Chapter 1
Off the line
I lifted my sleeping bag up off of me and walked out of my tent, I walked slowly to avoid waking up my fellow soldiers, and quickly found myself standing outside of the tent looking around. The treads of the German Leopards rolling past kicked up deep ruts in the dirt before being followed by our own Challengers and Warriors. It made me smile to see the whole idea of NATO in action, with British and German troops working side by side. I hadn't seen many other nationalities a few yanks here and there and a couple of French soldiers had shared a defensive line with us a few days back but now, in the beginnings of this winter, we all had our sectors to hold as the grinder continued.
"Johnson? Hey ya daft sod! Over here!" I looked round to see Sergeant Macintosh over by an emptied barrel he'd set a fire going in. I walked over to him as he pulled a cigarette packet out of his pocket, "Can I offer ya cigarette?" He asked me kindly. I shook my head, "Damn shame Johnson, it's my last pack, I'll be out of them by the end of today if the Red's have another go. Reminds me, one section's GPMG gunner got hit so they need a new one, so I've told the Lieutenant to transfer you over to them. Atkins will take over your post in our section; it's just for a few days whilst we wait on those replacements from home."
"Understood Sergeant." I replied. I wasn't one for conversing with Macintosh, he was a kind old soldier don't get me wrong there, but he had a way of just overdoing the" father figure" sometimes. In combat he was as staunch as one of my father's bulls, but off the field he would try to make sure we were all doing okay. Couple of the lads said he'd been in the Falklands with the Scot's Guard when they took Mount Tumbledown, but I have issues with that idea. The war's been hell since late September when the Russian's broke down the Berlin wall and pushed west. We held them after a few days, but we have been unable to counter attack and the Russians can no longer manage to break us in any major breakthrough. Germany is now a meat grinder and we're continuously trapped in offensive and defensive switches. The unit I'm now part of is a company of fellow soldiers left behind, separated or just lucky to survive our encounters with the Reds, with a majority coming from the same original company as Sergeant Macintosh, the rest of us have just folded in and followed the orders and come to be part of this unit. "Corporal Johnson? Still with me?" I started as I found that I had sat down next to the burning barrel Sergeant Macintosh was warming himself round. "Yeah, sorry Sergeant just lost myself in the memories." I managed to blurt out in response. Macintosh nodded in a fatherly way, as if he was saying that he understood but didn't want to press me further. "Anyway, there'll be a platoon briefing later today, LT's going to give the sections their orders. So be ready for that will you Corporal?"
"Yes Sergeant, any idea what time that'll be?" I asked rolling my sleeve up to look at my watch. Macintosh rolled his own sleeve up and inspected his, smiling as the pair of us looked at our watches, "Be around about 0930 hours lad. Make sure you got a pack of ammo and a supply of ration for three days, we'll be getting provided of course, but never sure what the Red's will roll at us, or command."
"Understood Sergeant, I'll see you then." With a final smile I turned and walked away again looking around at the vehicles that continued to roll in and the trucks that were now beginning to appear with the many wounded and the company of men who were being brought off the very line we were about to occupy. "How's the weather up there?" I shouted over to a couple of paratroopers as I watched them jump down from one of their trucks.
"Hot as hell mate, give us a hand here will you?" He gestured at the stretcher that the two of them were struggling to pull off the trucks bed. "Sure." I answered walking over to them and climbing up on top of the truck and grabbing hold of the handles there and sliding it forwards towards the others. "Thanks mate, we can take it from here." With that the two Para's walked off carrying their wounded friend between them. I jumped down off the truck into the mud and continued walking back to my tent before slowly lifting the flap up and moving in quietly to the gentle snores of my fellow soldiers. My bed roll was still a mess, my sleeping bag was still left in the disordered state I had left it in and my pack lay empty next to it. We were in a relaxation camp, so our superiors had stripped us of our weapons, but we were still ready for combat at a seconds notice... once we'd run to the armoury to get our weapons of course. I was heading there next after picking up my pack, I passed Sergeant Macintosh on his way into the tent and got a wink off him as he entered it and began to shout the others awake. "Well that's three section awake then." I turned to see Lieutenant James sat on top of a stack of ammo crates. "Sir." I saluted him.
"Now, now Corporal Johnson," James started returning my salute, "We may not be near the front, but we'll save the salutes for inside the tents if you don't mind. Sergeant Macintosh informs me he's moving you to one section. I hope you won't mind me doing this Corporal, but I need you to take over as one sections 2IC. Corporal Lee's wounds were more severe than it first seemed and he's been sent home, you're about the only man I have who's not only had enough combat experience to command, but is of sufficient rank. So go grab your GPMG from the armoury and head over to one sections tent, Sergeant Wilkinson will be expecting you. He's had his section up and ready for about a half hour now so his men have all got their kit together. Oh and rations for four days Corporal, One sections acting recon for the platoon this time so be ready to leave our lines for some recon action. Dismissed Corporal." With that James turned and walked away before I could answer him in any way at all.