Shot Down and the Long Walk Back (part 2)

NOW! all these happenings had not given me any realisation of what day it was, or what time it was etc. THEN, I suddenly woke up. Scratching my neck and face as I was aware that something was crawling over me? Waking with a start made me aware that dawn had arrived and it was a nice bright morning. At the same time I was aware that I was alive with mice which infested the hay stack. Brushing them off frantically, I heard noises from the farmyard. Raising up carefully I saw a couple of people, an old man and a younger one. They LOOKED to me as if they could be friendly and so I called out (after a sudden realisation that I was in France) "Bonjour!". There was an instant reaction. The younger called something that sounded like "Restez la!" and he made a sign to hide further down in the stack. This I did, wondering if I should have spoken out or not. Shortly after I found a small dog bouncing up to me and licking my face all over. Then the young man came up and handed me a large sandwich with something like a sausage in it. IT WAS VERY GOOD. I explained - in my bad French - that I was an R.A.F. man shot down on January(janvier) 20th. I said I was very thirsty! , he said something I didn't understand. He then made signs for me to stay where I was and he would be coming back later. I watched him climb back down and as I had given the dog a bit of my sandwich, he stayed with me. The man called the dog back to him.
As I watched him walk across the farmyard there was a sudden roaring noise, PANICKING!! I looked up and saw three lorry-loads of Gerries! out they jumped and rushed into the yard shouting orders or whatever it was!!. I thought ' THIS IS IT'! NOT wanting to get caught so easily I then dived back down into the bottom of the stack. I lay on my back and waited for them to find me. They seemed to be going all over the place. Next there was a lot of grunting and stamping and funny swishing noises. To my horror there were bayonets swishing about all around me - they were prodding the stack.! I lay there hardly daring to breathe. TERRIFIED! they went all round my body BUT (my lucky day) they missed me. What with all this happening I reckon that I must have passed-out with all the excitement. I was next aware of someone pulling me. I started to fight and then realised it was the two men from the farm. They made me understand that the Gerries had left and it was safe to come out of the stack.
I was then able to think a little of WHY the soldiers had come to the farm. Then it struck me, what I had done to that soldier in the forest!. By now the men had taken me to a most peculiar looking rock-like wall. It turned out to be a sliding door into a lovely warm barn. They had a small table and a couple of chairs ready. I sat down and they pushed a large mug in front of me and I drank some of the most lovely MILK I had ever tasted. NOTHING could be so beautiful as that drink then. This was my FIRST drink since bailing out. With this thought in mind I asked - in terrible French once again- "Quelle jour est ce?" They smiled, it was Friday!!. I was most surprised and asked if they were SURE. They nodded. This was the first indication that I had been running on and off since the previous Sunday!!!.
By now the time was slipping by and it was nearly evening. I made sign to get up and go!. They were very concerned and made signs for me to remain for the night and get rested. I shook my head and with my schoolboy French said " the Germans might come back and they would be in big trouble!" After a little while I think they realised that I was right and they produced a large Michelin map for me to look at. I asked for a pencil and was about to mark a route on it. They got VERY agitated, snatched the pencil and made me understand that IF the Gerries caught me and found the map it would lead them straight back to the farm?. Then they made cutting movements across their throats and said "Kaput, Kaput". Meaning of course that they would be shot!. (In case you were not aware, THIS is how the Germans treated all those they suspected of helping people like me - especially British Airmen.) Always remembering that our training was a long affair and so a shortage would help the Germans in the long run.
Finally I waved them Goodbye with a lot of embracing and kissing on both cheeks. I had not known that this was their way of saying goodbye.!! OF COURSE, I was in France now.

How? did I know I was in France - having baled-out over Germany?. The friendly farmer pointed out that as I had been walking since Sunday , I had most likely parachuted into Old Luxembourg (now fully overrun by Germans).
From them pointing the direction I wished to go, I set off towards the Southwest. It had started to get slightly less bright and so nightfall was not far off. They still kept on trying to make me stay, but after my frightening experience in the haystack there was no way I wished to stay!. Besides, SHOULD the Germans return to the farm, they might have easily surprised us and I did not want them to get in any trouble.
I then set off at a steady walk, wearing and old overcoat over the top of my uniform. I seemed to walk for ages. (NO RAIN, for which I was very grateful.) Darkness fell and I decided that as I was still dry and reasonably warm I should find some sort of shelter for the night. I found an old shed in a small wood and curled up and fell asleep. When I woke up, it was daylight and I set off at a fairly good pace. This became more of a shuffle as I suddenly got very tired, physically that is!. I now realised that I had a dull throbbing pain in the lower part of my body - from the waist down - shrugged it off as being bruised from the parachute fall etc. As the day went on I had met several people passing by, they mumbled at me and I grunted in response.
During this day I just kept a steady pace and went through a couple of small villages. One place I remember was fairly big and it led to a bridge across a pretty wide and deep-looking river, flowing quite fast. The old French tune came to mind, 'sur le pont D'Avignon'. I didn't remember any other words so I just hummed it to myself for a bit. ALL the time keeping a watchful eye for Germans. I seemed to have been walking for hours and hours! It was now getting dark again. Being out in the countryside, I looked around for another night-stop. A shed maybe?. This time I was unlucky and so I pulled my overcoat over my head and curled up into a ball and fell asleep. Not that I was sleepy tired, just sheer exhaustion. Waking up I was very cold and very stiff! It took me all of half an hour to be able to get moving in a proper way. I seemed unable to move as I wanted. Finally I set off.

