The Midnight Sun - 19.10.1940, Síða 3

THE MIDNIGHT SUN
3
I^ass away tlie winter months
— one could collect a set and
the first man to get — and so
on. The game was evidently
called „Code Names“ and one
had to tell the Adjutant you’d
received, them at the same time
swear an oath that you’d „de-
stroyed all previous lists“. Tliis
was terrific — not only did one
collect these names but there
was evidently a sort of mys-
tery touch too — „leave no
trace“, „destroy your tracks“
— Edgar Wallace at his hest.
This was going to he good.
I mentioned it to my Subal-
terns at lunch and their faces
flushed with eagerness — or
something. We were to have a
jolly winter with our darts and
dominoes and code names! But
one who had recently joined
us from an O.C.T.U. damped
us — this code name business
was stark reality, it was all in
F.S.P.B. Rude awakening! Was
tliis really so? I hastily stuff-
ed the paper into my pocket
in case any lurking fifth-col-
umn mess-waiter should see it.
F.S.P.B. consulted only deep-
ened our gloom — the O.C.T.U.
was right — „formations and
units are allotted code names
by the General Staff“ (so they
were at the hottom of this) —
„in line telephony code names
will be used when either
speaker is in front of Division-
al Headquarters“.
Out came the list again. Yes,
sure enough, there they all
were — there was „Force HQ
— TABS“, „Pay, force HQ —
LUKA“, „Inf: Bde: HQ =
LUPI“, „Midnight Sun Office
= NUTS“, and there (a proud
moment) our own „Bn: HQ =
PAPA“ — how very thoughtful
of GHQ, a hoinely touch; and
hundreds more besides.
Bursting with enthusiasm
for tliis new way to outwit and
bamboozle the enemy, I
thought up some excuse to get
on the telephone and spend
the afternoon giving the ene-
my line-tappers an earful. I
would ring up the Adjutant
first and tell him I’d got the
list (not in so many words of
course) that I was in the know
— he’d understand. The sign-
allers of course would know
all about it and I rnust appear
well versed and at ease about
the whole thing — „been do-
ing this sort of thing all my
life“.
I went into the Company Of-
fice and found the signaller
busy with some trouble over
procedure — he had said
„Blocks on“ or „Ink, monkey,
ink“ or something when it
should have been „Commas
off“ — I don’t know exactly
what. Whilst he was unravell-
ing tlie matter I was reciting
all these delightful little names
over to myself. I must be word-
perfect.
He finished and looked up,
and guessing my intention
said „Line’s clear now, Sir.“
I put my pipe in my moutli
to steady myself and said,
turning away casually towards
the window, „Get me PAPA,
will you?“ There was a silence
— I looked round to find the
signaller eyeing me enquiring-
ly. „I want PAPA“ I said, „calí
them up“. — „You want who,
Sir?“ — „PAPA“ I replied, still
trying to look casual — this
was a very stupid signaller. —
I lowered my voice „I want to
speak to the Adjutant at
PAPA.“ — „But the Adjutant’s
at Battalion HQ today, isn’t he,
Sir?“ was all I got. — I had to
explain — evidently this sign-
aller hadn’t been initiated yet.
— „Give me the „phone“, I’ll
get it myself.“
He pressed the key for me
and a voice in the earpiece
said: „Blankshires Bn: HQ
speaking.“ — „Ssh!“ — I al-
rnost whispered „is tbat PAPA?
I want the Adjutant.“ — This
was followed by a series of
rather rude remarks in tlie
earpiece and tlien peels of
laughter, then recognising my
voice it was quickly suppress-
ed and the other end said
„Hold the line, Sir, I’ll get tlie
Adjutant.“ He came, but I did-
n’t mention my experience;
perhaps I was doing some-
thing wrong.
Later in the afternoon I tri-
ed this new form of entertain-
ment on a neighbouring Batta-
lion who rejoiced in the name
of „MIMI“ (according to my
list), but the result was much
the same except that the sign-
aller at the other end, not
knowing my voice, was a little
more insubordinate tlian at the
first attempt.
