have ye got me back jimmy

Untitled Part 7

                                                                                   Chapter Seven

                                                                                 What's Going On

We travelled south through Czechoslovakia avoiding contact with hostile patrols. Having passed from the Polish Resistance to the Czech equivalent our guides spoke no English at all. Any negotiations were carried out using sign language and hand signals. Four days after leaving Poland we were at the Austrian border where we were told that in 48 hours we would be evacuated by a British Rescue Plane, but always to be ready as things could change. We were taken to a clearing in a forest where the smallest air-strip I had ever seen had been carved out amongst the trees, here we would wait.

Austria was a beautiful Country, high snow-capped mountains, rolling into valleys with fast flowing rivers, green fields of lush grass spread as far as the eye could see. It made me homesick for Scotland. On the third night we were rushed to a corner of the make-shift air-field where after an hour of complete silence a light appeared in the sky followed by the sound of engine propellers from what could only be a small aircraft. "When he lands you have three minutes to get on board or he will leave without you" said our Austrian comrade, "there are German gun emplacements nearby easily capable of bringing down a small aircraft such as this. Good luck"

As the plane landed the side doors were already opened, we had 40 yards to cover and get on-board. As usual Shamus waited till last resulting in him grabbing hold of my hand with his feet dangling three feet above the runway. He was way to heavy for me but luckily one of the R.A.F guys caught hold of his other hand and we were able to pull him on-board. We immediately came under fire with the small plane being struck from all sides. The pilot struggled to keep control as the plane swayed from side to side as if being held up by a string. 

"Open the doors" shouted Shamus.

"I can't do that "replied the Pilot.

"Open the fucking doors we must return fire" shouted Shamus for a second time, " my mate has a baby and he doesn't know what it is, now get these fucking doors opened we are going home" The side doors slid open and we began firing blindly into the black forest below. It had the effect we were looking for as the German gun fire slowed long enough for the pilot to gain enough height and we were on our way. Two hours later we landed  near a town called San Sebastian in Northern Spain on an air-strip not dissimilar to the one we had just left. From here after a short debriefing at which Corporal Shamus O,Leary spoke like a Regiment Commander, (he was loving every minute of it) we were flown over the Pyrenees to the Atlantic Ocean and on to our air-base at Exeter  and from there within an hour we entered the gates of Lympstone Marine Barracks and home.

We were met by Captain Manner's-Brown, himself only just returning from three months overseas. "At ease lads welcome back" he said, " I hear it has been an eventful year. You are now all officially on a one month leave, but first you will be checked by the camp doctor, it is just routine, and I will see you Sargent O,Leary and you Corporal Mackie in my office at 9-am in the morning. Now have a good night you know the way to the NaffI I presume, and by the way Mackie you have a son and all are well. congratulations.

"Did he say Sargent and Corporal? asked Shamus?

"Did he say I had a son? said I.

"Never mind all that" said Ed Brooking and John Gillan in tandem, "what about the brains of this outfit"

Two day's later Shamus and I were sitting drinking whiskey on the Penzance to Glasgow train. I had called Alice the night before to let her know I was OK and I was coming home. She told me that we had a six month old son and that she had named him James, knot knowing if I would make it back. I cried like a baby as we spoke. 

At the Central Station as before they were all there, my Mum still weeping, my Dad so proud and even more so as his eyes fixed on my Corporal stripe and my newly awarded Medal for gallantry. Alice was as beautiful as I remembered and cradled in her arms was wee Jimmy Mackie, crying but who cared. The next two weeks were the happiest I had ever been. We were living in a bedroom at Alice's parents house, Tommy and Karen Clark, they were great and It would seem from their home in the King's Park area , quite well to do. We lived like any other young couple but something was missing, and so on the 12th of January 1943 I kept my promise and Married the Mother of my child Alice Clark. We walked and talked every day of the future with any thoughts of War pushed to the backs of our minds.

Whenever we had the chance Shamus and I would meet up for a beer and a chat, consciously never mentioning returning to Lympstone although in our heads we knew it was getting closer.

On the 26th Jan we were once again in the Central Station. As we said goodbye I had no knowledge of the terminal disease of Asbestos's affecting my Father and that this would be our last goodbye.

We knew that the Allies were stepping up the pace for a prolonged assault on Europe, Which part we would play in this, we were about to find out.