To See The King

Chapter 7

During April and May of 1944, the British - American High Command performed deceptive maneuvers under the leadership of General George S. Patton. Although Patton had fallen from the grace of the Supreme Allied Commander, Dwight D. Eisenhower, he was still feared and respected by the Germans. This ruse worked as the German Commander in Chief in the West, Rundstedt and Field Marshal Rommel committed their strongest force, the Fifteenth army with its fifteen infantry divisions, to the Pas-de-Calais area where the Channel was at its narrowest.

Early in the morning of June 6, one British and two American Airborne Divisions had begun landing at Rennes. A general alarm was sounded thirty minutes later but the Germans figured these landings to be an Allied faint to cover the main landing at Calais. But they were so wrong. What followed was the largest armada of all time and a thousand warships sailed toward Normandy. By midafternoon, the Atlantic wall had been breached. The Americans already had a toe hold on two beaches and the British on a third and penetrating inland as far as seven miles. England rejoiced, however, nowhere was the rejoicing more boisterous than Betsy Henry's pub. Late that evening as information trickled in on the wireless the cheers grew louder.

Casey Ryan stomped about imitating Hitler, pressing his black comb against his upper lip and then over the wireless came

Winston Churchill to finally address the nation.

"Jerry now has a third front. The Famous Atlantic Wall was breached in a few hours. Early this morning the U.S. Fifth Corps, 29th Division sailed from Falmouth the U.S. Seventh Corps, First Division sailed from Dartmouth! The U.S. Fifth Corps, First Division sailed from Weymouth! British Thirtieth Corps, Fiftieth Division from Portsmouth! The British First Corps l Canadian Third Division and British Third Division from Newhaven landed on the French coast of Normandy between the Vire and Ome rivers. These assault formations have forced a solid beach head catching the Hun assault Following Divisions for these assault Corps were the U.S. Fifth Corps, Second Infantry Division from Swansea U.S. Seventh Corps, Ninetieth Division from Newport Ninth from Dorset and Nineteenth Corps from Swindon. From Cambridge, the British First Corps, Fifty first Division and Norwich, the British Thirtieth Corps, Seventh Armored and Forty Ninth Division. Follow up Corps will be the British Sixth from Reading, Twelfth from London and the Canadian Second Corps from Kent. This is indeed time for rejoicing. It was less than four years ago when the Hun at full strength stood poised, ready to pounce on England. Now the Hun is sapped and we have pounced. The evilness that is Hitler will gasp his last rotten breath. This is not the beginning, nor is it the end, rather, it is the beginning of the end."

Casey Ryan raised his mug of ale toward the wireless and shouted, "Go get 'em, Winnie. Strangle the kraut bastard."

He then noticed Betsy and Henry and lowered his voice, "Beg pardon' Betsy luv. But it feels so good to get even."

"Quite alright." Betsy replied. "I hope the bastard gets strangled too."

"Well, the war still isn't over. Like Winnie said, it's only the beginning of the end. London still is in jeopardy. The Buzz Bombs will keep coming for a while. That's why I only have three days before I take my locomotive to the Northeast. Yep, only three days then it's the last ride. Must save the only Hunting-Broadworth from the bombs."

Patrick Carrington, elated at the news of the invasion, listened to Casey discuss the train's final ride and was about to ask if he could go along when something caught his attention. Here in this atmosphere of Gayety and rejoicing he noticed Sean O'Malley who was far from happy. His face was grim and determined. He was then met by a sinister looking individual who carried a cardboard box, about a cubic foot. The box appeared to be heavy and the stranger held it as if it was a fragile treasure. O'Malley gestured upstairs and the two disappeared.