have ye got me back jimmy

Untitled Part 2

                                                                                      Chapter two

                                                                                         Settling In

The Barracks at Aldershot were better then I had imagined. The food was good, the accommodation was acceptable, but the training was bloody hard. After having no exercise since leaving School three years previous apart from a kick around with the lads, this was a serious shock to the system. On the other hand Shamus reveled in it being macho, gung-ho and a little crazy this was right up his street. He was a big lad with no excess body weight, one Officer remarking that he could have been an Olympic Athlete. Shamus encouraged everyone around him seemingly recognising it as his duty to do so. On the other hand he was very out-spoken, I remember on one occasion the feared Staff Sargent Hooper striding into our Billet, I say striding as every step he took was at least five or six feet.

"At ease lads" he said striding up and down the full length of the room, "first thing in the morning the following men will move to different Billets, some for specialised training, some for further assessment. Lambert, Stark, Billings and Jones will report to Sargent Greg at G39, Tonner, Black, O,Leary" at this point Shamus stepped forward. "Have you got something to say soldier? asked Sargent Hooper.

"Yes I have Sargent" replied Shamus, "I request that Private Jimmy Mackie comes with me"

"And why is this? asked Hooper.

"He is my best friend" answered Shamus, "if he does not come with me I will leave this man's Army, I can run 100 yards in 11 seconds, your MP,s would be staring at the back of my head Sarge"

"Very admirable O,Leary" said the Sargent, "now may I continue. Mackie and Brooking you will join the aforementioned three, and report to P.Block in the North East of the Barracks for special training, does this meet with your requirements O,Leary?

"It does Sarge, it does"answered a now smiling Shamus O,Leary.

Special training was exactly what it said, we were being assessed for acceptance to the Marine Camp at Limpstone in Devon, and for the first time we were handling live ammunition. As well as the firing range we would sneak up on some supposedly unsuspecting German soldiers in a remote Farm house, killing some and taking other's prisoner. Sometimes we won, sometimes we lost, either way Shamus attacked these houses as if we were back playing soldiers at six years of age. I remember after six weeks of killing the same German Soldiers over and over again we were given permission to visit the nearby City of Exeter for a Friday night on the Ale. Smartened up for the first time in months, we thought we would look inconspicuous, sadly not the case, everywhere we went people were wary of us. The problem seemed to be that Marines from Limpstone had a bad reputation for fighting and so it seemed only a matter of time before something kicked of. 

"In the Masons Arms a group of young Farmers were having their monthly outing in Town, "Ah the famous Marines are here" said a voice from somewhere in the bar. "and one of them is an Irish Paddy, tell me how are the Peat Boggs these day,s.

"Don't get pulled into this" I said to Shamus, holding on to his Arm," we can go and have a drink somewhere else"

"Ah sure don't be botherin with these eejits" said Shamus, "Ill be stayin here, I like this wee bar"

We had another few drinks and all seemed fine until, "His mother was hoping for a boy, but no luck" shouted one of the farm boy's.

"Please let it go Shamus" I pleaded once again. But before I could finish my sentence he asked, "have ye got me back Jimmy?

"I have Shamus, I have" said I, as he flew across the void at his usual break-neck speed crashing his substantial head into the face of the largest guy in the room, followed quickly by myself, Tonner, Black and the well-built figure of Ed Brooking who himself was a 4th dan black belt in Judo. I don't remember how long it lasted only waking up in the Hospital facility in Limpstone, beaten and bruised with the frightening figure of Sargent Jock McGrain our training instructor staring down at me. There was no sympathy in the Marines and by 12 noon the same day we were on the legendary assault course which had destroyed many good men in much better shape than ourselves. In the month leading to our being posted abroad two things happened. Firstly, Shamus was promoted to Corporal O,Leary and secondly we were given a two week furlough to visit our families. Shamus was quietly proud of the stripe on his sleeve, even though he played it down saying that promotions to the lower ranks were only a way of creating bitches for more senior officers, and what better bitch than an illiterate Irishman.

As I stepped from the train at Glasgow Central Station my Mother and Father were there to meet me, my Mother still sobbing, as she had probably been for the past six months. My Father's face on the other hand was a picture of pure pride. "You look great son" he said giving me a bear hug. Glasgow men although having a reputation for being hard brawling bastards, are great huggers and have no hesitation in showing their emotions. Shamus was met by his older brother Patrick as his Mother was unwell. She always had been a sickly woman while his Father had been killed in an accident at work ten years previous. "Ill come around and get ye on Saturday and we'll go dancin Jimmy" he shouted as we left the Station.

Back at home in the Parkhead district of Glasgow my parents had all of the family crammed into our two bedroom Tenement Flat and there were many of them. I was treated like a local hero being the first lad to be called up from our street. My Father insisted that we go for a quick pint at his local, The Prince Charlie, in order to show me off in my uniform to his mates and on our return there was the inevitable party which went on into the wee small hours, it was good to be home.

Five o'clock on Saturday afternoon there was a knock on the door, it was himself Shamus O,Leary all dressed up and rarin to go. We were heading for the Barrowland Ballroom in the Gallowgate but first a visit to as many pubs as we could on the way there. Shamus was in great form this was his end of the City with its overly large Irish population and I think we met every one. In the queue to the Barrowland we got chatting to Alice and Violet two young females holding on to each other as if one of them was about to be kidnapped. We informed them that we each had a half bottle of Whiskey and were concerned about being searched at the door, without hesitation the girls pushed one each down the elastic of their knickers and walked straight in, they were regulars. Inside we had a great time all thoughts of War and what was to come were light years away, and then it was time to leave Shamus with Vie, me with Alice.

"Alice listen to me girl" said Shamus with a look I recognised, "this young soldier standing in front of you could be dead within a month as it is overseas for us now. Now it would please me and the Virgin Mary herself if you would be especially kind to this young man Jimmy Mackie and give him a good send off, and just to make it easier I have seen him in the shower and God has looked very kindly the boy has been blessed with" "All right Shamus enough"I said, "she will probably runaway" but Alice was going nowhere holding on to my hand with every passing second. In the two weeks that followed Alice and I spent many day's and nights together and although we both knew that we were smitten we decided to take it slow. The War being the obvious reason, we agreed that we would write to one another, although I could see a disbelief in her eyes.

It seemed like only one day had passed and we were once again in the Central Station heading up the platform to board our train to Exeter. As I hugged my ever crying Mother I noticed Alice standing outside of the Ticket barrier. I walked over and kissed her, "I will write, I promise" I said and walked away into the unknown. I caught up with Shamus and counted one, two, three.

"Have ye got me back Jimmy" he said.

"I have Shamus, I have" said I.