Page 744 - Reading Mercury

and two lesser lights of a counter-attacking force which attempted to wipe out the
bridgehead.
The counter-attack had suddenly developed against the bridge which, in their haste,
the enemy had neglected to blow up. S.S. troops attacked with great ferocity, having
been told, as it was later discovered, that the entire fate of the German Seventh Army
depended upon them.
It was also discovered later, that the attack was not to deny our troops the use of the
bridge but to destroy a large barge lying under the bridge, which, as a naval
headquarters, contained highly secret documents regarding establishments and future
operations. A squadron of tanks went forward to assist the Royal Engineers and beat
off the counter attack, with many killed and 50 taken prisoner. Then Lance Corporal
Beasley, with two Maquis, went off on a private patrol.
They encountered one civilian and were told that an S.S. man had just shot another
civilian simply to obtain his bicycle as a means of escape. Beasley advanced further
into the area north of the canal, expecting to find the wounded enemy in ditches. At
first he did not spot the German who was hiding in a hedge, and it was left to the
Maquis to see him and express a desire to go back for assistance.
Beasley approached the German prostrate on the ground.
“I called him and told him to get up,” Beasley told me, “but he wouldn’t. Then I
stuck a revolver in his ribs and he got up but wouldn’t come back with me. I saw he
was an officer, but that didn’t make any difference, so I told him to put up his hands,
He wouldn’t. Then I collected two more and they wouldn’t put their hands down. I
had to drag the S.S. major back with me, because he refused to be searched by anyone
but an officer of field rank.”

th
Fri 29 Dec
EAST LONDON EVACUEE LEAVES WOKINGHAM
Bruce Anthony Croft, of Leyton came to Wokingham during the London blitz of 5½
years ago, and since that time has made his home with Mr. and Mrs. Stewart, of 1,
Broad Street. He had attended St. Paul’s School and is at present head choirboy at St.
Paul’s Church. Now that he has reached school leaving age, however, he has to put
his “country” home behind him, and on Boxing Day he returned to his parents, and
hopes to commence work very shortly as an electrician.

1945

th
Fri 5 Jan
YOUR VICTORY GARDEN
ON FERTILISERS AND GREENHOUSES
Generally speaking, next to the varieties of peas, beans and potatoes, the question of
fertilisers for the allotment gives rise to most discussion and argument. The provision
of “National Growmore Fertiliser” with the Ministry’s hallmark has no doubt been a
relief to many plotholders, particularly to latecomers. The proprietary fertilisers are,
however, still very popular, and so they should be. It is good to see all the old names
still on show in many a store window, some of then having nearly a century of
existence behind them and—like Johnny Walker—still going strong.
The old favourites
I greatly enjoyed a visit to a well-furnished store the other day and re-read with
pleasure the virtues and qualities of the same fertilisers I have known since boyhood.

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