Chapter 1
He checked his face in the small mirror hanging on the tent post. Satisfied, he wiped the blade of the cutthroat razor and placed it against its twin in the leather case.
The razors had belonged to his Grandfather, liberated from the saddle bags of an Ulan officer during the First World War.
He slipped on his shirt shivering in the cold, morning air. The sun had not yet fully risen over the horizon, but soon it would be hot, very hot.
Putting on his Australian Slouch hat and carrying his washing bowl, he ducked under the camouflage net that hid his tent.
He poured out the water and watched the sand greedily soak it up, placing the bowl by the box next to his tent's entrance, he then turned to walk towards the mess tent.
The men were already sitting there eating their breakfast before the flies arrived with the heat of the sun.
"Morning Boss," Sargent Blake murmured, "bloody bullied beef again."
Lieutenant Shaun Ramage smiled and nodded. Taking the mug of tea handed to him by Sammy, he sat down, removing from his top shirt pocket a pack of twenty five Gold Leaf cigarettes. Selecting one he lit it with his brass Zippo.
"Cuppa tea and a cough as usual Boss?" Corporal 'Titch' Anderson, the patrols mechanic, observed.
"You know me too well," Shaun murmured, "have you had a chance to look it over?" Referring to the engine belonging to 'Sue,' the patrol's 30cwt Chevrolet truck.
"The valves are shot and the rings on three, four and six need replacing. The whole engine is pretty well knackered boss." Titch replied mournfully.
Titch had worked for the Bentley racing team before joining up, and was in Shaun's opinion, one of the best mechanics in North Africa. The fact he had managed to coax Sue back to base after their last road watch spoke volumes for his ability.
"I'm going into Alex tomorrow, we'll call in to Aly Barber's Bazar and see if he has anything. I've given up hope waitin' on channels, the request for a new engine has been in for over a month now." Shaun replied.
He turned to Sargent Blake, "What do we have to interest Aly Barber Jack?"
Sargent Jack Blake was ex-Guards, a survivor of Dunkirk, and had twenty years of service behind him. He had lost his wife and two kids in an early Luftwaffe raid on Portsmouth, and had requested his transfer to the Long Range Desert Group in order to hurt the enemy.
Initially he had found the casual attention to military discipline within the group somewhat strange after the rigidness of the Guards. But had soon learned that each member of the patrol was an expert in their own field, and respected has such.
"Four Lugers, two P37's, and two Leica cameras. We have four Iron Crosses and a Knights Cross. There's a couple of their flags, a bit scorched around the edge. A case of Johnny Walkers and 800 cigarettes... oh, and 6 jerry cans, 'Betty' won't be needing them now."
'Betty,' another 30cwt truck in the troop had been shot up by the Luftwaffe and written off. The crew had all been killed apart from Ken.
"I've got 200 cigarettes you can add to the pile. Find out if there's anything else we need. I'm going to see Ted." Shaun added finishing his tea.
Captain Edward Frazer was sitting in the command tent going over the latest Intel reports when Shaun walked in, he waved him to take a seat as he placed the latest dispatches to the side of his desk.
"Bobby reports the usual traffic," he murmured, referring to Lieutenant Robert Dole, who had relieved Shaun on the Benghazi road watch.
Shaun knew that Second Lieutenant Tim Morris was due at the end of the following week to relieve Bobby.
Ted looked at him, "Problem?" he enquired.
"Sue's engine has had it; if we can't replace it, we won't be going out."
Ted rocked back in his seat, "As bad as that?"
"Titch has looked it over, if he says its Kaput then you know it is."
Ted nodded understanding, "I'll contact command again and raise hell with them. But I know what they'll say beforehand. The convoys are not getting through. The Jerrys have increased their Luftwaffe at Dena. They have 40 Dornier's and 30 Henkel's as well has 109's based there by last reports.
Ted sighed, "Any ideas?"
"It's a long shot, but what about Aly Barber?" Shaun asked.
Ted smiled, "Well if anyone has one, then you can bet that old rogue is the one to have it. Are you going into Alex tomorrow?"
Shaun nodded. Ted continued "I'll give him a ring to pave the way for you."
Chapter 2
The Ford staff car pulled up outside the small shop in the poorer part of Alexandria. A weather beaten sign announced it has the Egyptian Curio and Memorabilia Bazar.
Shaun climbed out of the back as Titch and Sargent Blake extracted themselves from the front.
"Let me do the talking," he warned the two, as he opened the door.
The shop was cluttered with phony Egyptian artefacts, German and Italian medals, uniform parts and webbing. Helmets and Afrika Korps caps. The junk that the Bedouins had found at the various battles and skirmishes that had taken place, somehow it had all arrived here.
Shaun knew that Aly did a thriving business with the Officers and men, who because of their position in the rear areas, were never likely to hear a shot fired in anger. Keen to buy something that would prove what a warrior they had been when they returned home. What was on display, was only a fraction of what Aly kept in the back room where the good stuff was.
At the sound of the bell that hung over the door Aly appeared. For once he didn't appear so happy to see customers.
"Ah, Lieutenant Ramage, your commanding officer said I should be seeing you today." He said something to his assistant, then indicated to Shaun to follow him into his Office.