HE FIRST WORLD WAR SAW BRITISH FORCES T FIGHTING OVER MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD. THE CONFLICT WAS WON — AT A HEAVY COST — AND WHEN THE SECOND WORLD WAR BROKE OUT IN 1939, THERE WAS AN ADDED DANGER NOT REALLY FEARED IN 1914-1918. THE THREAT OF THE ENEMY INVADING AND OCCUPYING BRITISH SOIL WAS A REAL AND FRIGHTENING POSSIBILITY.
STORY MAC MACDONALD ART CARLOS PINO COVER CARLOS PINO
4 IN 1940, AS WELL AS THE ARMY, NAVY AND AIR FORCE, THERE WERE OTHER FORMATIONS DEPLOYED TO DEFEND BRITAIN. THE LOCAL DEFENCE FORCE, BETTER KNOWN AS THE HOME GUARD, WAS ONE OF THEM.
A UNIT BASED IN A SMALL TOWN ON THE EAST COAST OF SCOTLAND ON INVASION WATCH WAS COMMANDED BY CAPTAIN COLIN BAYNE, THE LOCAL SOLICITOR. HE KNEW ONLY TOO WELL THE DAMAGE DONE IN COMBAT, HAVING LOST AN ARM IN ACTION IN FRANCE IN THE GREAT WAR. IT HAD BEEN SAID THAT THERE WOULD NEVER BE SUCH FIGHTING AGAIN, BUT THOSE WORDS HAD PROVED EMPTY. COLIN SIGHED AS HE COMPLETED HIS LATEST REPORT AND HIS THOUGHTS TURNED TO JOHN BEATTIE, HIS YOUNGEST RECRUIT, WHO HAD NOT TURNED UP FOR THAT NIGHT’S DRILL.
I HOPE I HAVEN’T BEEN TOO HARD ON THE LAD, BUT I DON’T WANT HIM THINKING THAT WAR IS A GAME AND THERE’S GLORY IN IT. HE NEEDS TO KNOW THE TRUTH AND IGNORE ALL THE WARMONGERS AND THEIR GIBBERISH.
5 HE WAS INTERRUPTED BY THE APPEARANCE OF CORPORAL HECTOR MACKAY, AN OLD FRIEND AS WELL AS A COMRADE-IN-ARMS. HE COULD ALMOST READ HIS C.O.’s MIND. THERE’S NO SIGN OF JOHN YET, AND YOU’RE BROODING AGAIN ABOUT THE OLD DAYS IN THE TRENCHES. I CAN TELL... WE ALL REMEMBER THOSE TIMES ONLY TOO CLEARLY. EVEN YOU, YOU ROGUE.
TWO OTHER MEN JOINED THEM, HARRY LAWSON, THE LOCAL POLICE CONSTABLE AND BILL BROWN, THE LOCAL GARAGE OWNER, MECHANIC AND BUS DRIVER. THEY TOO WERE CONCERNED THAT JOHN HAD NOT TURNED UP. HIS GRANDFATHER WILL GET IN TOUCH IF THERE’S A PROBLEM. IT’S NOT LIKE THE LAD TO BE LATE.
AND YOU GIVING HIM A BROOMSTICK TO DRILL WITH INSTEAD OF A RIFLE WOULDN’T PUT THE LAD OFF. HE’S TOO KEEN.
6 HECTOR SIGHED, THEY HAD NOT ALWAYS BEEN OLD SOLDIERS, THOUGH. WE WERE KEEN TOO WHEN WE WERE YOUNGER, BEFORE THE GREAT WAR CAME ALONG.
AYE, THAT WE WERE. I REMEMBER WHEN YOU ENLISTED, HECTOR...
THE YOUNG HECTOR WAS FAR FROM LAW-ABIDING. AS WELL AS HELPING OUT ON VARIOUS SMALL FARMS, HE WAS A SKILLED POACHER AND A THORN IN THE SIDE OF THE LIKES OF THE BLUSTERING CYRIL SNEDDON — A STAFF MAJOR IN THE BRITISH ARMY AND THE OWNER OF THE LARGEST HOUSE AND ESTATE IN THE AREA.
I CAN HEAR VOICES UP AHEAD, AND ONE OF THEM IS THAT STUCK-UP TOFF WHO THINKS HE OWNS WHAT IS RIGHTLY OURS TO TAKE.
