SECOND DREAM. PHASE I

SECOND DREAM

PHASE I

(See Sketch No 4)

SMITH looked at his watch and saw that it was one o'clock; he had been awake over an hour. This wou1d never do; With a busy day ahead, he must go to sleep. Turning over on his side, he managed to shake off thought of his recent dream and was soon again in the Land of Nod. He did not, however, drop into that pcacefu1 and refreshing sleep which a hea1thy young man with a clear conscience is entit1ed to expect. But healthy young men shou1d not eat inordinate quantities of lobster mayonnaise.

Hardly had he lost consciousness when he was again the victim Of another vivid dream.

It should be CXP1ained that his second dream was in many respects Simi1ar to the first: up to a certain point the detai1s Were idcntica1. Throughout the dream he was conscious of a fee1ing that it had all happened before; he did not, of course, remember that he had just had a dream, but he recognised people and p1aces.

There was, however, one marked difference: whereas in his first dream he had approached the prob1em With a fee1ing that he knew nothing about it, he now had a comfortab1e fee1ing of confidence and a vague impression that he had once before he1d a bridge in simi1ar, if not identica1, circumstances. Above all, he had a c1ear recollection that somehow or other he had learnt many useful lessons on the subject. These lessons were firmly fixed in his mind.

Once more he was summoned to the battalion orderly room--once more he received identical instructions from his Commanding Officer--once more he found himself entering the village of Bowler.

"Not much of a place, sir," remarked Sergeant Bass.

"No," briefly replied Smith, who was more keen to get on with the job than to discuss the beauties and amenities of Bowler.

"Tell the platoon runner to go with the guide to the Post Office; I want to get through to the battalion to report our arrival.

"Tell the guide to question the inhabitants and to let me know if any armoured cars have been seen here."

There were so many things to be done that it was difficult to know where to start. However, the bridge appeared to be the most important place. Taking Sergeant Bass, the platoon sergeant, and Corporal Wads with him, he set off.

"Hope we don't run into a car round the corner sir," cheerfully remarked Wads.

"So do I," answered Smith. "On second thoughts, I think we will carry out our reconnaissance in that anti-tank affair of yours; turn out a couple of men to make room for Sergeant Bass and myself."

Arrived at the bridge, he had quite a shock. Why, surely he had seen this place before? Absolute rot, of course, he could not possibly have seen it before. But, nevertheless, the girder bridge with the embankment over the marsh, the trees on the left bank, and the houses facing the river with small gardens in front, all seemed quite familiar.

"Better leave the gun at the road junction," said Smith; "hide it behind the hedge as much as you can, but be sure that you command the bridge. I will get one of the rifle sections on to making a road block on the other side of the bridge, and when I have completed my other arrangements I will look round for a place for the gun from where it can be used dismounted.

"When the rest of your gun team have arrived, you might look for a suitable place yourself, but don't move the gun until I have seen the place you suggest. Warn your men that they must keep on the alert, as an armoured car may come along at any moment."

Smith and the platoon sergeant then made a hasty inspection of the bridge.

There were three roads to be blocked as well as the bridge. Suppose he detailed a section to guard each road block; that would use up the whole of his platoon and leave no reserve. Also he wanted to arrange for a look-out post.

He discussed the matter with Sergeant Bass.

"Can't see myself, sir, what you want to block the roads for. The guide, who knows these parts well, says there ain't no bridges or fords between 'ere and Koln on the one side, and Homburg on the other. Better let the men get a bit of breakfast and a rest."

"Plenty of time for breakfast and a rest when we have made this place safe. I am not taking any risks. There may not be any other bridges for a considerable distance, but the enemy may possibly force his way across one of the bridges at Koln or Homburg. Moreover, he may raft a few vehicles across somewhere.

Added to which, we do not know that there are not some armoured cars on this side of the river already Take one of the rifle sections off to the bridge at once and start them making the road block. I will give orders to the others."

Smith was determined that he was not going to be "run" by his platoon sergeant.

The sergeant looked at him with mild surprise, but apparently decided that he had better do as he was told and not argue.

