Story of Charlie Dowzell (4): Behind Enemy Lines
Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2005 1:08 pmPart 3 here
I aroused to find myself covered in soot, shrapnel and blood. The light was fading and the sound of Daimler-Benz engines filled the skies. Suddenly I remembered what had happened. The ambush - the dogfiht - the crash.
I suddenyl scrambled to my feet. Ignoring the searing pain on the left of my head, I stumbeld towards a tree and wiped the debris and blood off. And there, in the middle of the field, lay the wreckage of my Hurricane.
Well, I thought to myself as I paced towards the Hurricane wreckage, at least I'm alive. Bad idea.
Becuase of my movement, three Messerschmitt BF-109's saw me, and decided to come my way. I stood, as the trio of deadly attackers closed in. Then, only then, I decided to run.
Somehow, I reached a house without getting shot too badly. I tracer grazed my ear, and I grew progressively weaker.
I pressed myself against the wall, hoping that my profile would now be difficult to hit. I watched the BF-109's circle, frantically searching for me. I felt my heart. It was beating profusely.
Sliding along the wall, I soon discovered what would bring me my escape:-
An old Jaguar!! My freedom!! I thought, as I then saw the owner of the vehicle bring a few petrol canisters along with him.
Hiding my RAF badges, I stumbled up to him. "Entschuldigen Sie mich," I said to him. He turend slowly.
"Was?" he said, looking at me with a puzzled expresion.
"Ich--" K began, suddenly hitting him. He wheezed, and collapsed.
Fumbling for the keys, I took them from his jacket and started the Jag. Strange to find one of these in France, I thought.
The engine roared as I pulled away. Fortunately, this would cover me from the BF-109's, and hopefully, get me to freedom.
Gently, I follwed the road. All those years of learning French and German were paying off, as I navigated along through the French hills.
After about an hour of driving through a forest, I came to a roadblock. Damn, I thought, 2 German soldiers and a Panzer III aren't going to be easy to slip through without getting caught.
I cruised up to the roadblock as a German soldier approached me. "Gutenabend, Sir," (Good evening, Sir) he told me. "Wo werden Sie vorangegangen?" (Where are you heading?)
"Umm.......Dijon, dann entlang nach Deutschland." I replied. (Umm....Dijon, then through to Germany.)
"Hmm......" the soldier said. I felt my heart go into overdrive. "Dieses ist die Stra
I aroused to find myself covered in soot, shrapnel and blood. The light was fading and the sound of Daimler-Benz engines filled the skies. Suddenly I remembered what had happened. The ambush - the dogfiht - the crash.
I suddenyl scrambled to my feet. Ignoring the searing pain on the left of my head, I stumbeld towards a tree and wiped the debris and blood off. And there, in the middle of the field, lay the wreckage of my Hurricane.
Well, I thought to myself as I paced towards the Hurricane wreckage, at least I'm alive. Bad idea.
Becuase of my movement, three Messerschmitt BF-109's saw me, and decided to come my way. I stood, as the trio of deadly attackers closed in. Then, only then, I decided to run.
Somehow, I reached a house without getting shot too badly. I tracer grazed my ear, and I grew progressively weaker.
I pressed myself against the wall, hoping that my profile would now be difficult to hit. I watched the BF-109's circle, frantically searching for me. I felt my heart. It was beating profusely.
Sliding along the wall, I soon discovered what would bring me my escape:-
An old Jaguar!! My freedom!! I thought, as I then saw the owner of the vehicle bring a few petrol canisters along with him.
Hiding my RAF badges, I stumbled up to him. "Entschuldigen Sie mich," I said to him. He turend slowly.
"Was?" he said, looking at me with a puzzled expresion.
"Ich--" K began, suddenly hitting him. He wheezed, and collapsed.
Fumbling for the keys, I took them from his jacket and started the Jag. Strange to find one of these in France, I thought.
The engine roared as I pulled away. Fortunately, this would cover me from the BF-109's, and hopefully, get me to freedom.
Gently, I follwed the road. All those years of learning French and German were paying off, as I navigated along through the French hills.
After about an hour of driving through a forest, I came to a roadblock. Damn, I thought, 2 German soldiers and a Panzer III aren't going to be easy to slip through without getting caught.
I cruised up to the roadblock as a German soldier approached me. "Gutenabend, Sir," (Good evening, Sir) he told me. "Wo werden Sie vorangegangen?" (Where are you heading?)
"Umm.......Dijon, dann entlang nach Deutschland." I replied. (Umm....Dijon, then through to Germany.)
"Hmm......" the soldier said. I felt my heart go into overdrive. "Dieses ist die Stra
