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This story is taken from an interview with Eddie Donnan, and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions. The interviewer was Bruce Logan.
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Sgt Eddie Donnan was assigned to a "carrier" platoon in a support company. That meant the platoon could be assigned to any company, as a floating reserve. They always got O.P. (Observation Post) duty.

The Irish Guards were surrounded by the Germans at Anzio, Italy. 2 guards were on duty at night, and one reported he heard someone digging nearby. Sgt Eddie Donnan told Major Fitzgerald, who ordered him to investigate.

It turned out to be a German Spandau unit [4 men with a machine-gun] digging in. Sgt Donnan and his patrol captured the Germans.

The Germans all spoke English very well, and asked for the 大象传媒 and the newspapers. One complained that it was against the Geneva Convention - after 2 hours on the front line they should be sent to a POW camp. However, they were cut off and surrounded, so evacuation was impossible.

Sgt Donnan took the prisoner to Major Fitzgerald. The Major listened to the German's complaints, then pointed at the British soldiers.
"You're just like them. You're a barrack-room lawyer! those men there are always telling me what they think as well, they're all experts in the regulations."

In the end the Allies were evacuated from the Anzio beach-head. The Germans agreed to carry stretchers with British casualties on them.

Sgt Donnan heard later that the ambulance was shelled, and 2 Germans were killed. He stressed that this was only hearsay.

Presumably the 2 other Germans went safely to a POW camp.

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