for months, how about we find Billy who was an apprentice butcher before the war and get him to carve up the beast and then we’ll have a real good feed tonight!” suggested Fred. To his surprise there was not a single word of dissent. Funny, he thought, how five years of deprivation can sort out your qualms!
Two days later they arrived at Rawtow POW camp, just a few miles from the front line where American troops were pushing back the remnants of the German army, most of whom were now little more than schoolboys.
Fred and his men were surprised the next morning when they awoke to find that their guards had deserted them, having decided to make a run for the American line and surrender. Taking time to consider what it would be best to do, Fred suggested to his men that it would be safest to stay where they were. “Here,” he said, looking about the camp, “we’ve got shelter and since we haven’t any arms we can’t take on the German army. Food,” he continued, looking at the emaciated men before him, “is going to be scarce but maybe the good feed we had from the horse will keep us going …” Most of the men shook their heads in disbelief and rubbed their hands over their swollen bellies, while Fred continued, “Okay, a feed which also gave most of us a good dose of the skitters!” He now looked directly at Billy. “But a feed we’ve had nevertheless and so – along with whatever can be foraged outside the camp by our expert here – we’ll keep going. We’re nearly there, lads,” he pleaded. “Just a few more days – maybe only hours!” Billy bowed his head in acknowledgement. “That’s settled then – we’ve decided to survive here until the Americans arrive!”
There was no spoken response from the men. They’d survived thus far by following Fred’s orders to the letter and they would continue to do so until they finally arrived home in Scotland.
The men all took refuge in their own thoughts. Eddie thought of Betty and his dad. What would be their reaction to his return? Had their feelings towards him changed in the space of five years? Had Betty found someone else? It had been months since there had been any letters from home. Stretching out his hands in front of himself, he gazed sadly at them, feeling they were the hands of a much older man. With their hacks, ingrained dirt and broken nails, they were almost skeletal and it would take years perhaps for them to recover. His eyes then turned to look down at his shoeless feet. Black and twisted nails stared back at him. He smiled to himself, wondering who would believe that he and young Billy were the only ones left with their black toenails – all the others had lost theirs in the last two weeks.
Tam Glass’s thoughts were now miles away in Restalrig Circus. Dinah, his own Dinah, was first in his thoughts. He inhaled deeply, as if taking in the scent of her perfume. Right at that moment he just couldn’t remember if it had been Mischief or Evening in Paris that she favoured – it didn’t matter though: he was so intoxicated by the thought of being with her again that the heady bouquet of the scent invaded his nostrils. His dreamlike trance had him remember how she looked when they’d danced together. He shifted his back and squirmed with pleasure, wondering what it might feel like to have her massage all the weariness from his body. He smiled as he reckoned that five years of weariness and abuse would certainly take more than one treatment to ease. His thoughts then went to his children. They would all be five years older now. Would the youngest of them remember anything at all about him? “No matter,” he reasoned to himself. “I’ll soon make up for lost time and spend every minute I can with them. And with Phyllis, my poor paralysed Phyllis, who’s suffered far more than I ever have!” Tears welled up in his eyes and he brushed the drips from his nose with the back of his hand before going on with his daydreams. “Never
Two days later they arrived at Rawtow POW camp, just a few miles from the front line where American troops were pushing back the remnants of the German army, most of whom were now little more than schoolboys.
Fred and his men were surprised the next morning when they awoke to find that their guards had deserted them, having decided to make a run for the American line and surrender. Taking time to consider what it would be best to do, Fred suggested to his men that it would be safest to stay where they were. “Here,” he said, looking about the camp, “we’ve got shelter and since we haven’t any arms we can’t take on the German army. Food,” he continued, looking at the emaciated men before him, “is going to be scarce but maybe the good feed we had from the horse will keep us going …” Most of the men shook their heads in disbelief and rubbed their hands over their swollen bellies, while Fred continued, “Okay, a feed which also gave most of us a good dose of the skitters!” He now looked directly at Billy. “But a feed we’ve had nevertheless and so – along with whatever can be foraged outside the camp by our expert here – we’ll keep going. We’re nearly there, lads,” he pleaded. “Just a few more days – maybe only hours!” Billy bowed his head in acknowledgement. “That’s settled then – we’ve decided to survive here until the Americans arrive!”
There was no spoken response from the men. They’d survived thus far by following Fred’s orders to the letter and they would continue to do so until they finally arrived home in Scotland.
The men all took refuge in their own thoughts. Eddie thought of Betty and his dad. What would be their reaction to his return? Had their feelings towards him changed in the space of five years? Had Betty found someone else? It had been months since there had been any letters from home. Stretching out his hands in front of himself, he gazed sadly at them, feeling they were the hands of a much older man. With their hacks, ingrained dirt and broken nails, they were almost skeletal and it would take years perhaps for them to recover. His eyes then turned to look down at his shoeless feet. Black and twisted nails stared back at him. He smiled to himself, wondering who would believe that he and young Billy were the only ones left with their black toenails – all the others had lost theirs in the last two weeks.
Tam Glass’s thoughts were now miles away in Restalrig Circus. Dinah, his own Dinah, was first in his thoughts. He inhaled deeply, as if taking in the scent of her perfume. Right at that moment he just couldn’t remember if it had been Mischief or Evening in Paris that she favoured – it didn’t matter though: he was so intoxicated by the thought of being with her again that the heady bouquet of the scent invaded his nostrils. His dreamlike trance had him remember how she looked when they’d danced together. He shifted his back and squirmed with pleasure, wondering what it might feel like to have her massage all the weariness from his body. He smiled as he reckoned that five years of weariness and abuse would certainly take more than one treatment to ease. His thoughts then went to his children. They would all be five years older now. Would the youngest of them remember anything at all about him? “No matter,” he reasoned to himself. “I’ll soon make up for lost time and spend every minute I can with them. And with Phyllis, my poor paralysed Phyllis, who’s suffered far more than I ever have!” Tears welled up in his eyes and he brushed the drips from his nose with the back of his hand before going on with his daydreams. “Never
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