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Tuesday, August 12, 2014

The Germans were none too happy

When I was serving in Germany, I was given the task of setting up an ambush for a leadership course with my men. We set out for the location we were given and told to ambush the patrol that will come down the track at five in the morning.

We arrived at 3am having recced the location prior to setting up the ambush I knew where I wanted things to be set up. I got some of the boys to work setting out trip wires to the flares that would light up the woodlands for us, while the rest of the patrol set about settling into the hillside looking directly into the killing zone, so to speak.

Five o'clock arrived and no patrol, so I figured they got delayed, I decided to wait a while longer, six o'clock and still no patrol, that's when I realised they were not coming (I found out later because they had got themselves well and truly lost), it was at this point when I was about to give the order to pack up that some Germans arrived in the field below us.

Out of curiosity I watched them for a while and quickly realised that they were hunters preparing to do a shoot. They sent out their beaters to drive the wildlife in their direction while they sat on their little stools waiting to take the animals out as and when they appeared.

My men and I looked at each other, we smiled and I said to them, "you know what lads, no point in wasting our time, so let’s use all our ammunition". I gave the order to make ready and they all cocked their weapons, I then ordered them to Fire and we all opened up with our guns and threw thunder flashes which make very load bangs to simulate explosives.

Needless to say the pigeons, rabbits and any other wildlife in the vicinity disappeared in all directions and of course the Germans were very unhappy with us, they were still shaking their fists and shouting at us as we set off down the track back to our vehicles to go back to base.

All in all I think it was a good days hunting.

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