He never saw the mine which exploded under him, tearing the bike to pieces and throwing him clear of the wreckage to land heavily in the road. The bikes fuel tank had exploded on impact and a brief fireball rose quickly turning to thick black smoke. The following vehicles ground to a halt narrowly avoiding each other in the dust.
Stuck lay stunned on his back in the road. He was briefly aware that something had thrown him bodily off his bike. There was an initial feeling of pain around his loins and buttocks but that whole area was now numb with the shock. His vision was poor due to the dust on his goggles and he reached up with his right hand to remove them. His actions were slow, his senses dull. He could hear his breathing. He couldn’t find his goggles with his hand. Something red dripped onto the goggle lenses.
‘I’m hurt,’ went through his mind.
He was vaguely aware of shadows appearing around him. He could now taste blood in his mouth. Then the daylight was blinding him. Someone had removed his goggles. He turned his head to his right side.
’I’ve lost my arm!’
It was just a stump. It was missing from the elbow down. Strangely he still felt no pain. He was aware of people standing over him. He needed a drink of water. He tried to speak but couldn’t.
“What’s going on now?” the Doctor asked.
Koenig reached for the door handle.
“I’ll find out Doctor von Brest.”
He made his way through the stopped vehicles ordering personnel to remain as they were. Then he could see the wreckage. Black, twisted metal, some still burning. Then he saw the red in the road.
“Dear God!”
Major Otto Wurtz was running up the road behind him. They stopped together and looked down at Stuck, looking tiny without his legs. Koenig put his hand over his mouth. There was a motorcyclist standing on either side of the fatally injured man. One of them had removed his goggles.
“Is he still alive?” Koenig asked through his horror.
The man holding the goggles nodded.
Wurtz undid his hip holster and pulled out his Luger handgun. He offered it to Koenig who looked at it in horror and shook his head. Wurtz cocked it and approached the mash of flesh that was once a man. Stuck was bleeding to death and fast. Nonetheless Wurtz pointed the Luger at close range and fired. Koenig jumped involuntarily at the shot. Wurtz put the Luger away, bent down and ripped Stuck’s dog tags from his neck.
“Drag it out of the road,” he ordered the two standing by.
“Yes sir. Shall we bury him sir?”
“Be quick about it. You’ll have to catch up.”
He turned and held out the dog tags so they dangled from his hand.
“One of yours I believe.”
Koenig took them.
“What was it?” the Doctor asked as they got back into the Mercedes.
“One of the motorcycles ran over a mine. The rider is dead.”
“Are we able to get through it?”
Koenig looked at him incredulously.
‘Cold hearted bastard’ he was thinking.
“Yes,” Wurtz replied calmly.
The Doctor leaned forward and tapped the driver on the shoulder.
“Drive on.”
The Mercedes wound its way through the wreckage. They stopped at the front of the vehicles. Two sappers were in the road with mine detecting equipment. They moved to the side as Koenig wound down the window.
“You’ll have to wait here sir. We’re just checking for other mines.”
The breeze blew the photograph across the road. It came to rest against a very small thorn bush. A photograph of Klaus Stuck’s wife and baby daughter.
Alfred Dennis and the engineers had heard the explosion. They were, most of them getting to their feet. A cloud of black smoke was rising over the distant hills.
“What the bloody hell was that?” Wilf spoke next to his friend.
Alf was studying the smoke. He didn’t answer.
“One of those planes from earlier?”
Alf shook his head.
“No they are long gone.”
He continued watching it for a minute.
“Johnny,” he called finally.
Larder came forward.
“Yes sir.”
“Take someone with you, take that truck and find out what that was.”
“Yes sir,” Johnny replied excitedly.
“Larder!”
Johnny stopped. Alf smiled at him.
“Be careful private.”
“Yes sergeant.”
Johnny grabbed his friend from the pub that night, Tim, and together they crossed over to the Bedford. Burroughs tossed him a pair of binoculars which he caught mid air. They climbed into the truck, Johnny started it and they waved as they drove away. Alf and Burroughs watched them go.
“He really is a good lad Alf.”
Alf patted his friend around the shoulder.
“He’s the best Wilf.”
They turned at the sound of engines from behind. More British trucks arriving and one jeep. An officer climbed out. He was English, a Major, but wearing the uniform of the 4 Indian army.
The engineers saluted. The salute was returned.
“Who’s in charge here?”
“That would be me sir Captain William Rogers of the royal engineers.”
“I am Major Basil Shaw. We are here to help you with the removal and relocation of enemy mines and assist with some tanks that need recovery. You and your men are to place yourselves under my command. Any questions?”
“None sir.”
“Very well,” Shaw said looking around “Is this all the men you have?”
“Yes sir apart from two I’ve sent to investigate an explosion over there,” Rogers said pointing to the drifting smoke “I also have a man dead.”
“What happened to him?”
“Would you believe an American pilot.”
“An American.”
“Two P40’s strafed us. Two of my men were hit in the legs. One died. The other needs a hospital but there’s no hope out here. We’ll have to hope he’ll pull through.”
Major Shaw nodded.
“Very well. We’ll do everything we can for him,” he stopped “What’s that over there?”
“Two dead Germans. We found them.”
An Indian sergeant arrived. All the Indians were wearing turbans.
“Shall I let the men disembark Major?”
“No sergeant Singh. We’ll move out as soon as the rest of Captain….?”
“Rogers sir.”
“As soon as Captain Rogers men are back. Do you have a medical orderly?”
“Unfortunately he’s the one over there with his legs shot up.”
“Sergeant Singh find medic Sanjay, ask him to tend to the injured engineer, ask him sergeant to report to me personally the mans condition. Remind him that there is no possibility of getting to a hospital.”
Rogers saluted.
“Thank you for what you’ve done sir.”
“Sanjay’s skills are very accomplished. You need not worry about your man. Now Captain, sergeant, perhaps we could consult our maps.”
“Of course sir.”
“Race you,” Johnny laughed as he and Tim ran up the slope of a large dune. They had driven the road towards where they had seen the smoke earlier. Then they had left the road and parked the truck behind a dune to hide. Now they were scrambling up the sand pulling at each others shirts to be the first one to reach the top. Tim got there first and threw himself down. Johnny was about to charge past when Tim grabbed him and pulled him down.
“Keep down Johnny,” Tim spoke quietly “Look they’re about a mile away I’d guess,” Tim put the binoculars up to his face “Just as I feared they’re Germans!”
Johnny could make out people moving and trucks parked. There were some black objects in the road which he assumed was what had caused the smoke.