Читать книгу The Other Side of the Trench - G. S. Willmott - Страница 6

Chapter 2

It was Passchendaele where three significant events happened to Harry. He and his good cobber, Bluey Cooper, volunteered to creep into no-man’s land and try to retrieve the wounded. The Krauts were shelling their defences relentlessly and it was not going to be easy. They crawled out with shells raining down all around them; the smoke haze made it difficult to see but they persevered.

Harry was crawling in the mud so thick that he crawled over a Digger without even seeing him until the soldier screamed when Harry put his knee into the young soldier’s chest. Harry was startled. He looked down only to see one of his cobbers from the platoon lying on his back with a severe chest wound.

‘No wonder he screamed.’ Bluey thought

‘Georgie, mate, are you OK?’

‘No I’m not, you bastard. You nearly finished me off.’ the young soldier whispered; his chest was making a strange gurgling sound.

‘I am sorry, mate, I just didn’t see you. Can you move at all?’

‘No I don’t think so.’

‘I am going to find a stretcher-bearer team, so don’t go any where alright?’

George just looked at Harry through glazed eyes.

Harry crawled off under constant shellfire. He cast his eyes around to see if he could see any medical teams but it was almost impossible through the dense smoke.

He was lucky to stumble across stretcher-bearer team, which had just decided the Digger they were going to take was too far-gone and they would have to leave him. The priority was for casualties that could be saved.

‘I have a soldier who I think can be saved, fellas. Would you have a look at him for me? He’s a cobber. There was urgency in Harry’s voice.

‘Every one of them is somebody’s cobber, mate, but OK where is he?’ ‘Follow me’

Harry crawled to where he left George, with the six-man team following in close pursuit.

‘Georgie, mate, I have got the boys here to load you up and take you back to the dressing station. They will fix you up. George can you hear me?’

It was too late. George Arthur Phillips aged 22 from Ballarat, Victoria, had died and was left in no-man’s land to be collected later when the battle finished. Chances are he would never be found.

Harry and Bluey rested in the trench for twenty minutes and then went out again. There were many more wounded to find and bring back.

‘Come on, mate, I can still hear the poor bastards moaning let’s try one more time’.

As they crawled out they came across a digger who was hurt very badly. They needed both of them to get him back when they noticed a German soldier whom they assumed, was dead, until he lifted his rifle and aimed it at them. Harry reacted instantly and thrust his bayonet into the German’s chest. He died instantly the blade penetrated his heart. Harry pulled off his dog tag and stuffed it in his pocket to hand in to the Red Cross for identification. He also took his wallet. He had just killed someone’s son; surely his family deserved the dog tag and personal papers. They got the soldier back to their trench and the medics took him.

Both Paddy and Harry were recommended for the Military Medal for bravery and gallantry in the field. They had rescued eight Diggers that day.

Harry sat down in the trench, utterly exhausted; he pulled out the dog tag and the dead soldier’s identification papers contained in a battered leather wallet. He was shocked when he read the name “ “Helmut Iffinger.” That was his Grandfather’s family name; a very unusual German name from the village of Neckargemünd, near Heidelberg. He could have just killed a relative, one of his own kin. ‘ Oh My God!’

The following day Harry and the whole 5th Battalion were ordered to attack the German defences again. They were all exhausted having been in battle for weeks contending with the constant rain, the mud, the rats and the shelling as well as the German bullets. Their officers told them that this was the last attack before the Canadians came to relieve them.

Harry decided he should write a quick letter to Emma:

My darling Emma,

I am about to go out there again but this time I know it will be the last time for a while they are going to relieve us and give the Canadians a go.

I am well and looking forward to some R&R especially a bath and wash my uniform. I don’t think you would like the look of me right now.

I really hope this war ends soon and we can all come home. I cannot wait to see you and hold you close again my darling.

I have to go they have given us the five-minute notice call.

I love you with all my heart.

Love

Harry

Harry, Bluey and the other Diggers heard the whistle and clambered over the top. It was hard going in the mud and the ground was pock- marked with shell craters. As usual the noise was deafening; just when Harry was looking for some cover, a German shell exploded and Harry was thrown into a crater. He lie there feeling the warm blood oozing from his wounds and then nothing. Harry awoke to Paddy slapping his face and yelling at him. Harry was still alive. Bluey carried him back to the Trench and the Medics took him immediately.