Tom Harsker and his section now operate out of Malta as they help to prepare the way for the invasion of Sicily. Sent first by boat and then by air they have to survive behind enemy lines before being sent in before the main force to attack the Axis forces at Salerno. A fast moving book which follows the actual events of 1943.
This book is about the invasions of Sicily and Italy.
Excerpt
As I turned to head back to the rendezvous, a piece of paper in the bottom of the nearest emplacement caught my eye. I grabbed it and stuffed it inside my battledress. I waved my two companions towards to the harbour. There were more buildings close to the fishing port. We had to move carefully and slowly. I was acutely aware of the passage of time but to rush would have risked discovery. Our rubber soled shoes saved us for we heard the sound of boots ahead. We ducked behind a wall. I prayed that the occupants of the small house would not emerge or we would be spotted. I did not raise my head as the patrol marched towards Red One. From their footsteps I estimated that there were five men in the patrol. Suddenly I heard a voice and it spoke German!
“Halt. Ten minutes rest only!”
They were less than twenty yards from us. We could not move. We would have to wait. I glanced at the fluorescent dial of my watch. ‘Lady Luck’ would be at the rendezvous in half an hour.
“Why do we have to guard this harbour? What is wrong with the lazy Italians?”
“Franz if you want a job doing properly then you give it to a German. The Italians are cannon fodder that is all. I have heard that their tanks have eight gears, three forward and five back!” They all laughed at the common perception of Italians. They surrendered too easily.
Another voice said, “The Fuhrer should do what he did to Austria in thirty six and annex it. Send the Italians to the eastern front.”
Just then the first voice we heard snapped, “Quiet! I can hear a boat. Quickly! To the beach!”
Their boots sounded inordinately loud on the stones. I took out my Colt and tapped the other two on the shoulders. I led them after the Germans. Thanks to our rubber soled shoes we were making no noise and we kept to the shadows. I could hear the E-Boat too. I had to hope that the German patrol would recognise the ship as an E-Boat and stop their search. Those hopes were dashed as I heard them shout, “Halt! Hands up!”
They had spotted some of our men. I was the only one with a silencer and I pointed to the daggers the other two carried. I saw the five Germans in a semi circle and George and his men had their hands up. Beyond them I could see, in the distance, the dark shape that was ‘Lady Luck’. Where was Sergeant Poulson?
The German sergeant shouted, in English, “Commandos! Gangsters! The Fuhrer has told us what to do with you!” I heard him slide his bolt back and his men copied him. We did not have long. My men all knew what was going to happen. I took aim and nodded. The sergeant might fire first but there would be a slight delay from the others. It is hard to shoot a man in cold blood. My Colt spat out and the sergeant pitched forward. The other Germans hesitated. Bill and Scouse had their hands around the necks of two others as another silenced Colt spat a bullet at a fourth. The fifth died when George Lowe rammed his dagger up into the throat of the last German.
“Pick up the bodies! We can’t leave them here. Hay, Fletcher, hide the signs of the blood.”
Sergeant Poulson and his patrol rose from their place of concealment. “Sergeant get the bodies to the boat. We will watch here until you come back for us.”
“Sir.”
George Lowe wiped his dagger on the body of a dead German before hefting it on to his shoulder, “Sorry sir.”
“Post mortems later. Get the bodies to the boat. Move!”
