大象传媒

This story is submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by a member of Market Harborough Branch, Royal British Legion on behalf of Bernard Halsall MC and has been added to the site with his permission. Mr Halsall fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

Pills
by Bernard Halsall MC

It was late afternoon when the chap from HQ arrived. We were due to set off around dusk, reaching the DZ. just before midnight. And most of the afternoon had been spent making final preparations, writing a letter home and resting. The arrival of the chap from HQ was not on the programme.

Our party numbered about 50 and the announcement that we were to meet him on the field in 10 minutes caused feelings of uncertainty bordering on panic to fill most chaps minds. We could not entertain any change of plan this late in the day. Perhaps it was 鈥渙ff鈥� yet again. We were wound up and wanted just to get on with it.

When he joined us along with our Major, he seemed quite normal. Far more normal than one expected from HQ! 鈥淚 wish you all well, and good fortune for tonight鈥�, he said, and that cleared our worst scenario. 鈥淚 have brought something for you all, something unusual and I want you to pay particular attention to what I have to say. I am going to issue each of you with four small pills. These are to help you in the operation. Put them in an empty match box and use them as follows.鈥�

鈥淚 suggest you take one about 10 to 15 minutes before you land. It will greatly increase your alertness, as well as helping in your general well-being, and will be found to be very beneficial. If events drag on beyond tomorrow morning then I suggest a second pill about noon tomorrow will help you keep awake, but this should be only in the unlikely event of things not going according to plan. The other two pills are for the extreme case of you finding yourself cut off and spending two or three days avoiding capture. Good luck to you all.鈥�

A salute and he was gone. We were dismissed and, clutching four aspirin looking pills retired back again to our kit. I found an empty match box and lined it with cotton wool and placed each pill gently inside. The matchbox then went into my breast pocket and we set of as dusk fell.

It was my first 鈥渙p鈥�. It was a rough crossing. I was extremely nervous. By the time I saw the enemy coastline I had swallowed all four pills. Two days later I was still charging around like a scalded cat. But when the effects finally wore off it took me a long time (nearly a week) to get my strength back.

They never came round with any pills again.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.