Photos in the Attic by Donna Fiechtner

Author:Donna Fiechtner
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Big Sky Publishing
Published: 2022-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

Dark Room

‘A darkroom is needed to process film. It is completely dark because photographic material is light-sensitive.’

The Germans have captured Villers Bretonneux. Their confidence is high. Their next step is Amiens. At this stage, a German victory is in the air. As part of the British forces, the Australians surround VB (as they lovingly called it) on the night of the 24 April with a plan to attack on the morning of the 25 April.

The 25 April worked for the Australians at the beginning of this war, so why not try it again?

Early in the morning, through the darkness of dawn approaching, Bill is running along the flat landscape towards the village. It’s the kind of day when the air is chilly and as you breathe, clouds of mist come from your mouth. Feeling your hands and fingers is almost impossible.

The dark sky is covered with cloud. There is thunder in the distance and lightening striking the ground. The rain falls and makes the dirt into mud very quickly. Shells fall and explode, spreading dust and dirt all over the landscape.

Bill reaches the trench where Jimmy and thousands of other soldiers waiting for their orders to move forward. This is not a pleasant place to be. ‘This is absolute shit,’ he states. ‘How can we fight in this?’

Sergeant Ryan asks his men, ‘Are you ready, boys? We’re sending tanks in this time. We MUST take the German line. There is no other choice.’

Tanks from both sides struggle in the mud, blasting their canons at each other. Sergeant Ryan turns to Bill and Jimmy. ‘You boys take the closest machine gunner, if you can. It’s a big ask, but I believe in you.’

‘No worries, sir,’ replies Bill. He and Jimmy charge towards the German line, along with hundreds of other Australian soldiers. They are immediately met with German resistance in the form of return fire, grenades, and explosions of various sorts.

Bill and Jimmy duck behind a British tank. They look around and see their target – a German gunner firing away like a mad man. Suddenly, a British tank is taken out by a grenade. The explosion blows both of them to the ground. They gather their composure and look at each other. There is so much more to do.

‘Piece of piss. Remember: Silhouette, Shadow, Movement,’ says Jimmy.

‘Piece of piss, Weeyal. That’s right: Silhouette, Shadow, Movement,’ agrees Bill.

‘Ready. One, two, three. Let’s go!’ instructs Jimmy.

The tank is hit by a mortar shell and explodes. Bill and Jimmy escape and dive in another direction away from the shrapnel. The Germans are out of their trench and charging, tossing grenades at everything British. Bill points to a smouldering tank ahead and Jimmy nods. They both move low to the ground weaving and avoiding all other objects. Bill makes the burnt-out tank in minutes. Its dead pilot is hanging out of the top, burnt to a crisp.

‘You with me, mate?’ Bill asks Jimmy.

‘Right behind you as always. Got your back.’

Suddenly, Jimmy is kneeling with blood flowing out of his mouth, and his guts are spilling out onto the ground below.

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