"With what?" by Zen Karp (excerpt from H.L.I. and WWII)
Lieutenant Chuck Campbell was in a semi conscious state when Major Edwards came up to his trench, sometime just after midnight:
"Charlie," he said, "I have to go to an O Group at brigade, I want you to come with me."
Like a zombie, Chuck climbed out and followed him. His body and mind seemed as though they were functioning on reflexes only. Like the others by this time, he was feeling completely drained.
Yet he managed to keep operating. All day after consolidation, he had relayed information on the Regiment=s situation to brigade, and also kept the information between the companies flowing. He had argued over the radio with the Brigade commander, telling him that there was no high ground further ahead to occupy, and so they would hold their position.
Meanwhile, he and RSM George Rutherford had been dodging heavy shelling the whole time, looking for an appropriate trench or shell hole to command from. They also mustered transportation wherever they could to take casualties back to the RAP.
One of the more surreal events was early in the evening, when the brigade commander arrived in his armored scout car. Perched high in his vehicle, Brigadier Cunningham seemed somehow detached and unaware of the overwhelming violence that had just taken place when he looked down at Chuck, hailing him Alike and old friend@:
AI hear they=ve been bouncing shells of your head all day!@ he said to Charlie. It was the wrong thing to say.
When Lt. Campbell and Major Edwards arrived for orders, it was approaching 0200.
At the new advance brigade post, Major Geordie Edwards attended orders with the other two battalion commanders and Brigadier Cunningham. Geordie Edwards was both furious and grief-stricken. He had been left behind as an LOB, and watched the battalion and his colleagues go into a meat grinder until Colonel Griffiths was wounded, after which he took command of what was left. When Brigadier General Cunningham told the assembled officers they weren’t stopping before going into Caen, Geordie Edwards became outraged, and so were the other battalion commanders. Chuck Campbell was present in the meeting:
"They said we're going into Caen, and he (Edwards) said 'With what?' We don't have anyone left!@29
"Charlie," he said, "I have to go to an O Group at brigade, I want you to come with me."
Like a zombie, Chuck climbed out and followed him. His body and mind seemed as though they were functioning on reflexes only. Like the others by this time, he was feeling completely drained.
Yet he managed to keep operating. All day after consolidation, he had relayed information on the Regiment=s situation to brigade, and also kept the information between the companies flowing. He had argued over the radio with the Brigade commander, telling him that there was no high ground further ahead to occupy, and so they would hold their position.
Meanwhile, he and RSM George Rutherford had been dodging heavy shelling the whole time, looking for an appropriate trench or shell hole to command from. They also mustered transportation wherever they could to take casualties back to the RAP.
One of the more surreal events was early in the evening, when the brigade commander arrived in his armored scout car. Perched high in his vehicle, Brigadier Cunningham seemed somehow detached and unaware of the overwhelming violence that had just taken place when he looked down at Chuck, hailing him Alike and old friend@:
AI hear they=ve been bouncing shells of your head all day!@ he said to Charlie. It was the wrong thing to say.
When Lt. Campbell and Major Edwards arrived for orders, it was approaching 0200.
At the new advance brigade post, Major Geordie Edwards attended orders with the other two battalion commanders and Brigadier Cunningham. Geordie Edwards was both furious and grief-stricken. He had been left behind as an LOB, and watched the battalion and his colleagues go into a meat grinder until Colonel Griffiths was wounded, after which he took command of what was left. When Brigadier General Cunningham told the assembled officers they weren’t stopping before going into Caen, Geordie Edwards became outraged, and so were the other battalion commanders. Chuck Campbell was present in the meeting:
"They said we're going into Caen, and he (Edwards) said 'With what?' We don't have anyone left!@29
posted by scot at 12:51 PM
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