A Company of Heroes

Aldbourne, New Assignment

Chapter 6:

3 days later

The 101st Airborne Division arrived in England at their debarkation point at a port in England. Once they assembled on the Port in regiments the 506 Regiment was sent in trucks to Aldbourne in Wiltshire. Every company in the 506 was either given housing and barracks. Donnie was paired up with Lipton for their stay in England at the Barracks with some of the Second Platoon members.

As they got their stuff into their footlockers Donnie looked at the picture of him and his fiancée as he sighed thinking about Betty and whether she had made it to Chicago, Lipton looked up and saw Donnie's expression and sighed saying, "Don't worry Kid she will be worried about you as are all your family" "Yeah even my brother too. Two Murphy boys on opposite theatres of war fighting for their country and bravely defending it" "Like the previous Murphy before them" Donnie gave a small laugh as he replied, "Amen to that" as he got back to unpacking his stuff.

The next few months of training had become seriously difficult and challenging for Easy Company one day the whole company were getting to know the English countryside and were digging foxholes learning how to sleep in them and know the conditions such as hunger, rain and the cold.

Hand to hand combat had been Donnie's forte having been a down and dirty fighter in Chicago as Winters had said it was all about technique. Donnie had become efficient in with weapons training as he was familiar with an M1 Carbine and an M1 Thompson with great accuracy with Sink watching he was determined and ready to fight amongst the best as Sink nodded to Lieutenant Winters once the 30.cal demonstration was over Sink then stood in front of the company as he said, "If you look to open fire and move at the same time a good tool to use is a Bail it won't burn your hands. I need a volunteer" nobody raised their hand as Donnie then rolled his eyes and put up a hand which then Sink noted and signalled for him to demonstrate the new attachment Donnie then took the Bail from Sink and slid it down the barrel of the machine gun picking up 31 lbs of metal (Ammo included) which had beaten the amount of weight he had ever carried and opened fire the speed of the ammo going through the weapon and Donnie's ability to fire the 30. Calibre Machine gun had stunned the whole company as he hit the target of oil drums once the test had been completed every man stood mouths open, wide eyed as they murmured, "Don't piss Murphy off ever again" Hell even Sobel and Sgt Evans were fearful of the now nicknamed "Chicago's Tasmanian Devil".

Various combat scenarios were run in the early winter of 1943 as Easy Company first started a training manoeuvre involving all platoons split up, 1st and 3rd platoons sent on a flanking manoeuvre with Sobel and Evans while Winters lead a flanking run on a T - Intersection with Second Platoon which included (Murphy, Guarnere, Lipton, Toye, Malarkey) the whole platoon ran through an open field just as they got to some bushes holding position taking cover upon arrival as Murphy crouched next to Winters and Lipton as they waited patiently for the other 2 platoons coming from a different direction. Winters then looked at his watch and said, "Sobel's late" both Murphy and Lipton looked at each other and both expressions said the same thing, "As always" minutes later Winters checked his watch again and said, "We have to move" Winters said as Murphy and Lipton looked at each other before Lipton replied, "Sir, without Captain Sobel and first platoon?" making sure him and Murphy heard him correctly. "It's a T-Intersection we improvise. Hook right with 1st squad, tell Guarnere to move on the left flank with 2nd I'll move up the middle with Murphy and 3rd" "Yes Sir" Winters signalled to Guarnere what is the plan after that he turns towards Murphy and nods as they prepare to move into position.

At the same time Michael Burton was on his bike and heading towards the T-Intersection when he saw the American Infantry crossed the road cutting him off as he said to himself, "Dearie me" he then turned the other way and a second group of Soldiers came by cutting him off for a second time as he then muttered, "Bloody hell!" as he then tried to go back the way he came instead the soldiers came towards him.