Post by Diarist on Jun 27, 2016 17:41:05 GMT 1
I met Bill Sowrey and explained the Plan B in case we have to abort the midnight jump on Thursday. We looked at the photos taken by his aircraft yesterday. There are vehicles clearly visible on Gare Hill where 2nd Infantry's Signal unit is NW of Maiden Bradley. There had also been no problem with their aircraft landing at the seven airfields. Some of the crew had been 'plane-spotting' and aircraft from six squadrons not normally stationed there have been identified. The missing two squadrons, (Red forces are entitled to eight), could be units already based at these airfields.
George, Harry and I joined the 70th Squadron's pilots for breakfast. Great people and all are highly motivated. They are helping enormously and are determined to contribute to the success of our mission. It is a far call from their usual transport mission in the Near East. I called forward HQ to inform them that we are flying to Old Sarum and should arrive at about 10:00.
The flight was uneventful. It was still dark when we took off at Duxford so we witnessed daybreak while climbing to our cruising height. 90 minutes later we landed at Old Sarum and surprise, surprise there was no transportation. We were early which gave us time to talk to Sqn Ldr Robert P Musgrave-Whitham, the commander of 16th Squadron. They are equipped with Hawker Audax army cooperation aircraft and can carry two 112 lb supply containers beneath their wings or four small bombs. The 16th and the 4th RAF Squadron, also with Hawker Audax, are the other two squadrons which Blue forces are entitled to.
Our transportation finally arrived and we were driven to the forward HQ. We reported in to COL van Voorhis and he was not in a good mood. He was particularly upset about the majority of our troops arriving on the day before the exercise and most of them being deployed after dark. Then he jumped on me. "Why are you armed to the teeth, Carter?" I had my Thompson over my shoulder and two revolvers on my hips.
"Are you suggesting I should go into combat unarmed, Colonel?"
"Why are you armed now?"
"Because I won't be going to Colchester before our jump therefore I have my parachute and weapons with me, Sir."
"Well it's against regulations, Carter,"
"Which regulations, Sir? I'm unaware of any such regulation and if you have a secure arms room here I'll gladly comply with this unknown regulation by depositing my weapons there. And as for your complaints about the troops arriving too late I disagree. Your command is the Blocking force and the units assigned to it, namely the 2nd Bn, Royal Tank Corps, the 2nd Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry and the 30th Field Artillery Regiment as well as the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment in reserve, are all fully deployed. The HQ is in place, and if I may add, it is only missing its commander. As for the other two brigades I have every confidence in colonels Patton and Crerar and their ability to deploy their assigned forces under cover of darkness. They have the necessary experience which they gained in Italy last month and that was a real conflict under fire, not an exercise, Sir."
"Are you finished?"
"Yes, Sir. Can we now get down to business? Does the deployment officer have any further questions pertaining to our conversation yesterday? If, so colonels Patton and Crerar are here to answer any questions."
"I have further questions, Major."
"Are you aware of this document which was sent here last week?" I gave him a copy of the orders dissolving this forward HQ at midnight on Friday and re-assigning COL van Voorhis as commander of the Blocking force.
"Yes I have received it."
"Then if you have no questions pertaining to the Blocking force the deployment officer is responsible for the movement plans of the Heavy and Light Brigades, Sir. I need to talk to Irvine Miller. Do you know his whereabouts."
"You can try the map room or the restaurant."
"Thank you, Colonel. Excuse me." I can be quite obdurate when necessary.
I found Irvine in the restaurant and showed him the two letters. "Congratulations, the Gestapo believe you are dead. I'm not sure about Canaris. There is no message between the lines, or I can't see one."
"What should I say?"
"You are now free of all that Nazi bullshit, Irvine Miller. I've already informed Lucy that under no circumstances she contact anybody she knew as Lucie Rommel. The same applies to you, my friend. Has Guderian ever met your family?"
"No, Heinz and I first met just before arriving in London in August."
"Does Frau Canaris know you or your family?"
"Also, No."
"Good because they have been invited to my wedding party next month, that means you and the family can be invited too without any danger."
"The house is fantastic. How much did it cost?"
"Almost £4,500 but it's a good deal. It will increase in value over the years. It's a property you don't sell. If you are stationed somewhere else then rent it out and use the rent to buy a second house. There is also adjacent farmland which can be leased if you want to retire as a farmer."
"Thanks, Bob. I'm very grateful for what you have done."
"Now it's repayment time. Here are your new orders. General Gort got this approved yesterday. You are now a brevet lieutenant-colonel. That means you have the rank of a LTC but you receive the pay of a Major. You have one foot in the door to being a colonel. You also have a command. Let's go to the map room. Here's your new tunic. You outrank me now, Sir."
George was already there and I introduced LTC Miller who commands his infiltration battlegroup. We told him that his mission is to neutralize the 5th Brigade's HQ then after the counter-battery fire capture the howitzers of the nearby artillery battalion. He'll have people in his BG that know use these guns and they are to fire on neighbouring battalions. He was given the coordinates. He'll be informed if the coordinates change.