I kept a good look-out for Germans, but being in the country there didn't seem to be any about! I walked on and on getting hungrier and hungrier!. It was well past midday and I was in a hazy frame of mind. I found that I was rambling away to myself and doing silly movements. I found I was trying to do handstands on the roadway? All sorts of things. After a little while ( having not passed anyone) I saw a farm that was a fair way back from the roadway (more of a track really). I approached carefully! I didn't want to get caught now, having got this far. Ideas of meeting up with the French Resistance had crossed my mind several times. I decided that if it was my luck to get picked up by them, then I would try to stay with them. Like all young men, I had thoughts of having a gun and shooting every bloody German I could! I sound as if I was a bit crazy, perhaps I was at that time?.
As I walked through the farm gate I was rushed by two or three large geese. I was in no mood to be put off by them and made a bit of a noise like a dog barking - this had the desired effect and I reached the farm door. I knocked and there was no reply. I didn't want the geese at me again so I walked in.
There was a fairly large room with a LOVELY FIRE at one end. I looked at the table and it seemed to be set for a meal. I just couldn't resist taking, what seemed like Yorkshire Pudding and gobbled it down in great huge mouthfuls. I was then overtaken with a great feeling of 'Couldn't care less'! I was SO tired! I just fell in front of the fire and was instantly asleep.

"WHAT THE HELL!!!" I HEARD MYSELF SHOUTING AND STARTED TO STRUGGLE!. suddenly my hair(which I had a lot of in those days) was pulled and my head forced back and a large sort of bread knife was held against my throat!! A rough French voice said "QUI EST VOUS?" (WHO ARE YOU?) I managed to gasp that I was an R.A.F. man. They didn't let go of me for quite a while. I thought this is it!! They will turn me over to the Gerries! ALL I was able to really say to them, I was really dry in my throat - fear I suppose- was "J'ai swaffe!!" (I am thirsty). I was given a glass of water. This I drank quickly and asked for some more. Then they smiled and sat me down on a chair. THIS time I had a feeling that I would be alright. After a lot of signs with hands and TRYING to remember my poor schoolboy French! I was able to tell them what I had being doing during the last few days since I was shot down. The older man knew a few words of English and said that he had been a soldier in the First World War. Then they fed me and talked and talked. I began to get very sleepy. There was by this time several people in the room. A young man and what seemed to be his fiancée,. two other women and another younger man. I was persuaded to go into another room and was shown a very high bed. I was made to understand that I would be safe with them and to get into bed. I took off my outer clothes and tried to get into bed. It was SO HIGH. I had to stand on a chair to get into it! I remember lying on the pillow then, ZONK! I was asleep.
I was dreaming of running away from the Germans when suddenly I was awake. This woman was pulling at my arm and speaking to me! WHAT on earth was she saying? it was all funny and I didn't make any sense of it. THEN I realised where I was and said "pardonez moi" (pardon me). She smiled and made signs for me to drink from the mug she was holding. I went to hold it and found to my horror that I could not keep it still. She helped me and finally I was able to finish it myself. I got out of bed and had a quick wash with some cold water! She then led me into the next room and the men were there, they started asking questions again. I remembered not to give anything away that might help the Germans or whatever. They finally convinced me that they were really friendly and I told them I had been shot down and that I was trying to get to the south of France. If they knew any Marquis resistance men I would like to join them and fight the Gerries.
I remained there for the next couple of days or so. Not really being aware of how the days were passing by. I think it must have been three days that I was with them? The man who had been a soldier in the First World War came and told me that he was taking me to some place that was safer for me. To this day I cannot remember whether we walked, rode bikes, went in a horse and cart OR WHAT? I found myself speaking ENGLISH of all things! It was a youngish lady with a very small young son running around the farm. She said she was English and was married to a Frenchman before the War. Her son was about two years old.
I stayed at this farmhouse for several days, I am almost sure it was for five nights. During this time I was allowed downstairs for meals. I was up in a small attic room and resting in bed mostly. As I got fidgety and wanted exercise, I persuaded her to let me go out in the early evenings and wander around the area. THIS was only on the understanding that I kept away from the farm at all times and only returned after dark. To get in I had to climb up the drain pipe and crawl in the window of my small room. They told me to be as quiet as possible But when I was finally in, to bang gently on the floor to signal my return. She would then bring me and apple or such like. All this time she did not say where her husband was or what he was doing? I formed the opinion that he was fighting somewhere, perhaps with the Marquis?

After four nights a man appeared and said something to the woman which she translated to me. First she asked if I could ride a bike? Then she said I was to go to bed early as we would set off very early in the morning! We actually set off about 3.00am and she went off at speed , I had difficulty keeping up with her. We had no lights, obviously. I tried hard to keep up with her. I thought I was fit, she was fitter! After cycling for what seemed HOURS!, we stopped and she told me to leave the bike in the hedge - it would be picked up later on. We then walked for about an hour!, keeping very much to the shadows so as not to be spotted by anyone. We entered a small village and she made me understand that to be seen by the Germans would be the end of it all!!
The place was full of soldiers and I followed very closely. Suddenly I heard a peculiar noise. Being an airman I had never been very close to TANKS! It was the noise of their tracks on the cobbled roads. She whispered for me to stand in a shallow doorway and to NOT face outwards, as my white face would be easily seen. To my amazement they were very large tanks with a SKULL of sorts painted on the front!. They were so close to me that had I not been in the doorway they would certainly have crushed me!.

This event got to me a bit and I found myself shaking and quivering for quite some time. My guide then grabbed me and led me off to another street. By now it was getting light, there were several people stood around where she was with me. I understood it to be a bus stop and we would be getting on. When it arrived there was only one seat left at the back of the bus, to my horror it was next to a soldier who had a rifle with him. There was no way round this so I just sat down and kept my face down into the collar of my old overcoat!. After several stops we had picked up three more soldiers. I assumed they were 'Living out' as we would call it and reporting in each morning!

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