THE COVENANTER
over were completed smoothly and we first empty vehicle that passed - a hooded
were informed that transport would arrive Jeep.
shortly to convey the party to the relevant While he held the vehicle, and gave orders
station. As far as I am able to recollect, there to the driver, I hurried upstairs, gathered the
was about one and one half hours to spare party, and with Kesselring in its midst, we
between Col. Potter taking his leave, and the bundled him down to the foyer.
time of train departure. However as minutes The Colonel had not been able to
passed without sign of any transport, commandeer any other passing vehicle, and
timing was becoming critical, and once now time was so critical that we decided we
again, anxieties arose about the efficiency must somehow accommodate two officers,
of the U.S. authorities arrangements. I was five men and our charge plus our kit in
despatched to the hotel entrance to ensure and on the jeep, and head for the station
at speed. Tim O’Reilly, the sergeant and
Kesselring crammed in the rear seat. Two of
the men were jammed into the front
passenger seat with our kit, while the two
remaining other ranks and myself were
draped on the outside, hanging on for grim
death, myself partially spread-eagled across
the bonnet. I shouted my thanks to the
helpful Colonel, as the jeep sped off to the
amazement of several passers by. I suppose
it was unreasonable to expect that our
journey to the station would not pass
without incident, even if one or other of the
‘outriders’ had not fallen off. However, we
were not allowed that privilege, since after
Kesselring reports to Adolf Hitler
about a mile, the sound of the siren a US.
(Field Marshal Rommel to his left)
Military Police car caused our by now
reluctant driver to pull to a halt. I must
admit that it was entirely reasonable for a
that when transport did arrive, there would police patrol to wonder what troops in
be no doubt in the driver’s mind about the strange foreign garb might be up to in the
importance of meeting the train on time. late evening, apparently enjoying a drunken
With only half an hour remaining before celebratory joy ride in the middle of
departure time, still there was no sign of Frankfurt? There followed what first must
any vehicles arriving, and desperation was have appeared to the patrolmen, a discussion
fast taking over. It was clear that some of pantomime proportions.... I cannot quote
immediate action was required - if necessary verbatim, but the gist went in this manner:
by commandeering ad hoc transport. This Patrolman:
might have been possible for a British ‘And what the hell do you think you’re doing
officer in the British sector, but attempting bud’
to requisition US. vehicles in the US. Driver:
sector without authority, was a totally ‘I am taking these men to the station to catch
different proposition. The foyer was busy the evening train’
with US. army officers coming and going, One could sense that this apparently fatuous
so I decided the only chance we might have statement was falling on stony ground.
of making the station on time was to break To the patrol officers it clearly had the
security, and seek the assistance of the highest resonance of a drunken idiot attempting to
ranking officer in sight. At the entrance, I make fruitless excuses after being caught red-
spotted an impressive looking Colonel, I handed. A look of deja vu passed between
guessed himself also awaiting the arrival of the policemen.
transport. Fortunately for me, and possibly Patrolman:
because he may have sensed my concern, ‘And why the hell do you have two men in the
he grasped the situation immediately, and passenger seat, three jammed together in the
accepted what must been an unlikely tale of back, plus three men hanging on outside’
woe. With a brief ‘Alright son, leave it to me’ Driver:
he dashed down the front steps of the hotel ‘I was ordered by some Colonel to take them
into the roadway, and signalled down the all’
16
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