El Alamein Quotes

“Jack ran through the smoke and leapt into the trench, his eyes blinking in the acrid air as he stormed along the narrow cutting, his head turning as a man scrambled from a small dugout to his left. He swung his rifle, before the air burst from his stomach, the weapon dropping from his hands as the German kneed him between the legs.”
― Stuart Minor, El Alamein

“don’t want you, go and surrender to someone else,’ Jack yelled, motioning with his hands to the rear. ‘Shoo.’ ‘Shoo?’ The man repeated the word, his face confused. Jack turned to Reg. ‘How do I tell him to go away?’ Reg lifted his rifle and fired at the man’s feet. ‘Fuck off,’ he yelled, waving his hand to the rear where the sky flashed like sheet lightning above the roaring batteries. The man began to run, his hands held high above his head as he shouted out in fright. ‘He understood that,’ Reg grunted, as he ejected the spent cartridge from his rifle.”
― Stuart Minor, El Alamein

“Good luck.’ ‘Aye, you too, God knows we’ll need it.’ ‘We should ask Henry to put a good word in for us,’ Jack replied, trying to sound at ease as the last minutes passed slowly by, the men growing agitated as they lay waiting, the air heavy and oppressive with pent up nerves.”
― Stuart Minor, El Alamein

“God, but I’m bloody gasping,’ he grumbled, as he stared at the cigarette with longing in his eyes. ‘I ain’t gone this long without a smoke since I was a nipper.”
― Stuart Minor, El Alamein

“Will they work?’ Shorthouse asked. ‘Hard to say,’ the sergeant replied, his face sceptical as he looked at the fuse. ‘They're ancient, so God knows if they'll fire.' 'How much time will I have?' Jack asked, looking at the rusted tin. 'I wish I knew,' the sergeant replied, with a shrug. 'It could be two minutes or two seconds. My advice is to pull the tab and run like buggery.’ 'That's some bloody comfort,' Jack said, his voice aghast.”
― Stuart Minor, El Alamein

“That sodding Sandwich Commando only gave me half a mug of char,' Reg grumbled, as he plonked himself down beside Jack and started eating. 'I ask you, what's this world coming to when a man who is about to risk life and limb for King and Country can't even get a decent brew?' 'You shouldn't get yourself so worked up, it's bad for your health,' Donald said, as he sat eating his stew. 'Bad for my health?' Reg exclaimed, a look of wonder on his face as he stared at Donald. 'I'll tell you what's bad for your health: Germans.”
― Stuart Minor, El Alamein

“Don’t worry yourself about it,’ Fred said, patting the tall soldier on the head. ‘Just get that pop gun clean.’ ‘Alright, corp,’ Ham said, his voice cheerful as he rubbed at the faded steel. ‘I’d say it’s clean already,’ Reg whispered to Fred. ‘Let him be, it’s keeping him out of mischief.”
― Stuart Minor, El Alamein

“Connor paused and looked at Fred, his nose sniffing the fragrant perfume, before shaking his head and storming off down the path.”
― Stuart Minor, El Alamein

“Crawley?’ Shorthouse asked, looking for an answer in the stony face of Fred as he stood staring into the distance. ‘What will General Montgomery think if the first man he sees smells like a damned French tart?’ Connor asked. ‘I…’ Shorthouse began, before finding nothing to say.”
― Stuart Minor, El Alamein

“He stalked over to where Reg was still curled up in his bed and grabbed the cot by its legs, the young soldier shouting as he tipped it over onto its side. ‘Are you trying to fucking kill me?’ Reg screamed, as he went sprawling onto the floor. ‘I will if I bloody have to, now get dressed.”
― Stuart Minor, El Alamein

“Jack woke to a thunderous drumming in his head, his eyes glued together as he lay curled up on the hard cot, his mouth dry and tasting foul as he groaned inwardly, feeling his stomach sinking through the bottom of his arse as his skull pounded.”
― Stuart Minor, El Alamein

“Fred gave a shout of triumph, before the squeal of a whistle sounded from outside, the door bursting open as a police sergeant with a truncheon in his hand crashed into the room, the baton swinging like a hatchet as the police flooded into the bar. ‘Run for it,’ Fred shouted, his hands dragging Jack to his feet as he pushed his way through the crowded room, the sound of whistles and wood cracking against skulls filling the air behind them. Jack leapt over the bar and slipped into the display of bottles that lined the rear wall, the glass smashing as he fell to the ground, his eyes glancing to the Egyptian owner who was sat sobbing in the corner. ‘Sorry, mate,’ Jack said, patting the man’s stained shirt where a bottle of spirits had spilt over him, before standing to his feet, his eyes staring at the crowded room as the police dragged the drunken soldiers into the street. A shout sounded to his left and he saw Reg clinging to a table as a red capped sergeant pulled on his legs. ‘He’s got me,’ Reg squealed, as his hands began to slip. Jack picked up an ashtray and launched it at the policeman, the NCO ducking as the heavy glass crashed above his head, his fingers releasing Reg as he dived for cover. ‘Come on,’ Jack said, holding out his arms as Reg sprang towards the bar, his hands grabbing him by the sleeves and dragging him over the counter. ‘It’s more dangerous in here than it is at the front,’ Reg”
― Stuart Minor, El Alamein

