大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Matt Bray of CSV Media on behalf of Mr G. H. Jales and had been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the sites鈥檚 terms and conditions.

Mr G. H. Jales (C/MX700083 Petty Officer) remembers Night Watch at Rodean Girl鈥檚 College in 1945.

On watch on New Year鈥檚 Day from midnight until 4 o鈥檆lock in the morning , a cold snowy miserable night, the two of us on watch decided to have a smoke. We crept behind the coal yard to get out of the wind and rolled ourselves a 鈥渢ickler鈥�, (cigarette), to cheer ourselves up. During our smoke my colleague said 鈥淲hat was that noise?鈥� I didn鈥檛 want to hear any noises, but there was a small noise somewhere in front of us, a slithery noise, as if someone was dragging themselves along through the snow.

I gave the official challenge three times 鈥渉alt, who goes there鈥�, but got no response. I then took the next step, 鈥渉alt or I鈥檒l fire鈥�, three times. Still nothing. I had visions of half the German army creeping along towards me. I then did the rattle of the bolt on the rifle, to make whoever it was think I was putting a cartridge in. Once again, no response. This was beginning to look quite serious, so I felt in my pocket for my ammunition. The first thing that I got was my cheese sandwich! I found a five round clip of point 303 ammunition and then discovered there鈥檇 been a serious gap in my training, as I had no idea how to put my ammunition in my rifle.

Fortunately, I then heard a faint 鈥渇riend鈥濃��..it was a naval officer who had had a little too much to drink at the New Year鈥檚 party, crawling along through the snow having lost his way and finished up at my post. Fortunately my lack of knowledge of small arms saved his life.

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