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comments from the
farmer that his prize Jersey herd is eating it and that yew
is poisonous to cattle.
A battalion exercise is arranged. We are to represent paratroops
dropped at Hobshole Spinney with orders to attack and hold
Aldridge. We get through easily by infiltration and hold
the position until "Stand down", losing some men
in the counter attacks. We have quite a party when a neighbouring
company, brought up to reinforce the defence, march to within
30 yards of our strongly held island in column of threes.
More general training on rifle, bayonet, 36 M.,
B.A.R., Lewis and Bren, Molotof, Tommy-gun, S.I.P., dealing
with German incendiaries, dannert wiring, test mobilisation,
route marches, field works and gas, but with emphasis now
moved to battlecraft, platoon in attack, and patrols. We
take part in a Battalion night exercise as paratroops again,
attacking the Company H.Q. at "The Boot Inn",
after approach marches by map and compass of varying distances
of two to four miles. We work to a well-defined plan and,
with the exception of one section which contrary to orders
started a private war and were promptly scuppered, get through
to the objective unopposed, and at zero hour make a sudden
surprise attack on the H.Q. with Mills and fire bombs after
covering all exits with rifle and L.M.G. fire. A complete
wipe-out of the unfortunate company who were working under
the disadvantage of having, without prior warning, to mobilize
their men from the local pubs shortly before 10 o'clock
on a Saturday night! Counter attacks continue for three
hours, and plenty of fifth-column activity, but we manage
to hold commanding positions until stand down. We learned
a lot and taught a lot that night.
We concentrate, temporarily, on the platoon
in attack and achieve, as we think, a fairly good standard.
We are asked by the C.O. to take part in a Zone competition,
and duly make our attack over a mile of Sutton Park in a
mid-June blistering heat. Movement, timing and synchronisation
of a final pincers movement are excellent, but we lose in
the first round due to a poor recce. One of our members,
a sixty-year old, almost prostrate with the heat and unable
to keep up, falls well behind his swiftly moving section,
but replies to the umpire's query about his role that he
is the rearguard of the section and gains a few marks for
the platoon. This attack remains in our memory as the day
on which Russia is invaded. We are no longer alone.
We acquire, privately, tin hats. The steel
helmet is given by an old member, and we purchase liners,
chin straps, etc. from platoon funds. Our Platoon Sergeant
spray-paints the assembly at his garage. Another member
provides camouflage nets. After going to a lot of trouble
we find that an official issue is to be made immediately.
The Battalion Commander comes back from
a course convinced on the effectiveness of well-laid ambushes
and asks the
(......continues.....)
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