“We could have stayed there if someone hadn’t got us thrown out,’ Sid said, glancing at Reg who was nursing a swollen eye socket. ‘I didn’t even touch the woman,’ Reg grumbled. ‘You were trying to pull her bloody top off.' ‘It wasn’t covering much anyway,’ Reg replied, sulkily. ‘I”
― Stuart Minor, El Alamein

“We’ve been at this for six hours,’ Sid shouted, his boot lashing out at a tin of Blanco. ‘Fuck it, that’s what I say,’ he said, his voice breaking with pent-up fury. 'I'd rather be on the bloody peg than stuck in here.' ‘How many tins of Blanco are there, Sid?’ Donald asked, his eyes peering over the top of his spectacles. ‘I don’t know,’ Sid said, his voice almost sobbing. ‘I just don’t know.”
― Stuart Minor, El Alamein

“We have to do this right,’ Donald said patiently. ‘Anyway, we’ll be done in a few more hours.’ ‘I’ll be done in a few more minutes, I’m sick of it,’ Reg cursed. ‘For fucks sake, you’ve made me lose count,’ Jack whimpered, his eyes staring at the tins of footpowder that were piled in front of him.”
― Stuart Minor, El Alamein

“don’t know what you are laughing about, he’ll be riding in the same carrier as both of us,’ Jack said, as the men stepped into the open storeroom. ‘And he’ll be operating the two-inch mortar, think about that.’ ‘You can’t give him the mortar, he’ll blow us all to kingdom come,”
― Stuart Minor, El Alamein

“Blimey,’ Reg whispered. ‘I thought Fred was slow witted.’ ‘So you hurt yourself falling into the water?' Donald asked. ‘No, the fall didn’t hurt that much.’ ‘Then why were you in hospital for six months?’ ‘Because of the boat,’ Ham said, his voice patient as he smiled inanely at Donald. ‘What did the boat do to you?’ ‘It was leaking oil and I must have swallowed some, it made me sick as a dog it did, then when I was feeling better I went and tripped down the hospital stairs and had to have my head sewn up.’ Ham said, his voice cheerful as he showed a bare patch of skin that ran the length of his shaved head. 'After that there was the court-martial to sort out.' 'Court martial?' Donald asked, his voice exasperated. 'Yeah, for some reason they thought I was hurting myself on purpose.' ‘And now he’s your responsibility,’ Reg whispered to Jack. ‘Oh, God.”
― Stuart Minor, El Alamein

“Stretching is good for the circulation,' Henry replied. ‘Circle what?”
― Stuart Minor, El Alamein

“Yow should have got someone to help keep an eye on Fritz,’ Fred chided. ‘I thought he was sleeping,’ Jack replied, the words sounding inadequate in his ears. ‘The bugger is now,’ Fred replied, looking at the man’s pulped face.”
― Stuart Minor, El Alamein

“They reckon that the Yanks earn eight times what we do,’ Stan said. ‘We should ask for a transfer,’ Reg scoffed. ‘I bet your missus is making a killing at home with all those Yanks looking to spend their pay,’ Sid said, with a leer at Stan. ‘You…”
― Stuart Minor, El Alamein

“Jack’s in charge of number three carrier, yow do what he tells yow when I’m not around.’ Jack felt his cheeks blushing as he looked at the two men. ‘Aren’t you going to give a speech?’ Reg asked, his voice heavy with sarcasm. ‘Sod off,’ Jack replied. ‘Too good for us now,’ Reg said, with a shake of his”
― Stuart Minor, El Alamein

“Pack it in yow two, if yow start fighting again we’ll all be on a fizzer. Sid, give him his fucking money.’ ‘But…’ ‘But nowt, hand it over, before I take it and ram it down your throat so you’re shitting brass for the next week.”
― Stuart Minor, El Alamein

“wonder what he wants?’ Jack asked, as he brushed down his shorts. ‘You’re in trouble now,’ Reg said. ‘I ain’t done owt,’ Jack replied, his voice defensive. ‘It’ll be a firing squad at dawn,’ Sid said. ‘We’ll all miss you,’ Reg added, the men laughing.”
― Stuart Minor, El Alamein

“If yow two are going to fight, go and do it where I can’t see, that way I won’t be held responsible,’ Fred said, with a tired yawn.”
― Stuart Minor, El Alamein