Churchill's Folly by Rogers Anthony; Jellicoe Lord;

Author:Rogers, Anthony; Jellicoe, Lord;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The History Press

Although not mentioned by name, the company referred to can only have been ‘C’ Company of the Faughs. According to Tilney, at about midnight, Fortress Headquarters received word that the platoon on the eastern escarpment of Appetici (evidently 15 Platoon of ‘C’ Company) was hard-pressed by enemy attacks up the eastern escarpment and required reinforcements. After a second request, the brigadier ordered Lieutenant Colonel French to deploy the remainder of ‘C’ Company and to send another platoon to aid in the defence of Pandeli castle.43 However, the move of the platoons to Appetici was apparently countermanded in a message from Fortress Headquarters without Tilney’s knowledge and it was not until 4.00 a.m. on the 13th that they finally moved out.

Lieutenant Johnson provides a different version of events: On returning to Meraviglia, 13 Platoon had been re-supplied and provided with a hot meal. After waiting in vain for further orders, the men settled down to sleep. During the night, Johnson was woken and instructed to make his way to a prearranged rendezvous on a track used by troops moving towards Platanos and Appetici. He was joined by Second Lieutenant G.M. Riordan, OC 14 Platoon:

Sergeant Major Conners suddenly appeared to say that 15 Platoon had already gone back to Appetici and that we, that is 13 and 14 Platoons, were to wait at our present RV for the Company Commander. How it was that the CSM came to give us such an order remains a mystery. It was wrong anyway and he must have known at that stage that Ben Barrington was either already back on Appetici with 15 Platoon or was perhaps en route for that destination even as he spoke. We waited in vain for about one hour. This uncertain grip worried me and I was beginning to realise that I was on my own in this battle. I contacted Battalion HQ by line from Stony Force [an outpost some 500 yards above ‘C’ Company’s defensive position]. When I spoke to Maurice French he told me to join up with 15 Platoon on Appetici. This we duly did after a hard slog across the valley and up the rocky face once again.44

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