Don’t Shoot

Observation Post, Volume 1, Issue 3, 5 June 1942, Page 1

Don’t Shoot

I shall never forget the creepy horrible • sensation as I /felt'' a foot, very heavy, graze my shoulder. I looked up at the owner, a big strapping blonde Hun, covered , with’ Iron Crosses ’ and Swastikas, and clutching a revolver in one hand .as he tried to unhook his parachute with the other. He raised the revolver . . . censored . . . (‘Don’t shoot, 'we like New Zealanders.”. This was in perfect . English. 1 didn ’t fire, but ■ someone . else did. .One of out boys, “Butch” Wat kin from .Devon . port, said,‘‘lay off chaps, don’t shoot, don shoot.” We didn’t ; shoot, , and > a second later ’ ‘‘Butch” was mortally wounded. ; From that ' minute later we never stopped. Why should we? By 1200 they dropped no more men in our area but released supplies. , The huns had concentrated around an old building a few hundred yards away and were organising. As:the supply planes circled about (They ■ shot ' flares into the ■ air ■to indicate their position to the pilots. Up went a , flare arid down went the supplies in huge containers in which were goood ammo and guns,’ machine guns, hand. and stick grenades, and even field I artillery! What an organisation. They landed no more parachutists, but. concentrated on, bringing in.troops by landing their gliders and troop-carriers on the aerodrome at Malemi. We fixed them there too, and they attempted ' a sea landing. ■ The Navy collected 14 troop ships and the remaining . four j turned back battered and beaten.'With j typical German ingenuity they landed the storm troopers and thousands - of regiments by sea planes ■ the next day and for days afterwards. Once that started we were finished.