Other Paths to Glory by Anthony Price Page A

fault with a woman’s cooking, to be undertaken only when death was the alternative.
    ‘And naturally the Little Master can’t resist prodding lions.’
    ‘Only to wake them up a bit.’ Audley grinned at him, drifting into the centre of the road as he did so. ‘But I don’t mean just me. Butler’s like that with everyone - if there’s a risk to be taken he can’t bear to let anyone else take it.’
    There was something rather 1914-18 about Jack Butler. He was like Feilding, the Coldstream Guardsman who had commanded the Connaught Rangers at Ginchy, who could never bear sending out a subordinate on any dangerous duty and always contrived to do the job himself.
    ‘And are we going to prod a lion now?’
    ‘General Leigh-Woodhouse? I hardly think so, Paul. A very old lion, he’ll be - and on our side of the bars.’
    Audley paused.
    ‘It’s the snakes in the grass we’ve to watch for … But you were going to read me that passage about Hameau Ridge from the Official History. You’ve been holding on to the book as though your life depended on it. I can’t wait to hear your mystery story.’
    ‘Oh - yes -‘ Mitchell looked down guiltily at the red volume which he’d been holding in front of him like a buffer, his finger still thrust in the Prussian Redoubt page. ‘Well - yes, of course … It was all part of the XX Corps night attack on Hameau - ‘
    ‘Night attack? I thought they only raided each other at night.’
    ‘Yes, well strictly speaking it was a dawn attack, the main one, like Rawlinson’s successful attack on July 4th, remember - ‘
    ‘Remember?’ cut in Audley testily. ‘I can’t remember what I never knew. It’d be better if you remembered you only spoke generally about the Somme last night. I’m not an expert.’
    ‘Sorry. The idea was for the assault brigades to form up during the night, when they couldn’t be seen, and then go in just before first light. But before that they needed to capture Bouillet Wood on the right flank of the attack, or at least keep the Germans busy there while the main attack went in to the west.’
    The main attack being on Hameau village?’
    That’s right. You’ve got to imagine this ridge lying parallel to the British line - Guyencourt on the left, then Cemetery Crossroads, then Hameau village, with the sunken road leading up to Bouilletcourt Farm, then open country and finally Bouillet Wood - Bully Wood. The key objective was Hameau in the centre.’
    ‘And what about the Prussian Redoubt?’
    That was on the very edge of the ridge east of Bully Wood.”
    ‘Where did that figure in the attack?’
    ‘It didn’t. It was too strong to be attacked, they reckoned: it was built into the ruins of the Chateau de Bouillet, with ravines north and south - Cobra was parallel to the British lines, just behind the German front line, and the north one, Rattlesnake, was where their reserves used to mass, because it was safe from everything except plunging fire.’
    ‘So they were just going to leave it?’
    They hoped to outflank it eventually, after they’d taken Hameau. But that was to be in the exploitation phase.’
    Audley nodded.
    ‘I see. And where did the Poachers come into all this?’
    ‘They were in the second wave of the Bully Wood attack, part of the 29ist Brigade. The North Berkshire Fusiliers went in first, but they were wiped out. They overshot the mark and no one really knows what happened to them.’
    Audley peered to his left, slowing down to a crawl, then coming to a standstill.
    ‘Sorry, Paul, but I think we’re here. I’m afraid the Poachers’ great feat of arms will have to wait - that sign says Wellingbourne Lodge - or it once did, unless I’m very much mistaken.’
    Mitchell followed the pointing finger, just making out the words ‘Private Road’ on a sign so streaked with green mould from the ancient yew tree overhanging it that the original white and black paint was scarcely visible. Below it, equally green and in addition