The next step was to decide upon a look-out post A brief inspection disclosed that the church tower formed an ideal one. Two men were posted on the top with orders to keep a sharp look-out and give warning of the approach of any vehicles. In order to sound the alarm, they were provided with an old tin bath tub and a short iron bar.

The section commanders of the three remaining sections were then collected and the plan of defence explained to them.

The two Lewis-gun sections were ordered to construct road blocks on the Koln and Homburg roads, the rifle section being left to block the Lobsterburg road. For the sake of simplicity the four blocks were named: Bridge Block, Koln Block, Homburg Block, Lobster Block.

Having despatched the three sections to collect material and make their road blocks, Smith returned to the bridge. He found that the section there was getting on well with its road block; a couple of heavy carts had been collected, and these were being lashed together with some wire.

"That will be all right for a beginning, corporal," said Smith to the n.c.o. in charge, " but you had better stiffen it up a bit with any old ploughs, harrows, &c., you can find: an armoured car might crash through that and a tank certainly would. You cannot make the block too thick and solid."

Corporal Wads arrived at this moment and reverted to the question of the site for the anti-tank gun.

"I can't make up my mind whether it ought to go in that house there, the one on the main street, facing the bridge, or behind that low garden wall. It will be difficult to fix up the gun in the house, but I think I can do it. Behind the wall would be easier, and we could make a bit of head cover with some sandbags. Will you come and have a look, sir?"

Together they inspected the house and the garden.

" I don't know that I care much for the garden," observed Smith; "you get protection all right from the direction of the bridge, but you would be badly enfiladed by any armoured car coming from either Koln or Homburg. I prefer the house, as both your flanks are protected there. But I am not very keen on the house, either. If the enemy really intends to cross here he will probably bring guns with him; and it won't take him long to discover from which house the anti-tank gun is firing. This house can be plainly seen from the other side. I am afraid you would have a pretty thin time if you were shelled there. We must try somewhere else."

The main Koln-Homburg road ran parallel to the river, roughly 100 yards from it. A thick belt of trees ran along the left bank; between the trees and the road were considerable patches of bushes and undergrowth. The road itself, as indeed were all the roads near the village, was lined on either side with fairly thick hedges. On the river side of the road were two pairs of small semi-detached houses, one pair on either side of the Fiddleton road.

Smith and the corporal walked across to the left-hand pair of houses. They were almost completely concealed from view from the west side of the river by the trees, some tall bushes, and a thick hedge which enclosed the garden at the back of the house, but a very brief inspection was sufficient to prove that there was no position to be found for the gun there. Neither the bridge nor the road running west from it could be seen at all. On crossing to the other pair of houses they quickly found what they wanted. Here, also, the gardens on the river side were surrounded by a thick hedge, but a path ran from a gap in the hedge obliquely to the river. The undergrowth had been cleared for a few feet on either side of the path, which made its way through the belt of trees where there was a gap caused by two trees having fallen or having been cut down.

A clear field of fire could thus be obtained on to the far side of the bridge and for about 100 yards along the road to the west of it.

Smith decided at once that this was almost an ideal ~q spot for the anti-tank gun, which would be nicely concealed from view. A little work with spades and the use of sandbags would soon produce ample cover for the crew against machine-gun fire.

Returning once more to the bridge, he discussed with Corporal Johnston the position of the post which was to prevent the road block being moved in case the antitank gun was knocked out or, for any other reason, failed to function.

A suitable spot was soon found behind a small mound in the undergrowth, to the south of the Fiddleton road. There was a clear view and field of fire to the road block, but the actual spot would be difficult to locate from the road. A garrison of three men was detailed for this post and ordered to start at once upon the work necessary to make it proof against machine-gun fire.

Having explained briefly his views on the subject, Smith left the corporal to select a similar post on the other side of the road, warning him that it should not be too close to the position of the anti-tank gun, or else it might come under any fire meant for the latter.

Later on, he inspected this post and signified his approval of the spot selected.

Meanwhile he felt confident that the enemy would not be able to rush the bridge, and would have a tough nut to crack if he tried to force it.

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