Post by Jonathan Strange on Jan 10, 2010 8:26:09 GMT
Location: Small town south of Cherbourg, France
Time of Day: 14:00
Weather Conditions: Clear, no wind
Mappy Map
Strange found himself in an odd position. He had been relegated to two rear areas at once. To the north of his current location, the Allied armies were pushing up the Cotentin Peninsula toward the port city of Cherbourg; to the south they were pushing down into France proper. Right between them was Second Lieutenant Jonathan Strange. Ever since the debacle on the Merderet, he'd been given minor assignments like his current one, though they were slowly getting more important as other officers got themselves killed in the aforementioned offensives.
At current, he was guarding a recently captured train station. This wasn't just any station, it was a bottleneck on the way to Cherbourg. Most of the supplies going to Cherbourg had past by this station. Not anymore, though. The main line of supply for the German defenders in the city had been cut, and Strange was sitting on the wound. It was a sort of minorly-important assignment. If the station was lost then the Germans could rush supplies north to the city and revive the defense. But that wasn't likely as the frontlines were miles away.
Rear area jobs weren't so bad... there were certain perks. Like mail delivery and hot food. Not that those weren't available on the frontlines... just much more reliable and common in the rear areas. He'd actually gotten the regular letters from his sister, Lilly, within a few weeks of their post mark rather than the months it had taken when he was on the bleeding-edge of the advance.
Strange checked his dirty old watch, and let out a sigh of relief when it revealed that his watch was over. Most of his platoon had been commandeered by the Captain for some job or other, so, stretched thin, Strange himself had to join his men on watch. The lieutenant stretched out a little and yawned as he lifted himself from his position on the balcony of the train station.
"Alright, boys, our watch is over. How about some nice warm beans?" The two soldiers with him grinned, they'd been up there since breakfast at 06:00 and they were all ready for a bite to eat. Strange leaned over the edge of the balcony and called down to Corporal Howard and his squad, "Howard! Your turn to watch the paint dry." Faint chuckles drifted across the vast emptiness of the deserted station from the group of men reclining on the furniture scattered about. "Come on, lazy asses!" heckled the lieutenant on his way down the grand staircase at the rear of the station. The new watch quickened their pace slightly and were on the way up the stairs by the time Strange got to the bottom.
Mail had arrived during Strange's watch, so his first stop on his way to the fluffy couches laying about was a small sack near the ticket booths to the side of the staircase. The size of the sack was deceiving. Despite looking like it could hold a few pounds of letters, there were only five envelops (already opened by even rear-er troops).
"Ah... let's see... Zucker, there's two for you. One for Paddock and another for Fickland. They can get there's after their watch. Ah, and here's one for me." Zucker jogged over and retrieved his letter before running off to a quiet corner for a nap.
"Uh... nothing for me, sir?" questioned Private Brazeau. He never seemed to get much mail from his wife. The pitiful look on his face every time mail came by left a weight on Strange's soldiers.
"No, not this time. Sorry." Strange humored the man with a second look into the sack even though he knew there would be nothing inside. Brazeau's eyes feel to his feet at the answer.
"Cheer up, Jay. Come on, let's have some chocolate and beans. Meal of heroes." Brazeau didn't say anything but followed the lieutenant to one of the more comfortable couches. Strange produced two steel cans of beans and chocolate bar from underneath the couch, his own personal stash. After digging through his pack next to the couch he pulled out a small burner for heating up food and lit it. Next he used his bayonet to open one of the cans and sat it upon the burner.
Strange unwrapped the chocolate, snapped it in half (no easy task), and handed over to Brazeau who gratefully took it and began gnawing on the massive hunk of sugar.
While waiting for the can to heat up, Strange (re)opened his letter from Lilly. If it weren't for his sister, he'd have no knowledge over anything back home. He frowned at the thought as he settled into the couch and began reading.
Time of Day: 14:00
Weather Conditions: Clear, no wind
Mappy Map
Strange found himself in an odd position. He had been relegated to two rear areas at once. To the north of his current location, the Allied armies were pushing up the Cotentin Peninsula toward the port city of Cherbourg; to the south they were pushing down into France proper. Right between them was Second Lieutenant Jonathan Strange. Ever since the debacle on the Merderet, he'd been given minor assignments like his current one, though they were slowly getting more important as other officers got themselves killed in the aforementioned offensives.
At current, he was guarding a recently captured train station. This wasn't just any station, it was a bottleneck on the way to Cherbourg. Most of the supplies going to Cherbourg had past by this station. Not anymore, though. The main line of supply for the German defenders in the city had been cut, and Strange was sitting on the wound. It was a sort of minorly-important assignment. If the station was lost then the Germans could rush supplies north to the city and revive the defense. But that wasn't likely as the frontlines were miles away.
***
Rear area jobs weren't so bad... there were certain perks. Like mail delivery and hot food. Not that those weren't available on the frontlines... just much more reliable and common in the rear areas. He'd actually gotten the regular letters from his sister, Lilly, within a few weeks of their post mark rather than the months it had taken when he was on the bleeding-edge of the advance.
Strange checked his dirty old watch, and let out a sigh of relief when it revealed that his watch was over. Most of his platoon had been commandeered by the Captain for some job or other, so, stretched thin, Strange himself had to join his men on watch. The lieutenant stretched out a little and yawned as he lifted himself from his position on the balcony of the train station.
"Alright, boys, our watch is over. How about some nice warm beans?" The two soldiers with him grinned, they'd been up there since breakfast at 06:00 and they were all ready for a bite to eat. Strange leaned over the edge of the balcony and called down to Corporal Howard and his squad, "Howard! Your turn to watch the paint dry." Faint chuckles drifted across the vast emptiness of the deserted station from the group of men reclining on the furniture scattered about. "Come on, lazy asses!" heckled the lieutenant on his way down the grand staircase at the rear of the station. The new watch quickened their pace slightly and were on the way up the stairs by the time Strange got to the bottom.
Mail had arrived during Strange's watch, so his first stop on his way to the fluffy couches laying about was a small sack near the ticket booths to the side of the staircase. The size of the sack was deceiving. Despite looking like it could hold a few pounds of letters, there were only five envelops (already opened by even rear-er troops).
"Ah... let's see... Zucker, there's two for you. One for Paddock and another for Fickland. They can get there's after their watch. Ah, and here's one for me." Zucker jogged over and retrieved his letter before running off to a quiet corner for a nap.
"Uh... nothing for me, sir?" questioned Private Brazeau. He never seemed to get much mail from his wife. The pitiful look on his face every time mail came by left a weight on Strange's soldiers.
"No, not this time. Sorry." Strange humored the man with a second look into the sack even though he knew there would be nothing inside. Brazeau's eyes feel to his feet at the answer.
"Cheer up, Jay. Come on, let's have some chocolate and beans. Meal of heroes." Brazeau didn't say anything but followed the lieutenant to one of the more comfortable couches. Strange produced two steel cans of beans and chocolate bar from underneath the couch, his own personal stash. After digging through his pack next to the couch he pulled out a small burner for heating up food and lit it. Next he used his bayonet to open one of the cans and sat it upon the burner.
Strange unwrapped the chocolate, snapped it in half (no easy task), and handed over to Brazeau who gratefully took it and began gnawing on the massive hunk of sugar.
While waiting for the can to heat up, Strange (re)opened his letter from Lilly. If it weren't for his sister, he'd have no knowledge over anything back home. He frowned at the thought as he settled into the couch and began reading.
