THE COVENANTER
took out a Cross and two Chalices. He put without success. He asked the pilot to work
them on the top of the wooden box, the flaps and gave the thumbs up.
forming a sort of Altar. Putting his purple The plane was overloaded. Stretcher
scarf around his neck he commenced with cases two and three high around the sides,
the Service. We started singing a hymn, the with us, walking wounded sitting on the
only one singing in tune, the Padre, isolated floor in the gangway. It was a fine August
in the middle of the field with his Altar, day flying over the Isle of Wight. Those of
with the Cross, standing out as if in us who could see the wing kept a close eye
defiance to all that was going on around us. on it for most of the journey.
The Good Lord could not have been very Landing on the edge of a large airfield,
pleased (or it could have been the other with a last look at the bent wing, we were
one, the Devil), because the shelling was taken to the marquee tent by pleasant
getting too close for comfort, or Prayer. The WAAF’s. We were served a good roast meal
Padre made a quick sign of the Cross and on proper plates. We were then taken by
packed up his Altar. Without being told we train to Neath in Wales. To a small ward in
all made for the partial safety of our slit the work house. The old folks who lived
trenches. A short Service, but one to there did us proud, washing, darning and
remember. I can’t remember the hymn, but making sure that we had plenty of hot
it wasn’t ‘ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS’. water. Medical care was first class with local
We had a sanitary pit (for want of a better doctors and nurses. The Mayor and other
word). Perhaps fly pit would have been a local organisations came round the wards
better one. It had a box on top with a hole with everything we needed including soap,
cut in it. Only a problem if, in the middle of toothbrushes, writing ‘paper and many
a ‘session’ the mortaring started again. other things to help make life easier. The
A road about half a mile behind us drew front row in the local cinema was reserved
enemy fire because of the vehicles driving for us. The town people invited us to tea
too fast, sending up the dust. So a notice and concerts.
was put up. After treatment and some leave, it was
now back to reality, To Edinburgh to be
DUST MEANS SHELLS !!! passed fit. Then on to Banbridge in
One rifleman from our Platoon had to
Northern Ireland for two weeks infantry
serve as a sentry to force the vehicles to slow
training. More leave, taking with us all of
down at this point. It was my turn. A shell
our field marching order - plus a blanket.
landed up the road and I caught some
Now another long journey to come. The
shrapnel in my arm and shoulder. It turned
only difference was that I now knew what
out to be what was called a ‘Blighty’ wound.
was waiting for us at the other end.
Just enough to be evacuated back to
(to be continued)
England.
After rides in ambulances, through
dressing stations, we reached 106 British
Tom Gore - November 2005
General Hospital in large marquees just
Westminster
outside Bayeux. The best part - to be
sleeping in a proper bed, the first time for
months.
Three days later things hadn’t improved
so, to my surprise, I was marked down as
‘evacuate by air’. This did not go too
smoothly. Driven to a freshly laid airfield I
saw the Dakota transport plane parked in a
ditch for easier loading this meant that the
wing was lower to the ground. An
ambulance backing up to the door backed
into the wing, buckling the end of the port
wing. It had a few creases about six inches,
or so, apart.
Everything stopped. A mechanic arrived,
a Flight Sergeant. He climbed onto the
wing, jumped up and down three times,
tried to pull a bit of the buckled end off,
46
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