Larry is up on deck with Johnny Parrish to escape the thick fog of tobacco smoke below. He looks through a gap in the tarpaulin at the dark coast of England as it recedes. On either side of the troopship other craft reach as far as the eye can see, their low rumble filling the night. Bulbous transport ships carrying invasion barges; tank landing craft lying low in the water; the sleek forms of destroyers. ‘Bloody big show,’ says Johnny. Over the lapping of the waves against the hull they hear the sound of a motorboat drawing alongside. ‘That’ll be the CO,’ says Johnny. ‘Better get below.’ The troop deck is packed and buzzing with excitement. Larry joins the crowd of officers by the companionway. Shortly after, the brigadier enters, with General Ham Roberts. Roberts wastes no time in preliminaries. ‘We’re on our way, men,’ he says. ‘You’ve been told this is another training exercise. Well, it isn’t. This is the real thing.’ A great shout goes up from the mass of soldiers, followed by hoots and cheers.
