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OMEWHERE IN OCCUPIED HOLLAND IN 1944, A COUPLE OF GERMAN PIONEER TROOPS WERE CARRYING OUT THE GRIM BUT NECESSARY TASK OF REMOVING ENEMY DEAD FROM WHERE THEY HAD FALLEN.
THIS IS THE LAST OF BRITISCHERS, POOR DEVILS. IS THERE ANY IDENTIFICATION FOR THE RECORDS?
JA, THE DETAILS WERE IN HIS PAY BOOK. I’VE NOTED THEM DOWN.
STORY ALAN HEBDEN ART BENET
PRIV A JAKE TE S DIED J 17 SE PT 4 4
COVER BENET
JELLY DEAD? HOW HAD THIS HAPPENED?
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IT HAD BEEN EARLY THAT SAME MORNING THAT MAJOR GUY TENBY LED HIS CONVICT COMMANDOS OUT TO A DAKOTA TRANSPORT WAITING ON AN AIRFIELD IN NORFOLK. I KNOW YOU DON’T USUALLY OVERLOAD US WITH MISSION DETAILS, TENBY, BUT IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW WHERE WE’RE GOING AND WHAT FOR.
JUST A QUICK HOP ACROSS TO HOLLAND TO RETRIEVE SOMETHING FROM A HIDDEN SAFE. ALL PERFECTLY STRAIGHT-FORWARD, DAWSON.
HUH, NUFFINK’S EVER STRAIGHT-FORWARD WHERE YOU’RE CONCERNED.
CORPORAL “SMILER” DAWSON AND PRIVATE “JELLY” JAKES EXCHANGED GLANCES. AS THE PLANE TOOK OFF, THE TEAM’S MAN-MOUNTAIN, PRIVATE “TITCH” MOONEY, VOICED A CONCERN. WHY ARE WE FLYING TO A NAZI-OCCUPIED COUNTRY IN BROAD DAYLIGHT? WE’LL BE EASILY SPOTTED.
TRUE, BUT DON’T WORRY, BECAUSE WE SHAN’T BE GOING ALONE...
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…AS YOU CAN SEE, WE’VE GOT COMPANY!
I’VE NEVER SEEN SO MANY PLANES AT ONE TIME.
I HATE TO ASK, BUT WHAT THE DEVIL’S GOING ON?
GUY LEANED FORWARD TO EXPLAIN. THE VERITABLE ARMADA OF AIRCRAFT THEY HAD JOINED WAS THE BACKBONE OF A POSSIBLE WAR-WINNING OPERATION CODE-NAMED “MARKET GARDEN.”
OUR AIRBORNE FORCES WILL SEIZE THREE BRIDGES ACROSS THE RIVERS MAAS, WAAL AND RHINE AND HOLD THEM UNTIL GROUND FORCES BREAK THROUGH. ONCE WE’RE OVER THE BRIDGE AT ARNHEM THE WAY TO THE RUHR WILL BE OPEN.
BUT IF IT WORKS THE WAR’LL BE OVER BY CHRISTMAS. I CAN ‘ARDLY WAIT.
SOUNDS PRETTY AMBITIOUS.
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TO JELLY’S RELIEF, GUY EXPLAINED THEIR OBJECTIVE WAS A SMALL VILLAGE ABOUT FIVE MILES PAST ARNHEM, SOME DISTANCE FROM WHERE THE BATTLE WOULD BE. AS SOON AS WE’VE GOT WHAT WE CAME FOR WE SIMPLY MAKE OUR WAY BACK TO ARNHEM AND WAIT FOR THE GROUND FORCES TO ARRIVE.
VERY SOON IT WAS TIME FOR THEM TO JUMP — SOMETHING GUARANTEED TO SEND THE LITTLE MAN INTO A COMPLETE FUNK.
IT ALL SOUNDS TOO EASY.
GUY AND TITCH JUMPED, LEAVING ONLY SMILER AND JELLY. YOU...YOU GO FIRST, SMILER. I...I’LL BE RIGHT BEHIND YOU.
‘OW I ‘ATE THIS. IT’S TIMES LIKE THIS I WISH I WAS SAFE AN’ SOUND BACK IN PRISON.
SPEAK FOR YOURSELF, JELLY. NOT A CHANCE, JELLY BELLY. I’M HERE TO MAKE SURE YOU JUMP FIRST, OR THROW YOU OUT IF YOU WON’T.
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AS HE GLANCED DOWN, SMILER’S ATTENTION WAS CAUGHT BY WHAT LAY BELOW.
BLIMEY, PANZERS! SCORES OF THEM! WHAT ARE THEY DOING THERE?
AN INSTANT LATER A POWERFUL BARRAGE OF ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE BLASTED THE DAKOTA, SENDING SMILER FLYING OUT OF THE PLANE AND HURLING JELLY BACK INSIDE.
GRIEF!
YEUURH!
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PARALYSED WITH FEAR, JELLY STARED IN WIDE-EYED DISBELIEF AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS TORN TO PIECES AROUND HIM.
NO, THIS CAN’T BE ‘APPENIN’!
SMILER, DESCENDING ON HIS PARACHUTE, STARED IN HELPLESS HORROR AS THE DOOMED DAKOTA SHED A WING AND FELL INTO A DEATH DIVE.
GET OUT OF THERE, JELLY! JUMP, FOR PETE’S SAKE!
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MOMENTS LATER THE PLANE CRASHED TO EARTH DISINTEGRATING IN A VIOLENT EXPLOSION. SMILER HAD WATCHED IT EVERY INCH OF THE WAY DOWN AND KNEW WHAT HE HADN’T SEEN.
JELLY NEVER GOT OUT AND NO-ONE COULD HAVE SURVIVED THAT CRASH. HE’S BOUGHT IT FOR SURE. HE’S REALLY DEAD.
ONCE ON THE GROUND, THE CORPORAL HAD HIS OWN PROBLEMS. THE PROXIMITY OF THE UNEXPECTED PANZER ENCAMPMENT MEANT THAT A SEARCH WAS SOON ON.
THE PARACHUTIST LANDED SOMEWHERE AROUND HERE.
GOOD GUESS, HERMANN.
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THE GERMANS FANNED OUT TO FORM A CORDON BUT SMILER POUNCED BEFORE IT COULD BE DRAWN TIGHT. HIS SKILL WITH A KNIFE ALLOWED HIM TO KILL SILENTLY.
GETTING AWAY UNSEEN, HE MET UP WITH GUY AND TITCH HALF A MILE FURTHER ON. THE BIG STRONGMAN FROWNED AS HE SAW WHO WAS MISSING.
UURH! WHERE IS JELLY?
BY MY RECKONING TENBY AND TITCH MUST HAVE LANDED ABOUT A MILE EAST OF HERE.
AH, YES, JELLY. SORRY TO SAY, TITCH, BUT HE’S BOUGHT IT.
TITCH GAVE A DANGEROUS GROWL AND SWEPT SMILER INTO HIS MENACING MAW. DEAD! THEN IT MUST BE YOUR FAULT!
IT WASN’T MY FAULT, YOU MUSCLE-BOUND MORON!
CALM DOWN, BOTH OF YOU. TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED.