with his actions.
Dermot put on his glasses,
“Ah, an Army regimental tattoo. How delightful.”
Steve interrupted,
“He’s been telling lies all along. Reserved occupation he said. He’s on the run just as I suspected!”
Harry became less tense and relaxed into the chair.
“I think we should hear what he has to say first,”
said Darlath, trying to offer some help to Harry.
“Bloody waste of time that’ll be!” Steve shouted.
Dermot calmly spoke next.
“Harry, I believe you need now to tell us the truth about your background.”
Tommy joined in,
“Come on Harry, be open with us.”
Harry looked at Dermot,
“But first get these jerks to let go of me.”
Dermot nodded to his two men to release their grip. He then turned to face Harry.
“You see, Andrew recommended you to us, but we need to validate your story. At the moment there is conflicting information which is of concern to me. You’re a bit of a mystery man. Now you must tell all. Remember you’re in no position to lie any more are you? ”
Harry sat forward,
“Look, I couldn’t explain everything until I knew that I could trust you . Yes I’m on the run from the Army and yes I told lies about the reserved occupation, but I’m here aren’t I. I need to sort myself out, get a job and then, maybe later I’ll return to the Services before they find me. I can’t stay on the run forever.”
Darlath intervened again,
“When and why did you do a bunk from the Army?”
The others listened. There was a long pause as Harry sat back in the chair and recalled the nightmare of battle. He spoke quietly,
“It was after Dunkirk, when I got back to England. You see for five days me with two of my best pals were trying to get to the beaches to be rescued. We had no food and no ammunition. Our unit was told to hold back and defend the village of Veurne in Belgium to delay the German advance. Their troops initially ignored us by diverting to the East before turning back onto our positions and destroying most of our men and weapons. Our only chance was to breakout and head to the beaches. We received a signal to get to Dunkirk in whatever way we could. We kept off the roads and scrambled through the forests, all the time we could hear them, the Germans; the engine noises of the tanks, the smell of their exhausts nearby; the noise of aircraft flying low overhead.; the sounds of our lads being shot at. They were all around us, but somehow we eventually made it.
After struggling to slip by the lines of Germans we finally got near to the ships, all the time being shelled and shot at. It was then that my mates were both killed. I scrambled on board a boat and blacked out. Somehow we got back to Folkestone. From there we were bundled onto a train for London. We were supposed to go on to an Army billet but I just kept walking. There was so much confusion that they probably thought I’d died as well so it was easy to disappear. The funny thing is I still do intend to go back; I will go back and face the music – but not just yet, another few months maybe.”
“Go on.” Dermot said quietly.
“You see, over there in France my whole world of friends I grew up with, went to football matches with, enjoyed a drink with and chased the girls with was snatched away from me. It would never be the same again. I felt as though I’d been ripped away from the story that had been planned for my life. That I’d planned for my life. There was to be no ‘happy ever afters.’ This was me alone and in shock I suppose. I just had to get away and clear my mind, clear the ache, clear the memory of those two guys, and all the others, whose bodies had been shattered and blown apart and…sorry, I‘ve said too much…I just …”
Dermot raised his fingers slightly,
“Its OK. lad, I understand.”
Harry took a deep breath,
“So you can see why I spun the story earlier, I had to have confidence that I could trust you as well you know.”
“Thank you
Dermot put on his glasses,
“Ah, an Army regimental tattoo. How delightful.”
Steve interrupted,
“He’s been telling lies all along. Reserved occupation he said. He’s on the run just as I suspected!”
Harry became less tense and relaxed into the chair.
“I think we should hear what he has to say first,”
said Darlath, trying to offer some help to Harry.
“Bloody waste of time that’ll be!” Steve shouted.
Dermot calmly spoke next.
“Harry, I believe you need now to tell us the truth about your background.”
Tommy joined in,
“Come on Harry, be open with us.”
Harry looked at Dermot,
“But first get these jerks to let go of me.”
Dermot nodded to his two men to release their grip. He then turned to face Harry.
“You see, Andrew recommended you to us, but we need to validate your story. At the moment there is conflicting information which is of concern to me. You’re a bit of a mystery man. Now you must tell all. Remember you’re in no position to lie any more are you? ”
Harry sat forward,
“Look, I couldn’t explain everything until I knew that I could trust you . Yes I’m on the run from the Army and yes I told lies about the reserved occupation, but I’m here aren’t I. I need to sort myself out, get a job and then, maybe later I’ll return to the Services before they find me. I can’t stay on the run forever.”
Darlath intervened again,
“When and why did you do a bunk from the Army?”
The others listened. There was a long pause as Harry sat back in the chair and recalled the nightmare of battle. He spoke quietly,
“It was after Dunkirk, when I got back to England. You see for five days me with two of my best pals were trying to get to the beaches to be rescued. We had no food and no ammunition. Our unit was told to hold back and defend the village of Veurne in Belgium to delay the German advance. Their troops initially ignored us by diverting to the East before turning back onto our positions and destroying most of our men and weapons. Our only chance was to breakout and head to the beaches. We received a signal to get to Dunkirk in whatever way we could. We kept off the roads and scrambled through the forests, all the time we could hear them, the Germans; the engine noises of the tanks, the smell of their exhausts nearby; the noise of aircraft flying low overhead.; the sounds of our lads being shot at. They were all around us, but somehow we eventually made it.
After struggling to slip by the lines of Germans we finally got near to the ships, all the time being shelled and shot at. It was then that my mates were both killed. I scrambled on board a boat and blacked out. Somehow we got back to Folkestone. From there we were bundled onto a train for London. We were supposed to go on to an Army billet but I just kept walking. There was so much confusion that they probably thought I’d died as well so it was easy to disappear. The funny thing is I still do intend to go back; I will go back and face the music – but not just yet, another few months maybe.”
“Go on.” Dermot said quietly.
“You see, over there in France my whole world of friends I grew up with, went to football matches with, enjoyed a drink with and chased the girls with was snatched away from me. It would never be the same again. I felt as though I’d been ripped away from the story that had been planned for my life. That I’d planned for my life. There was to be no ‘happy ever afters.’ This was me alone and in shock I suppose. I just had to get away and clear my mind, clear the ache, clear the memory of those two guys, and all the others, whose bodies had been shattered and blown apart and…sorry, I‘ve said too much…I just …”
Dermot raised his fingers slightly,
“Its OK. lad, I understand.”
Harry took a deep breath,
“So you can see why I spun the story earlier, I had to have confidence that I could trust you as well you know.”
“Thank you
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