Untitled Part 9

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by JuneMcarthur

by JuneMcarthur

Chapter Nine

The Final Push

Following our ordeal in the Alps we were given Barracks duties in Milan mainly training young recruits as they arrived, preparing for one last push through Europe. We settled in for the next three months, all was peaceful.

"O,Leary, Mackie, your orders have arrived, you will be flown to Northern France where you will join up with the 5th Regiment Marine Corps who are as we speak on their way from your Barracks at Lympstone, you leave tomorrow afternoon. These were the words of Captain Granger in charge of troop movement in Northern Italy.

We arrived in Le Havre one day before our new Regiment, it was November 1943, by now we expected to be knocking on the door of Berlin, bu no such luck. Letters from home told me that my Father had passed away following a short illness. On my last visit home I had suspected that all was not well but the subject never came up. In Le Havre we were once again aquainted with our old Commander Colonel Sam Pitcairn. The very sight of him told us that something big was about to happen and we had a good idea what that was. For the second time in as many months we were placed on instructor duty looking after the thousands of young men still being conscripted. This would take us to February 1944 when out of the blue Colonel Pitcairn granted 30 of our Regiment a three week leave due to the amount of time they had been abroad. This of course included Shamus and your's truly.

My Mother was not crying anymore, she had a Grandson to look after. Alice was still living with her parents but she had viewed a Tenement room and kitchen in the Partick-Hill area which we could have for ten pounds deposit and two pounds per month. The deal was quickly done and we moved in during the second week of my leave. Little Jimmy was now not so little and was almost walking albeit holding on to what ever furniture was nearest to hand. "I want another child" said Alice taking me by surprise, "We do not know what the future will bring so I think we should have at least one more" I agreed and we left no stone unturned in the weeks that followed, stood back and hoped for the best.

Once again the time passed to quickly and Shamus and myself were on our way back to France. We were ordered to Lympstone to join a convoy of Marines heading for Le Havre. Everything was moving fast, the Allies were amassing Troops on the now bombarded coastlines of Belgium and Holland, waiting for the command from London to move, and on the 9th April 1944 we set our sights on Berlin the invasion of Europe had begun. the fighting was intense with the R.A.F. leading the way clearing the ground for the Tank Regiments and then it was our turn as the ground forces moved in. There were many casualties, carnage was everywhere on both sides, but only one side was taking prisoners, the Allies. Over the next few months slowly bit by bit we fought our way through France and into Belgium our target being Brussels which had been a stronghold of the Germans since the early day's of the war. We moved towards Ghent which our Intel told us that around 5000 German soldiers bolstered by heavy artillery were dug in. The R.A.F. had made no inroads into this area due to the German Luftwaffe based in nearby Brussels. We soon found ourselves embroiled in a First World War situation, encamped in trenches unable to see the enemy across a 200 yard expanse of No Man's Land.

Shamus was ordered to select a team and under cover of darkness take out as many Machine-gun emplacements as possible. Around midnight 15 of us made our way crawling on our bellies towards the German trenches. Our orders were , don't take any action until Sargent O,Leary gave the order. It had taken 30 minutes to cover the ground, taking us to within 40 yards of enemy lines and with a clear view of their guns. All of a sudden one of the Marines crawling behind Shamus and myself thought he saw a German guard watching us and opened fire. We were now in a do, or die,situation, we all returned fire and began to retreat. I was running backwards but in heavy ground, getting nowhere when ten feet from me Shamus collapsed. I shouted to the men to keep moving and instinctively ran towards my friend. Bullets were coming from every direction, I through myself on top of him and huddled down. He had been shot in the chest and was unconscious. My medical training told me to stem the blood, taking off my helmet I had a cloth cap underneath to catch the sweat, I pressed it hard against his wound, in my mind I could see us both dead or back inside a Prison Camp but the firing behind me calmed down and from the Allied lines came heavy fire landing very close to where we were lying.

I shouted to him, "come on Shamus open your eyes, for fuck sake open your eyes" but there was no response. "Out of the corner of my eye I saw movement, it was two Medics. There was no time for examinations, they put a small blanket under both of his arms coming out above his head and began dragging him back towards our own lines stopping every 30 to 40 yards and lying flat on our faces as much for a rest as our safety. We eventually reached the trench and they began working on my big Irish mate as he was being carried on a stretcher towards the Medical tent. I was walking alongside, all I kept saying was open your eyes, open your eyes, when out of nowhere I felt an arm around my shoulder, It was Captain Rawlins. "Come on Mackie let them do their job" he said, "I don't know Sargent O,Leary personally but from the stories I have heard he has been to hell and back, believe my he will survive this. Now you come with me"

We made our way to his tent where he produced a bottle of 12 year old Chivas Regal Malt Whiskey, "now get that down"he said pouring a large one, "and then try to get some sleep, you can visit your friend in the morning"

At 6 am after not closing my eyes for 4 hours I made my way to the Medical Tent. Walking in I was fearing the worst after all Shamus did not look to good on that stretcher. There were around 50 or so beds in the tent but none of them contained Shamus O,Leary, I began to well up as panic set in. "Where is Sargent O,Leary? I asked a young Medic standing next to me.

"I have no Idea" he replied, "I have just arrived for the morning shift, but I can make inquiries"

But as he spoke out of the corner of my eye I noticed one of the Medics who had come to our aid. "Excuse me, Shamus O,Leary where is he? I asked.

"Ah Corporal Mackie I presume" said the young Medic, "Your friend has been taken by plane to Paris where a team of surgeons were placed on standby to operate immediately. He is at this moment in a very critical condition, I would say with a 20 % chance of survival, not much I admit but a chance just the same.

"Did he regain consciousness? I asked.

"No, I am afraid not" was his reply.

In the day's and weeks that passed I tried every way I could to find out what happened to Shamus, but it was a time of chaos and no news came. I did find out however that Alice was indeed pregnant, our scheme had worked.

Weeks turned to months, we were now entering Germany and the Reich's day's were numbered.

On the 8 th of May 1945 hostilities and the German Army surrendered. Hitler we were told along with his girl friend Eva Bronn committed suicide. Now all the conversations related to going home, when out of the blue I was drafted along with 44 other Marines on to a Convoy heading into Poland to help with the repatriation of their Capital Warsaw. It would be six weeks later before I would return home, travelling by rail through Czechoslovakia, Austria and France to the Port of Calais where crossings were still being held up due to Mine-Sweepers clearing the English Chanel. Six day's we waited for a three hour crossing but eventually landing in Dover where we boarded a Train bound for London's Kings Cross Station arriving at 11-30 in the evening. We were met by Captain Rogers who had journeyed from Lympstone to collect us. There were no flags, no music and no fanfare. The Station was empty apart from some late night revelers. As we approached the Cafeteria the doors were being locked by a small middle aged woman.

"We are closed" she said indignantly.

"Well open up again" said a less than pleased Captain Rogers.

"Come back at 7am" she snapped.

"They faught for you in the war you stupid"

"Captain, Captain"I said stepping in front of him, "don't wast your breath, we will bed down for the night our train leaves at 6am for Exeter, just forget it"

By lunchtime the following day we were being de mobbed at Lympstone. I once again inquired about Shamus, but no one would tell me anything. It all seemed really strange but for now it was home and my extended family. I had a little girl.