The Hit'em Back Raid
Chapter 4
Tully Pettigrew arrived at the prison camp along with four other men. The Germans had captured him as he pretended to scout their lines. He climbed out of the truck and walked meekly into the prison yard. The guards untied his hands and left him standing among the other POWs. He looked the camp over before approaching a soldier who had been watching him.
"My name is Tully Pettigrew. I need to speak with the highest ranking officer in this camp."
The POW stared at Tully in silence.
"Did you hear me?" Tully wondered if he had picked someone with mental problems to approach.
"I heard you." The man finally responded. "Wait here." The soldier walked away without a backward glance.
Tully watched him leave with a shake of his head. It was not exactly the reception he had expected. He leaned against the corner of one of the barracks and watched the other prisoners go about their normal routines. The other prisoners gave him curious looks as they passed, some nodding a greeting. Tully waited patiently for his summons to the commanders barracks. At last a different soldier came to get him.
"Follow me." The soldier walked away in the direction the first soldier had gone. Tully followed.
"Private Pettigrew is it?" Tully nodded. "I understand you want to talk to me. I am Major John Monroe." The major studied Tully as he stood in front of him. "What is it you want Private?"
Tully glanced around the room at all the soldiers watching the meeting. "Can you trust everyone here? I mean really trust them?" Tully watched the Majors' eyes narrow as he opened his mouth to answer. Then he closed it and gave Tully a measuring look. Finally he took a moment to consider the question. Tully liked that he didn't just blurt out an answer.
"I trust everyone here but you Private." The major finally answered with a smile. "Suppose you tell me what this is all about."
"Escape Sir." Tully let the answer sink in.
The majors' smile turned to a frown. He studied the young soldier before him. The lad seemed to be completely serious and didn't seem to be suffering from any wounds. There was an air of confidence about him that was hard to dismiss.
"Everyone wants to escape Private."
"Good." Tully smiled.
"It's not as easy as it sounds Private. Is there a reason why you think you need to escape on your first day here?"
The private smiled confidently. "I am going to escape Sir. Today, during the evening meal." Tully smiled at the officers stunned expression.
"Just like that?"
"Well Sir, I do have a little help on the way. I was wondering if you all want to come with me. We can't force anyone to come."
Again the major was stunned speechless as the private grinned broadly.
"What exactly are you saying?" The major waved the other men in the room to silence as they began to whisper among themselves.
"I've been sent in to tell you that there is prison break set for this evening. I am to give you a heads up so you can make plans for the takeover of this camp. Once we do that, Lt. Gil Hanley has orders from headquarters for you and your POWs." Tully waited as the major processed the information. The next question was one he had anticipated but had hoped not to hear.
"How do we know we can trust you? We don't have any idea who you are or where you came from. Do you know anyone in this camp? Anyone know you?'
Tully shook his head no to all the questions. "I'm not stationed around here usually. I don't guess anyone here would have any reason to know me. The only guys who might know me are on the outside. You'll just have to take my word for it."
The door opened behind Tully. The major nodded at whoever had entered but quickly returned his eyes to Tully.
"I don't know you Private. You're asking me to risk the lives of over five hundred men on a stranger that nobody knows." Tully was disappointed as the major started to turn away. He was preparing to argue when the man behind him spoke.
"I know him." At the sound of the voice Tully spun on his heel, smiling broadly in welcome.
"Sarge! We thought you were dead!"
Saunders smiled weakly. "Close Private but no cigar. Don't get me wrong, they tried." Saunders shrugged his shoulder gingerly. "One in the shoulder and one in the back. A doc patched me up and they sent me here." Saunders studied the man before him. "Don't tell me…you volunteered to get captured."
"Sure." Tully grinned happily. "Somebody had to tell the Major the plan."
"Why not Hitchcock?"
"He was busy planting the explosives. We have some pretty impressive fireworks planned for this evening. We get a front row seat."
"I don't mean to interrupt your little reunion, but do you know this man Sargent?"
"Yes Sir. Private Pettigrew is part of a commando team that has worked with my squad twice before. You can trust him Sir. If he's here then something is about to happen. It usually does when they show up."
"Did you hear the outrageous claims he's making?" A captain behind the major ask indignantly.
"If I were you Sir, I'd believe every word. The information we got on them before our first mission with them said that they have never failed to complete a mission. As far as I know, that record still stands. The assignments we helped them with seemed pretty improbable if not impossible, but we pulled them off." Saunders smiled at Tully.
"It sure is good to see you Sargent. And I know a bunch of guys who will be even happier." Tully turned to the major. "I can tell you what is going to happen tonight. You and your guys will be armed. You'll have to take the surviving Germans and capture the munitions building. We'll take out the barracks and the mess hall. That should account for most of the guards. You have headquarters and the guard towers. We'll have six men here in German uniforms. Five truck drivers and an officer. You'll need to alert your men Major. Don't shoot my friends." Tullys smile disappeared at the last statement. The Major saw the look in his eyes and took the warning to heart.
"Just let us know where they'll be and how to tell them from the Germans."
"Once the explosives go off our guys will put a bright blue band around their right arm. They'll be by the trucks handing out weapons and ammo. You might want to get them some help to speed things up."
The Major nodded.
"Sarge, you stay with me. The guys will be looking for me. They're looking for you too but were told not to get their hopes up. If they spot you right away they can get back to concentrating on their jobs."
Saunders eyed Tully expectantly. "My squad's out there?"
"You told us to ask for you guys whenever we work around here. If you didn't want to work with us you shouldn't have said that. Anyway, we did, they are, and they're going to be one happy bunch, believe me."
"Which ones are out there?"
"All of them."
"All?"
"All Sarge. Kirby, Littlejohn, and Sawyer were wounded when you got hit but they're all fine now. Lt. Hanley and Sgt. McConnell have been taking good care of them for you." Saunders nodded gratefully.
"So why don't we go over the plans from the beginning?" The Major nodded his approval and Tully started at the beginning and explained the entire plan, step by step. He explained how they had gotten the trucks through the German lines. He listed the weapons they were bringing, the plan to park them in front of the gates. He told them about the plan to hit the advancing Germans from behind as they began their new assault. He gave them every bit of information he possessed. By the time he was done, the Major and his officers had a plan in place. They started sending men to the other barracks to spread the word.
