Hammond Innes - Atlantic Fury

After reading the plan and discussing it with Matthieson, the BGS took him in to see the General. It was then just after midday and again the weather was fine in London, the sun shining out of a clear sky. In describing this meeting to me, Matthieson made it clear that though the DRA was under considerable pressure at the time and obviously determined to proceed with the evacuation, he had, nevertheless, been at some pains to allay any fears his subordinates might have. ‘I suppose you’re worrying about the weather,’ was his opening remark. ‘Naturally, I raised the point myself. The Permanent Under-Secretary was not impressed. The sun was shining and it was damnably hot in his room.’ He glanced towards the windows. ‘The sun is still shining. Did you listen to the shipping forecast this morning?’ This to the BGS. And when he admitted he hadn’t, the General said, ‘Well, I did. Made a special point of it. I know you sailing types. There’s a high pressure system covering the British Isles and the nearest depression is down in the German Bight. As to the alternative we’ve been offered, the responsibility rests with Ordnance Board. I made that perfectly plain. If it doesn’t work …’

‘Oh, I expect it’ll work, sir,’ the BGS said.

‘Well, what’s worrying you then?’

‘Apart from the weather — Simon Standing.’

‘Standing? He’s one of our best instructors.’

‘That’s just the trouble. He’s a wizard at ballistics, but this is his first independent command and if anything went wrong…’

‘Have you any reason to suppose that anything is going to go wrong?’

‘Of course not. All I’m saying is that this operation doesn’t call for the qualities that make a brilliant Instructor-in-Gunnery. It calls for a man of action.’

‘Fine. It will give him some practical experience. Isn’t that why you recommended him for the job? Practical experience is essential if he is to go on getting promotion at his present rate. How old is he?’

‘Thirty-seven, thirty-eight.’

‘That makes him just about the youngest I.G. with the rank of full Colonel. And he’s ambitious. He’ll make out all right. I seem to remember he’s got Hartley as his second-in-command. Met him at Larkhill. Excellent at administration and a sound tactician. Just the man Simon needs.’

‘Unfortunately he’s in hospital — jaundice.’

‘I see. Well, there’s an adjutant presumably.’

‘Young fellow by the name of Ferguson. He’s not very experienced.’

‘And you’re not happy about him?’

‘I can’t say that. I don’t know anything about him. He’s only twenty-six, just promoted Captain and filling in a vacancy.’

‘What’s wrong with him then?’

‘Well …’ I don’t think BGS wanted to go into this, but it was essential to the point he was making. ‘His record shows that he volunteered for paratrooping and didn’t complete the course.’

‘Funked his jumps?’

‘Something like that. He was posted to BAOR.’

‘All right then. Get on to AG6. Have them post somebody up there temporarily just to hold Simon’s hand — an older man with practical experience, the AGG ought to be able to rake up somebody to fill in for a few weeks. Anything else on your mind?’

‘Only the timing. The operation had been planned on the basis of completing by the end of the month, but nobody can possibly guarantee that. Fortunately we’d agreed to Standing’s idea of cutting the size of the wintering unit and maintaining contact by helicopter. As a result one of the huts has already been dismantled. Nevertheless, I must emphasise that the maintenance of a planning schedule as tight as this depends entirely on the continuance of the present fine weather.’

‘Of course. That’s understood. Service Corps have already made it clear that they’re not taking any chances with their landing craft. And rightly.’ He turned to Matthieson. That satisfy you?’

Matthieson hesitated. He was well aware of the dangers.

‘He told me he had tried to visit Laerg twice and each time had been turned back by bad weather. He had held his present post for almost two years and he knew the difficulties that must arise if conditions deteriorated and the operation became a protracted one. But this was only the second interview he had had with the DRA since the General’s appointment. Doubtless he felt it wasn’t the moment to voice his misgivings. My impression is that he decided to play his luck. At any rate, all he apparently said was, ‘Captain Pinney, the present Detachment Commander, is pretty experienced; so is the skipper of one of the landing craft — the other was a replacement halfway through the season. Still, I think the whole thing should go off quite smoothly.’ However, to cover himself, he added, ‘But Laerg can be the devil if it blows up and we’re getting on towards winter in the north.’

The DRA nodded. ‘Well that settles it then. We pray for fine weather and get on with the job, eh? Signal them to go ahead with the operation right away.’

And so the decision was finally agreed. Matthieson sent off the necessary signal and the BGS phoned about the temporary attachment of an officer to assist Standing.

He was immediately offered a Major George Braddock.

The reason given by the AGG for recommending this particular officer was that he wanted to be posted to the Hebrides. Not only had Braddock written twice from Cyprus, where he commanded a battery, but a few days before he had sought a personal interview with the AGG to press the matter. He had then just arrived in London on leave.

To the BGS it seemed the perfect answer to the problem. Braddock was about forty, his rank was right, and so was his record. He had an MC and two Mentions in Despatches, awarded during the last war, as well as an excellent record during the Malayan trouble. Moreover, he was in England and immediately available. Locating him took a little time.

His wife, who with her two children lived at Hertford, had apparently been separated from him for a number of years and did not know where he was. All she could say was that he liked fishing and usually went to Wales for his leave. He was eventually traced to a Country Club near Brecon. By then it was late at night and Braddock didn’t reach London until the following afternoon.

That was Tuesday and as far as I can gather that was the day Ed Lane arrived in Lyons. I suppose almost every disaster requires something to trigger it off — a catalyst, as it were. A decision that calls for action involves men, and men cannot escape their own natures … their basic characters. In writing that I believe my brother was thinking of this Canadian businessman from Vancouver. Lane wasn’t, of course, involved in the operation. He was probing Braddock’s background and to that extent he exerted a pressure on events and was, in a sense, the catalyst. He had seen Braddock in Cyprus a fortnight before and had then gone on to the Middle East on business for his firm. Now that business was finished and he was free to concentrate on his private affairs. Whilst Braddock was travelling up to the War Office, Lane was interviewing one of the few people who could help him in his inquiries.

The BGS saw Braddock just after four. In his evidence, the Brigadier simply said that the interview strengthened the favourable impression already created by his record. He was satisfied that Major Braddock was the right man for the job. He was not asked for any details, only for confirmation that he had warned Braddock about weather conditions. As a result, the Court was not aware that the Brigadier was puzzled, even a little disturbed, by the answers Braddock gave to certain rather searching questions.

In the talk I had with him later the Brigadier admitted that he had been curious to know why Braddock had applied for a posting to the Guided Weapons Establishment, particularly as his record showed that he had been one of the few survivors of the Duart Castle, sunk in those waters during the war. ‘I should have thought your memories of that area …’