Chapter One.
A Fine day for the Fall of Berlin.
I looked over at the rest of the men in my company, as their commanding officer I had to seem professional but right now I wasn’t really thinking about that. I had joined the army on the 19th of May 1940 as soon as I had finished the last of my exams. I had been sponsored through university and at the age of 22 I was sent to Normandy, France. None of that mattered now because on the 11th of November the War was over. I was standing with the rest of the commanding officers on the steps of the Reichstag beaming down, through the haze of smoke and fog, at my men. I was proud of every single one of them. Though there was one that I perhaps felt more proud of. Daniel Howell, a lieutenant, one station under me looked up from where he and a private, Charlie McDonnell, were slapping each other and grinned. I nodded back.
“Hello old boy!” Major Day said. “Fine day for the fall of Berlin eh?”
“Sir.” I saluted him.
“No need for that Captain Lester” He said smiling. “At ease.”
“Thank you sir. A very fine day it is.” I laughed, Major Day was my commanding officer as of four years ago and though he was a few years older than me we had become good friends.
“Gather your lieutenants Lester we have some decision making to do that I think would be beneficial for them to hear.”
“Of course sir.” I turned and walked over to Dan. He saw me walking to him and met me in the very center of the square. I stood and watched as he and the other eight lieutenants saluted me. “Major Day has requested our presence at the meeting the main hall. You lot should be very honoured as you are going to be the most junior officers present. I would also like to extend my gratitude to you for your excellent work this morning and throughout the years. Good work men. Good work indeed. At ease then officers.” They all relaxed and started talking about the meeting in hushed voices. I motioned for them to follow me, Dan practically ran to catch up with me.
“Hullo Phil.” He said.
“That’s Captain Lester to you Lieutenant.” I was joking but he looked at me rather scared. “That was a joke Dan. No need to look so scared.”
“Thank God. You know I thought you were actually serious. Not that I would have blamed you if you were.” He looked down at his dust-covered boots; his hair, longer than it should have been, falling down over his eyes.
“I would never get angry at you for something like that. I thought I’d lost you, you know when we were going through that street. The one with the white paint.” I had been terrified, I’d looked around in the mass of dust and men but I had seen nothing of Dan, my Dan.
“Hmmm? Oh I tripped and fell, it was stupid and when I got up I was quite far back. I couldn’t see you either, there were some men from our lot though so it was quite alright.” He said smiling.
“Oh, good, shame that we couldn’t take the Reichstag together though. You know like in one last heroic push.” I said clapping his shoulder.
“You, sir, have been watching far too many movies.” We were walking up the stairs to His old office; the white marble made our steel-toed boots clatter and the large hallways echo with the sound of Allied voices.
The room we walked into was huge, a giant oak monster of a desk sat squat at one end. The dark oak paneling gave the room a highly sinister feel, as though Bram Stoker’s Dracula could appear at any moment. At the other end of the room was a large table where Major Day and the other officers were gathered. The Soviets, with their red shoulder pads; the Americans with their rather stupid looking caps (though no one would ever dare to tell them), the French and us. The air in the room was that of joy and relief; also a touch of sadness where there were gaps in the room that no one would ever fill. The war had been long and we had lost many but it was still a war won.