Feeling rather disconsolate I
decided to vait till the follow-
ing morning before doing any
more teleplioning — perhaps
by then all units would he in
the know — at present I seem-
ed to be alone in the secret.
But two more calls to other
places next morning brouglit
much the same result; neither
„SOFA“ nor „LULU“ would
play. I must tackle this ques-
tion from another angle, I
thought.
It so happened tliat that was
the day of the week wlien all
good Company Commanders
send greetings telegrams to
the Force Paymaster asking
that their bank accounts may
be given further backing —
the telegrams liad to go
through Brigade HQ. Here was
my chance to show myself an
efficient soldier in the eyes of
Brigade — what could be a
better place.
The message althoug'h writ-
ten by me must come from
Brigade officially. I sat down
and wrote. „TO TABS, from
LUPI for LUKA please credit
Kr. 2000“ etc. — and then sat
back and admired this reallv
wonderful piece of secrecy,
this was the real thing Avith
the lid off. What a bad day
for the spies!
Brimming over with „effici-
ency and clieerfulness“ like a
good officer, I walked into
Brigade Headquarters and saw
the' Intelligence Officer — a
friend of mine.
„W.ould you mind sending
this message off for me?“ I
asked. He said he wouldn’t
mind and took tlie paper. To
my dismay a hroad grin
spread across his face. „Whose
leg are you pulling?“ he said.
„Wliy?“ I asked, beginning to
experience the same sinking
disapiiointment of the dav be-
fore. „Well, who the devil is
TABS and LUKA and LUPI?“
lie replied.
This was incredible, the Bri-
gade Intelligence Officer — I
could understand him not
knowing two of tlie names by
heart but surely he must know
who „LUPI“ was — I told him.
„We are LUPI ?“ he sliouted,
and the whole Office as one
man hurst into a roar of laugh-
ter.
I retired blushing puce-col-
oured into the cool of the street
— so it was a game aíter all!
D. E. L.
SHELLS ON CHERBROURG.
An Admirality communique
has revealed that forces of tlie
Royal Navy last week carried
out a bombardment of the
enemy occupied port of Cher-
bourg where concentrations of
enemy shipping had heen de-
tected by air reconnaissance.
Planes of the R.A.F., which
added materially to the success
of the operations, reported
T« Ilekla.
The bombs are falling
where we used to love;
The enemy has found our
blessed plot;
Deatli whistles from the
heights above,
Children scream, hearts
bleed a lot,
And I am here.
O, barren solitude of fire
and snow;
Unbroken quiet, with me
your secret share,
That in this aching heart
may go
Peace, undisturbed; for she
is there
And I am here.
tliat lieavy salvoes were burst-
ing with considerable effect on
targets.
No damage or casualties
were sustained in spite of the
fact that our main forces on
their return came under fire
from shore batteries. No naval
opposition was encountered al-
though it was known that the
enemy liad light forces at
Clierbourg.
NORTHERN BRIGADE
HEADQUARTERS.
As the present Bde. H. Q.
Mess is not large enough to
accommodate all officers att-
ached, a second mess was op-
ened on 4th Oct. and shows
every promise of being a great
success. The members were
fortunate in securing ample
accommodation and each off-
icer is doing his best to make
it as comfortable as possible.
No doubt it will soon equal and
perliaps pass the first mess in
its amenities.
As all the members are jun-
ior officers, it was decided to
do away with ceremony and
tliat all members and guests
must go though a ceremony of
initiation on first entering, but
this initiation somewliat coll-
apsed when the B. M. was in-
vited ..... he had his Sun-
day uniform on!
Man is dust. Dust will settle.
Be a man.
*
„Can I speak to your moth-
er?“
„She ain’t in.“
„Tut, tut. Where is your
grammar ?“
„She ain’t in neither.“