Atlantic Fury Read Free Page A

paratrooping and didn’t complete the course.’
    â€˜Funked his jumps?’
    â€˜Something like that. He was posted to BAOR.’
    â€˜All right then. Get on to AG6. Have them post somebody up there temporarily just to hold Simon’s hand – an older man with practical experience. The AGG ought to be able to rake up somebody to fill in for a few weeks. Anything else on your mind?’
    â€˜Only the timing. The operation had been planned on the basis of completing by the end of the month, but nobody can possibly guarantee that. Fortunately we’d agreed to Standing’s idea of cutting the size of the wintering unit and maintaining contact by helicopter. As a result one of the huts had already been dismantled. Nevertheless, I must emphasise that the maintenance of a planning schedule as tight as this depends entirely on the continuance of the present fine weather.’
    â€˜Of course. That’s understood. Service Corps have already made it clear that they’re not taking any chances with their landing craft. And rightly.’ He turned to Matthieson. ‘That satisfy you?’
    Matthieson hesitated. He was well aware of the dangers. He told me he had tried to visit Laerg twice and each time had been turned back by bad weather. He had held his present post for almost two years and he knew the difficulties that must arise if conditions deteriorated and the operation became a protracted one. But this was only the second interview he had had with the DRA since the General’s appointment. Doubtless he felt it wasn’t the moment to voice his misgivings. My impression is that he decided to play his luck. At any rate, all he apparently said was, ‘Captain Pinney, the present Detachment Commander, is pretty experienced; so is the skipper of one of the landing craft – the other was a replacement halfway through the season. Still, I think the whole thing should go off quite smoothly.’ However, to cover himself, he added, ‘But Laerg can be the devil if it blows up and we’re getting on towards winter in the north.’
    The DRA nodded. ‘Well that settles it then. We pray for fine weather and get on with the job, eh? Signal them to go ahead with the operation right away.’
    And so the decision was finally agreed. Matthieson sent off the necessary signal and the BGS phoned about the temporary attachment of an officer to assist Standing.
    He was immediately offered a Major George Braddock.
    The reason given by the AGG for recommending this particular officer was that he wanted to be posted to the Hebrides. Not only had Braddock written twice from Cyprus, where he commanded a battery, but a few days before he had sought a personal interview with the AGG to press the matter. He had then just arrived in London on leave.
    To the BGS it seemed the perfect answer to the problem. Braddock was about forty, his rank was right, and so was his record. He had an MC and two Mentions in Dispatches, awarded during the last war, as well as an excellent record during the Malayan trouble. Moreover, he was in England and immediately available. Locating him took a little time. His wife, who with her two children lived at Hertford, had apparently been separated from him for a number of years and did not know where he was. All she could say was that he liked fishing and usually went to Wales for his leave. He was eventually traced to a Country Club near Brecon. By then it was late at night and Braddock didn’t reach London until the following afternoon.
    That was Tuesday and as far as I can gather that was the day Ed Lane arrived in Lyons. I suppose almost every disaster requires something to trigger it off – a catalyst, as it were. A decision that calls for action involves men, and men cannot escape their own natures … their basic characters . In writing that I believe my brother was thinking of this Canadian businessman from Vancouver. Lane wasn’t, of course,