War

• Daniel Botwood, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2007

“Daniel come quick we have something to show you,” said Private Andrew. I picked up my gun and helmet and followed Andrew. I suspected a German base when I got there. “Over there sir,” said Andrew. I scrambled through my supplies and found my binoculars. I looked and there it was, a German P.O.W camp. I said to Andrew, “go get all the men and tell them to get supplies and meet me back here.” “Yes sir,” said Andrew. Half an hour had passed, “here they come sir,” said Andrew. When all the men got there I rounded up all the Lieutenants and told them the plan. “We are going to invade that P.O.W camp down there,” I said. “Are there any Germans?” asked Lieutenant Luke. “The group of men I sent down 5 minutes ago came back and told me they think there is about 50,” “and there are about 5 men in a lookout tower with machine guns,” yelled Private David. “Okay we will break up into about 3 groups of fifty men,” I said. “Group 1 will have mostly snipers, they will climb up into the trees and on my signal will take out the men in the lookouts. Group 2 will set up machine guns about 500 metres from the gate. My team will try to kill as many Germans as they can. Group 1 will keep taking out people on machine guns.” “Sir will we have mortars?” said Lieutenant Andrew. “We will have mortars, group 2 will take them,” I said. Minutes later we were 300 metres from the front of the P.O.W camp. “You came here what is your name?” I said. “Peter sir,” Peter said. “I want you to get me a radio,” I said. “Ok,” said Peter. “Here is your radio sir,” said Peter. “Thank you,” I said, “group 1 take out the people now.” I then looked at the tower, Bang! A German hit the ground like a pile of bricks. “Fire the mortars now,” I yelled. Bomb they hit us with artillery. “Get down, German artillery,” I yelled.
When it finished we stormed the P.O.W camp. There was a smell that made most of my men vomit. There were dead and dying bodies everywhere. “Sir, we have captured a German Officer, he says his name is Van Holston,” said Private David. “He also said there is a P.O.W camp 91km west.” Then I heard a truck coming “men get your guns,” I said. It was a German reinforcement truck. “Attack!” I yelled. 5 minutes had passed and we had killed every German on the truck. When we got back to base General Dike was there. “Daniel do you want to go back to England?” said General Dike. “No sir, I would rather stay with the boys.”