Crosswire Conspiracy Part 3 (2/3) By Buick McCain

(1/3), (2/3), (3/3). Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

The normal routine was basic training from 6am until lunch and then we were divided into relevant sections. The mechanically minded were taught how to decommission trains, motor cars and motor cycles with utmost speed and efficiency. Former building engineers learned the most expedient methods of blowing up bridges and railway lines using plastic explosive which is incredibly light and comparatively easy to use. The rest of us, about a dozen, were taken from the camp each day and driven to a remote farmhouse about a mile from the coast. It was there that our language skills were honed, I appeared to have a south westerly French lilt to my accent but our work was to be predominantly in the north.

We were taught Morse, and how to encode and decode messages and how to assemble wireless transceivers. On one occasion we had a famous make up artist who worked with all the big stars teach us how to completely change your appearance to avoid surveillance or detection.

One things for sure, I will never be able to watch a gangster film again, all that shooting from the hip and hitting your man between the eyes at fifty paces is right baloney! You couldn't hit a barn door doing it Cagney style. We had a right hard bastard teaching us small arms weapons training and he also taught us the delicate art of slicing a mans windpipe with a small blade while simultaneously holding the enemies mouth closed to avoid "Dead mans air"

Maybe I had a sadistic side in me but I rather enjoyed the man to man combat, the knowledge that you could end another mans life in seconds gave me a chilling thrill.

For two weeks we underwent the rather frightening experience of low level parachute jumping at Ringway just outside Manchester, apparently, many agents had been lost through bad landings, so the dry drops, that is jumping from a static platform, and the real thing was more or less non-stop. After the fortnight at Ringway we went directly to the New Forest to learn more about undercover work. For over a month we memorised cover stories, how to arrange secret meetings and passwords, and more on the benefits of a good disguise.

We were taken into Southampton under instructions to spot our potential enemy watchers, memorise where and when we had seen them and lose them. On return I rather proudly reported the seven "enemy" agents. There were eighteen in total and one of them had been following me from the start! Bastards. Back to the classroom for all of us. We went through this routine for another week and not one of us managed to spot the entire watching team but it taught us all not to be complacent in our work.

We were given 24 hour passes so four of us decided to go down to Portsmouth for a day and night of debauchery and fun but it all went rather flat. All along the south coast towns and cities lay in ruins. Portsmouth harbour was a wreck with the remains of Royal Navy vessels lay throughout the dock In the city itself schools, hospitals and churches had been bombed. Thousands were homeless

We returned to camp early and I fell asleep thinking of those poor sods that I had seen today. I remember a thud to my stomach and strong arms pulling me from the bed. There were boots flying into my upper body and shouts and yells in a foreign language. I wasn't sure if I was dreaming then one of my attackers threw a bucket of cold water over me.

Continued .... Next Page (3/3)

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