas not a topic for discussion. Buller didn’t waste much time on his time onthe army either even when prompted by Fitz to tell them of his escape fromDunkirk in a fishing boat.

‘I swam,’ said Buller in reply.

‘Nobody wanted you in their boat, you big lug,’ retorted Fitz immediately.

The big Liverpudlian grinned. It was clear that Fitz had earnedthe right to say what he wanted. Buller motioned with his head to the two menat the front.

‘The lieutenant’s new. His name is Blair. Don’t know him. Thesarge has been with me since France.’

Buller introduced the topic of his training. As there was nothingelse to do except sit in the back, Buller decided to give a quick introductionto the art of artillery warfare. He pointed to the dozen containers that wereloaded in the centre of the truck

‘These contain the shells. Eight in each. There’s also a couple ofreserve containers on the gun itself.’

Danny glanced over and saw the containers attached to the gun. Henodded to Buller to continue.

‘First things first, you’re sitting in my seat.’

Danny grinned and shrugged an apology.

‘I’m the gunner so I always sit on the driver’s side, rear. Yousay you were a loader?’

Danny nodded.

‘Fine, I’m sure Fitz won’t mind taking a break from that.’

Fitz held his hands up and nodded.

‘You sit opposite. you and I off load the gun. The first thing wedo is raise and lock the shield. Then we unlock the legs so that we can liftthe gun up at each side. This allows the lieutenant to remove the wheels. I sitin the gunner position and you load. Evans and Fitz bring the ammo over. Thelieutenant stays behind me and gives me directions. Done right, we should be inplace in thirty-five seconds. When we’ve a break, we’ll take you through it.’

Fitz grinned at Danny, ‘If Bully can do it, any idiot can.’

Buller made a great show of removing one of the two pound shellsand pretending to throw at Fitz.

‘Bugger would too,’ said Fitz