In the dead of night, the klaxon sounds. The hit of adrenaline is as powerful as half an ounce of good amphetamine.1
We are all expecting a crash and sometimes hope it goes off in the city. The fear is overcome by excitement; the feel of your bowels contracting is something of a buzz.2
On goes the webbing and Kevlar jacket. I grab my weapon and run for the loading-bay. In seconds I am in the 'top-cover' position, waiting for the gates to open. The glare of the halogen-lights is overpowering. We can smell fires in the town, just as well as the petrol-fumes of our Landrovers. The V6 roars into life, the gates open and one, two, three, we are the fourth out. Six men to a 'Lanny'; one top, one rear, two front and two in back.3
Eighty miles an hour down the High Street, hardly able to see; the wind causing tears to blind me. Near the city-centre, the night-lights hang over like a halo. We reach Butcher's Gate, the entrance to the Bogside. Down the fly-over, the half-bricks raining down and I can't duck. The bricks are bad, but RPGs are worse - got to keep looking, ever vigilant. Down Free Derry, up the Causeway, into the heart of the Republican estate.4
Shite! De-bus like lightening! We run for cover, watching every possible location for a contact, but it doesn't come - yet.5
Hours later, we stand-down.6
"Well done lads. No-one hurt."7
Hard-target to the Lanny which has come to pick us up.8
Twenty minutes later, 24-hour stag and egg banjoes.9
Author notes
This piece was written by my brother, once the youngest serving British infantryman in Northern Ireland. It screwed him up and the World lost a creative, but highly sensitive man.
What did you think? Please comment!
Comments
1 - 8 of 8
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BTW - I never explained that an 'Egg-Banjo' is a bread-roll filled with a fried egg; food of the Gods to those who ever stuck one down their necks when the moment was right
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The talent is, in this case, that of my brother. He will appreciate your comments when I show him this site
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I found this very descriptive and strong. A realistic painfully disturbing and powerful piece, I really thought you did an excellent job with a difficult subject.
Impressive write.
~ Wendy -
That's good anyway, I hope he starts writing again.
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Thanks tootsvegan. I'm not sure 'recovery' is possible, considering all that has happened, but he is maturing and seems on top of things now.
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Wow, that was one of the better things I have read lately, it was intense and sucked me into the situation. That is a sad story about your brother, and I hope he does recover. This captured the emotion and excitement and craziness of a battle well. War isn't good for anyone.
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When I am back in the UK, I will show him his story and the comments on this site as a Xmas-present. I hope it will encourage him to write again.
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This is disturbing on a level I cannot seem to name. I am so sad to read the comments and see what has happened here. Your brother was very talented and it is a pity that the terror of war seems to have so many more targets and victims than we think. Thanks for sharing this.
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