B. Operation Pistol B2(2)

                     OPERATION PISTOL B 2

        (Consolidated report by Cpl. Laybourne J. and Pct. Stainton J.)

REPORT BY CPL. LAYBOURNE J.

       The party under Lieut. Castellain dropped at approximately

midnight on the night 15/16th of September at Q 675345.   On landing I

found Wrobel, and after about three quarters of an hour we found Lieut.

Castellain.   About two hours later, while we were looking for the food

pannier, Arnold and Stainton came up from the West side of the Hinsburg - 

Frommal road.   Ashe was never seen by any of the party.

16th September

       We lay up at Q 712321, and at about 17.00 hrs we moved off in

two parties towards the lake at Q 690315 where Lieut. Castellain

intended to draw water.   I had Arnold with me and had orders to avoid

everyone, including civilians.

       Lieut. Castellain moved off first, but when our time came we

found a number of civilians moving along the roads with cattle and we

could not cross the road in daylight.   The noise we made in moving

through the undergrowth and small trees was heard and on two occasions

the civilians started shouting.

       We lay still until dark and then moved to the lake which we

found on the morning of the 17th September.  Lieut. Castellain, however,

had gone.

17th September

       We knew where Lieut. Castellain had intended to lie up during

the day and consequently went North towards Q 685365.   However, we were

unable to reach the point before dark and so we returned and lay up at

approximately Q 685335.

18th September

       We returned to the lake and lay up to wait for Lieut. Castellain

as I had an idea he would return there although he had not said that he

would do so.

INSERT BY PCT. STAINTON J.

16th September

       Lieut. Castellain, Wrobel and I, became separated from the rest of

the party whom, however, we believed were following us as they knew the

point to which we were marching.  We set off from point Q 7144 in the

wood as soon as it got dark in order to place our charges on the main

Enchenberg, Q 708460 - Lemberg, Q 740450, railway line.   Lieut.

Castellain had observed this line with his binoculars the previous day

and had found that it was being used quite a lot with both up and down

traffic.

        We placed two 2½ lb. plastic charges with time pencils at point

Q 714453 and moved back into the woods.   We did not wait to observe

results but about an hour and a half later as we were going back after

laying the charges we heard a loud explosion.

        As we were making our way back to the R.V. with the remainder of

the party we encountered a German soldier while crossing a field.   He

challenged us but as Wrobel answered in German he appeared satisfied that

we were Germans on patrol.

REPORT BY CPL. LAYBOURNE J. (Continued)

        After three days, Lieut. Castellain and Wrobel came along a path

near the hut where we were hiding and we regained contact.   They had

blown up the railway to the North but Lieut. Castellain did not tell me

where.

22nd September

        We started off to contact the Commanding Officer in the Loyton

area, and moving by day through the woods West of La Petite Pierre, Q

695293, we reached the vicinity of the farm Thomasthal, Q 701227, by night-

fall.   Lieut. Castellain and Wrobel went to the farm and had food.  Later,

at about 22.00 hrs, Stainton, Arnold and I, went to the farm for our meal.

The party stayed the night at the farm.

23rd September

        We reached Q 705190 and lay up.   The weather was bad and we were

soaked from wading across La Zintzel du Sud.

24th September

        We marched to Q 680148 and lay up in the right of two tunnels

on the Zarbern - Saarburg line.  Beside the line were stacks of repair

railway lines and Lieut. Castellain decided not to blow the line.   A

lot of the cover had been cut away from the sides of the track.

25th September

        We went to a forester's house at Q 637115 and stayed the night.

26th September

        It was raining hard so we lay up in the house all day and slept

there again.

27th September

        We circled South of Dabo, Q 6306, and saw Germans working in the

sawmill at Q 620042.   We moved quickly to the West and then moved South

to V 615995 and lay up.

28th September

        At about mid-day we reached V 621963 and Lieut. Castellain and

Wrobel went on a recce for food.   This we eventually found at the

forester's house at V 623957.   In a hut about 400 yards away we heard

that the forester had seen foot prints of S.A.S. pattern boots, and he

described to us how the men were dressed the same as we were, emphasising

their gaiters.  There was a Captain in the party, a tall thin man who

spoke good French.   One of the party spoke German.

29th September

        We left at about 13.00 hrs and moved round the East side of Le

Denon, V 587910, and reached Malplaquet farm, V 571855.

30th September

        Early in the morning, Lieut. Castellain and Wrobel went to the

forester's house for something to eat but were told by his wife that he

was pro-German.   They left hurriedly and went to the farm where they

were given food.   We marched West to contact the Loyton base as by now

we had reached the area in which that party was operating, but we were

unable to find it.  We lay up near Moussey.

1st October

        We received information that the Commanding Officer was at a

reservoir which is not marked on the map.   We moved West to Col Ferry,

V 459827, and found a farm from where some of our men had moved the

night before.  That night I received a message from my Mother over the

radio.

        The following day we contacted the Loyton base and remained there

until we received orders to exfiltrate through the lines.