Taking men at their words! (From Penarth Times)

Taking men at their words!

By MV Elliott

AT the briefing, before the landing on the German occupied Island of Vhar, off the Yugoslav coast on March 23, 1944, we were told the following:

If we should meet any force while approaching our starting position it would most likely be C Troop of our Commando or if not it would be the Yugoslav partisans who were also taking part in the raid.

After a very stiff climb up from the landing beach - very dark, very cold, with snow on the hills - we bumped into a party coming up from the other direction.

My Corporal Ray Smith, who was leading our sub-section of which I was the No 1 on the Bren gun, shouted: "Is that C Troop, this is A Troop?"

No answer.

Corporal Smith again: "Is that the partisans, we are Inglesi (as we were told to say)?"

No answer.

Our Captain came up and said: "What the devil's the hold up?", at the same time shining his torch which he had fixed to his waist belt.

He shouted: "Good God, Germans!"

Then there was quite a melee, everyone shooting at one another and hand grenades and stick grenades being freely thrown about.