"Bronisław Rakowski will be your deputy because he can translate for you. Alles klar?"
"Alles klar."
"Then, good hunting!"
"What's the name of the supply officer here?"
"CPT Johnson."
"Thanks. I'll see you at dinner this evening."
George, Harry and I joined the 70th Squadron's pilots for breakfast. Great people and all are highly motivated. They are helping enormously and are determined to contribute to the success of our mission. It is a far call from their usual transport mission in the Near East. I called forward HQ to inform them that we are flying to Old Sarum and should arrive at about 10:00.
The flight was uneventful. It was still dark when we took off at Duxford so we witnessed daybreak while climbing to our cruising height. 90 minutes later we landed at Old Sarum and surprise, surprise there was no transportation. We were early which gave us time to talk to Sqn Ldr Robert P Musgrave-Whitham, the commander of 16th Squadron. They are equipped with Hawker Audax army cooperation aircraft and can carry two 112 lb supply containers beneath their wings or four small bombs. The 16th and the 4th RAF Squadron, also with Hawker Audax, are the other two squadrons which Blue forces are entitled to.
Our transportation finally arrived and we were driven to the forward HQ. We reported in to COL van Voorhis and he was not in a good mood. He was particularly upset about the majority of our troops arriving on the day before the exercise and most of them being deployed after dark. Then he jumped on me. "Why are you armed to the teeth, Carter?" I had my Thompson over my shoulder and two revolvers on my hips.
"Are you suggesting I should go into combat unarmed, Colonel?"
"Why are you armed now?"
"Because I won't be going to Colchester before our jump therefore I have my parachute and weapons with me, Sir."
"Well it's against regulations, Carter,"
"Which regulations, Sir? I'm unaware of any such regulation and if you have a secure arms room here I'll gladly comply with this unknown regulation by depositing my weapons there. And as for your complaints about the troops arriving too late I disagree. Your command is the Blocking force and the units assigned to it, namely the 2nd Bn, Royal Tank Corps, the 2nd Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry and the 30th Field Artillery Regiment as well as the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment in reserve, are all fully deployed. The HQ is in place, and if I may add, it is only missing its commander. As for the other two brigades I have every confidence in colonels Patton and Crerar and their ability to deploy their assigned forces under cover of darkness. They have the necessary experience which they gained in Italy last month and that was a real conflict under fire, not an exercise, Sir."
"Are you finished?"
"Yes, Sir. Can we now get down to business? Does the deployment officer have any further questions pertaining to our conversation yesterday? If, so colonels Patton and Crerar are here to answer any questions."
"I have further questions, Major."
"Are you aware of this document which was sent here last week?" I gave him a copy of the orders dissolving this forward HQ at midnight on Friday and re-assigning COL van Voorhis as commander of the Blocking force.
"Yes I have received it."
"Then if you have no questions pertaining to the Blocking force the deployment officer is responsible for the movement plans of the Heavy and Light Brigades, Sir. I need to talk to Irvine Miller. Do you know his whereabouts."
"You can try the map room or the restaurant."
"Thank you, Colonel. Excuse me." I can be quite obdurate when necessary.
I found Irvine in the restaurant and showed him the two letters. "Congratulations, the Gestapo believe you are dead. I'm not sure about Canaris. There is no message between the lines, or I can't see one."
"What should I say?"
"You are now free of all that Nazi bullshit, Irvine Miller. I've already informed Lucy that under no circumstances she contact anybody she knew as Lucie Rommel. The same applies to you, my friend. Has Guderian ever met your family?"
"No, Heinz and I first met just before arriving in London in August."
"Does Frau Canaris know you or your family?"
"Also, No."
"Good because they have been invited to my wedding party next month, that means you and the family can be invited too without any danger."
"The house is fantastic. How much did it cost?"
"Almost £4,500 but it's a good deal. It will increase in value over the years. It's a property you don't sell. If you are stationed somewhere else then rent it out and use the rent to buy a second house. There is also adjacent farmland which can be leased if you want to retire as a farmer."
"Thanks, Bob. I'm very grateful for what you have done."
"Now it's repayment time. Here are your new orders. General Gort got this approved yesterday. You are now a brevet lieutenant-colonel. That means you have the rank of a LTC but you receive the pay of a Major. You have one foot in the door to being a colonel. You also have a command. Let's go to the map room. Here's your new tunic. You outrank me now, Sir."
George was already there and I introduced LTC Miller who commands his infiltration battlegroup. We told him that his mission is to neutralize the 5th Brigade's HQ then after the counter-battery fire capture the howitzers of the nearby artillery battalion. He'll have people in his BG that know use these guns and they are to fire on neighbouring battalions. He was given the coordinates. He'll be informed if the coordinates change.
"Bronisław Rakowski will be your deputy because he can translate for you. Alles klar?"
"Alles klar."
"Then, good hunting!"
"What's the name of the supply officer here?"
"CPT Johnson."
"Thanks. I'll see you at dinner this evening."