Phantom Major by Virginia Cowles

Author:Virginia Cowles
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub, mobi
Tags: HISTORY/Military/world War II
ISBN: 9780006122104
Publisher: Fontana Books
Published: 1970-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

Zirnheld reached the rendezvous safely after his battle at Berka main, and the three patrols returned to Siwa. On the way David managed to salvage his ‘blitz-wagon,’ which had been damaged by a mine, and towed it four hundred miles back to the oasis. At Siwa he found Jaquier, who had just returned from Barce, waiting for him; a few days later Lieutenant Jordan arrived and reported the disaster that had befallen his group.

It was too early yet for news of Berge and the Crete raid, T.P.M.F It was not until David reached Cairo that the telephone rang and George Jellicoe, Berge’s second-in-command, reported himself home.

Jellicoe was the son of the famous British admiral. A stocky young man with a bronzed skin and a mop of black curly hair, he was an amusing and enterprising companion. He put his courage down to benzedrine, which he took liberally. He had only joined the S.A.S. a month previously, in May, having transferred from the Special Boat Section. Although he had not completed his training he was sent with Berge for two reasons; first he spoke fluent French and second he knew Crete well.

The twenty-three year old Lord Jellicoe got on well with the quick-witted, temperamental Berge. They planned the operation together and decided to take with them a Greek guide by the name of Costi and three French privates, Mouhot, Sibert, and a boy by the name of Leostic who claimed to be eighteen but later proved to be only fourteen.

The patrol embarked in H.M. submarine Triton from Alexandria on 8th June. At the end of four days they were cruising just east of Heraklion airfield which lay near the coast. They made a periscope reconnaissance and selected a suitable beach. That night, about ten o’clock, the submarine surfaced and the S.A.S. party climbed into two captured rubber boats and paddled ashore. One of them leaked badly and the men had to bail it out with their caps. When the group reached shore Jellicoe weighted the boats, swam out and sank them.

The group walked through the mountains all night. Once or twice they encountered Cretan peasants who shook their confidence by greeting them in English. By dawn they had only covered half the distance they had estimated, and were still eight or nine miles from the airfield. They found a cave in which to hide, and the Greek and the French privates at once fell asleep. But George had prevailed upon Berge to take some benzedrine and the two men sat shivering, wide awake, in the entrance of the cave.

The day wore away slowly. At last the sun began to drop behind the mountains. Each man checked his equipment, slung his sack over his back, and one by one emerged from the hiding-place. All night they walked. The mountain climbing was arduous, and time and again someone fell with a smothered curse. It was not quite three o’clock when they reached the outskirts of the airfield. Berge decided it was best to attack immediately, lest something upset the element of surprise.

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