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Chapter 14

After a long a bumpy drive from Yorkshire down to the south of England, the troops of the 16th Division of the 1st Infantry weren’t in the best of spirits. The last thing any of them wanted was a night crossing to France. The port was in what looked like chaos, so many people milling around, it was a wonder anyone knew what they were doing. Alex thought about turning around and sneaking away, getting word to Juliet and the pair of them hiding out somewhere like Wales until the war was over. Who would notice apart from his friends? But the more he thought about it, the more he realised he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t let them go and fight whilst he hid like a coward; his conscience wouldn’t let him. He was terrified, he was against war, but he wasn’t going to be labelled a coward. Besides, he had no idea what would happen if he was caught and prosecuted for desertion, in the old days, deserters had been shot by a firing squad. He wondered if that still applied in the 1940’s. He didn’t want to take the chance of finding out.

“Where are we supposed to go? I can’t remember and it’s crazy here!” Nick exclaimed.

“Division?” queried a man in navy uniform.

“Sixteenth…E Company” Nick replied.

“Over there” the man pointed to where a queue of men was already gathering. “Good luck boys”

“Thanks” Howie replied.

In the chaos, the group of friends had lost sight of many of their division, including their Captain.

The ship was hardly the height of luxury, in fact there was nothing remotely comfortable about it, but with the nervous tension on board, it could’ve been a top of the range cruise ship and no one would’ve noticed. Everyone was just sitting around in subdued silence, fearing the unknown. If anyone managed a couple of hours sleep, they were in the minority.

The crossing seemed to be going smoothly, no sign of the Germans after they’d reached more than halfway across the English Channel. The Allies had learned their lesson well after a rehearsed invasion had ended with German U boats torpedoing their ships and killing hundreds of men. They were better prepared this time and hoped for more success.

“What do you think it’ll be like, y’know, when we get there?” asked Nick as he looked out into the darkness.

“I think it’s going to be how I imagine hell to be” replied Alex “it’s gonna be fucking awful”

“Do you think we’ll actually have to kill anyone?” asked Nick again, he was talking out of nervousness, he knew it.

“I think we’re gonna have to do a whole lot of things that aren’t in our nature” said Brian sadly.

Just then they heard an explosion in the distance. Had it been a bomb? Had one of their ships gone down? It brought home to them just how dangerous this was going to be and if they got off this ship alive, they’d have to keep their wits about them.

Word went around that it had in fact been one of their ships which had been bombed. Other ships in the vicinity had gone to the rescue to try and save as many people as possible. The RAF flew overhead and blew the German ship to smithereens. The rest of the crossing was one of unease. The men all praying that if they had to die, it be an instant death.

“I want to go home” one man began crying, rocking himself back and forth manically.

He wasn’t the only one.

Anyone who said they were feeling alright was a liar. There were men being sick all over the place, and possibly not just being sick.

AJ wished he’d run when he had the chance. He wished he’d hitched a ride back to Juliet and run off to some remote Welsh village. Firing squad might have been preferable to the unknown method of death which waited.

Howie didn’t want to think about what lay ahead. Anything but that. Instead he pictured the classroom full of happy children in the elementary school where he taught. He wondered if his - hopefully temporary - replacement was doing as good a job as he had.

Brian was wishing he was back on his family’s farm in Kentucky. Some farmers were excluded from the call up, but with more than enough capable farm hands working at the Littrell farm, Brian being the youngest and of age was considered eligible. He wished he’d set up on his own, started the dairy farm he’d been dreaming of owning since marrying a few years back. They wouldn’t have got him then.

And Nick…he closed his eyes and pictured home. He decided that if he survived this, he was going to go back to England for Elena and take her home with him.

~*~

In the early hours of the morning, Captain Cavill drilled the men once more before they landed on Omaha Beach, Normandy, Northern France. Before the men had even begun disembarking they were immediately under fire from the Germans who were guarding the area heavily.

Bullets were flying in every direction, men were being blown out of the water before they‘d even had a chance to step on French land, blood and guts everywhere turning the water crimson; it was a horrendous sight and one that no survivor would ever forget.

“Stay low, weave in and out, don’t stay on a straight course” shouted their captain, his voice full of authority. But before he had a chance to guide his troops any further, a German bullet tore a hole in his face, brain matter splattered behind him and he crumpled in a heap in the wet sand.

“Fuck” Nick cried out. He’d been just a couple of feet away from him. If could’ve been him…could still be him being gunned down.

The men tried to do as their captain had advised, moving as quickly as possible to get to safety. Adrenaline pumped through their veins, it was the only thing to keep them going.

“What the fuck is all this about? We don’t stand a chance do we?” said Alex shaking his head in despair when he reached shelter behind a huge rock further up the beach. The rock was a peculiar shape and was large enough to hide about six or seven men from the rain of bullets.

“Listen to me, with an attitude like that man, then no you won’t. You have to stay strong, stay positive and listen to me now” a voice with the ring of authority said from the side of him.

“And who the fuck are you?” asked Alex, not trusting a word anyone said. His captain was dead; god knows how many others were dead. The beach was strewn with dead and injured men, rivers of blood flowing down to the water or gathered in pools on the wet sand. It was sickening, truly gut wrenching.

“I’m Captain Kevin Richardson, 17th Division, the guy you’re gonna want to listen to from now on” the dark haired Captain replied with a smirk.

Chapter End Notes:

So gorgeous Captain Kev is finally with them, but are they all safe?  Thanks for reading :)