7 THE GAMEKEEPERS EMPLOYED BY SNEDDON HAD A SNEAKING RESPECT FOR HECTOR’S SKILL. THEY ALSO KNEW HE ONLY SHOT OR FISHED FOR WHAT HE AND SOME OF THE AREA’S OLD FOLK NEEDED TO KEEP BODY AND SOUL TOGETHER. NOT THAT THEY COULD CATCH HIM ANYWAY.
BLESS YOU, HECTOR. I NEVER EVEN HEARD YOU PASS BY.
ANXIOUS TO TEACH THE “UPSTART” A LESSON, THE LANDOWNER HIRED THUGS FROM THE NEARBY TOWN TO DISPENSE SOME ROUGH JUSTICE. I WANT HIM BEATEN TO WITHIN AN INCH OF HIS LIFE. YOU’LL HAVE HALF THE MONEY NOW AND THE REST WHEN THE JOB IS DONE.
AND IT WILL BE, YOU CAN COUNT ON THAT.
8 HECTOR HAD HEARD EVERY WORD FROM HIS HIDING PLACE IN THE TREE HE HAD SHINNED UP WHEN HE HAD HEARD THEM COMING. HE KNEW IT WAS TIME TO MOVE ON BEFORE THE HIRED BULLIES CAUGHT HIM.
I’LL SAY MY FAREWELLS TO MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND THEN I’LL BE OFF TO THE ARMY. SOON EVERYBODY KNEW ON WHAT DAY HECTOR WAS LEAVING. THE THUGS WERE THERE AT THE SMALL STATION TO MONITOR ALL DEPARTURES.
HE’S NOT GETTING ON THIS ONE. IT MUST BE THE LATER TRAIN.
LET’S GO BACK TO THE PUB AND WAIT THERE UNTIL IT’S TIME TO COME BACK.
9 THEY HAD MISSED THEIR TARGET, THOUGH. HE HAD HOPPED ABOARD BEFORE THE STATION AND HAD BEEN HIDDEN BELOW THE COAL PILED IN THE ENGINE’S TENDER. A FRESH SALMON, TAKEN FROM THE FISHING BEAT OWNED BY SNEDDON, HAD PAID HIS FARE AND THE ENGINE CREW WERE MORE THAN HAPPY WITH THAT. WE’LL GRILL THE FISH ON THE FIREMAN’S SHOVEL IN JUST A BIT. WANT SOME?
NO, I’M FINE. I BREAKFASTED ON SOME OF SOUR-FACED SNEDDON’S PHEASANTS.
THE LOCAL REGIMENT SOON REALISED THAT THEY HAD A FINE SHOT ON THEIR HANDS WHEN HECTOR TOOK HIS PLACE AT THE FIRING RANGE. YOU’RE SURE IT’S NOT A FLUKE? HE SCORES THIS HIGH ALL THE TIME?
EVERY ATTEMPT, SIR. REMINDS ME OF THOSE BOER MARKSMEN WHO PLAYED HAVOC WITH US OUT IN SOUTH AFRICA.
10 A VETERAN OF THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY, SERGEANT DAN MACLEOD HAD A NICK IN ONE EAR WHERE A BOER MARKSMAN HAD JUST MISSED HIS HEAD AND NO MORE. HE HAD BEEN AWARE OF THE USEFULNESS OF SNIPERS EVER SINCE THEN AND HERE HE HAD ONE ALMOST READY MADE. YOU’RE GOING TO MARCH AND TRAIN LIKE THE OTHERS, BUT I’LL FORGIVE YOU ANY LACK OF INTEREST IF YOU PROVE TO ME THAT YOU CAN PUT A BULLET THROUGH THE BULL NINE TIMES OUT OF TEN.
JUST NINE, SARGE? I CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT.
IT WASN’T ARROGANCE, IT WAS THE CONFIDENCE OF A MAN WHO KNEW HE COULD OUTSHOOT THE BEST. MACLEOD HID A SECRET SMILE.
I’D BAWL OUT ANY OTHER RAW RECRUIT FOR TALKING LIKE THAT, BUT THAT LAD IS SPECIAL.
THE REGIMENT WENT TO FRANCE AND SAW FOR ITSELF THE DREADFUL DESTRUCTION CAUSED BY SHOT AND SHELL.
AN ARTILLERY BOMBARDMENT WAS USUALLY THE GRIM WARNING THAT AN ATTACK WAS DUE.