With Paris in Allied hands it seems as though the war is almost over but when the Airborne Brigade fail to capture Arnhem then Tom and his Commandos become part of the force which is sent to capture Antwerp and the islands which guard the mouth of the Scheldt River. Based on the actual amphibious landing this fast moving novel shows the battles, the raids and the strategy which led to the capture of this vital port and helped to shorten the war.
This novel is based around the Commando attack on the island of Walcheren in 1944. It was known as the Cinderella Operation by those who survived it. They felt that they were not given the same resources as other major operations. They succeeded but it was a hard fought battle.
Excerpt
We walked to the barrier and moved it so that we could walk across. The bridge had a hump in the centre of it. That and darkness made the other side invisible. I watched as Bill slid silently towards the water. He slipped silently into the inky blackness. I held my Colt behind my back and my sap was in my left hand. Our rubber soled shoes did not make a sound as we approached the bridge. I had been right; it was medieval. It looked barely wide enough to take an ancient cart. We had reached the humped middle when a German voice asked us to halt or he would fire.
I replied in German, “Thank God we have found our lines. Hans and I have been wandering around the Tommies’ lines for days.” I kept walking.
“What?” It was curiosity which prompted the German’s question and not suspicion.
“We escaped from a Tommy transport. We have been walking for days. We are starving. Have you food?”
I saw that the two of them had rifles but our German had made them less suspicious and their barrels were pointed away from us. When we were ten yards from them I saw a shadow rise from behind them. I pulled my gun from behind my back and pointed it at them. “Drop your weapons. You are my prisoners.”
One of them, a corporal, began to raise his gun until Bill Hay rammed the barrel of his gun into the back of his head and hissed, in German, “You heard the Captain, drop the weapon.”
The two guns fell to the ground. “Take them and their guns over to the Green Howards. We will shift this barrier.”
“Come on my lads. For you the war is over.” He pushed them towards the bridge.
Beaumont and I picked up the barrier. The middle was barbed wire but the ends were made of wood to make removal easy. We threw it to the side and then I went to the small brazier and guard hut. This was more organized than the one on the allied side of the lines. They even had a flask of acorn coffee. Satisfied that there was no telephone connected to the farmhouse we returned to the others. I took the flask with me.
“Right Corporal. I suspect that Jerry will be none too pleased with the situation. When are you relieved?”
“The Sarge will be along in an hour sir.”
“Right.” I turned to the German Corporal, “You are now prisoners. If you try to escape you will be shot. You will be treated well.”
The Corporal nodded, “You are Kommandos?”
“Yes.”
“Then we are lucky to be alive! We will behave. We have both had enough of this war. This is not even our land! My father died not far from here in the Great War. That was a waste and this is too.”
I nodded, “You are a wise man.” I turned to the Corporal. “They should give you no bother but keep an eye on them eh?”
“You off over there sir?”
“We are indeed, Corporal.” I handed him the flask. “Here is some of their coffee. It will keep you warm eh?”
