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T WAS 1941 AND ROMMEL’S AFRIKA KORPS WAS ADVANCING ON THE BRITISH GARRISON AT TOBRUK. THE DESTROYER H.M.S. FLAGRANT, A VETERAN OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR, HAD BERTHED IN TOBRUK FOR ESSENTIAL REPAIRS FOLLOWING AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE ITALIAN NAVY AND WAS NOW GIVING ARTILLERY SUPPORT TO THE TOWN’S DEFENDERS.

I

FIRE!

STORY PETER GREHAN ART VILA COVER IAN KENNEDY

4 INSIDE THE HARBOUR HEADQUARTERS THREE OF THE SAILORS FROM H.M.S. FLAGRANT AND A SHORE-BASED ROYAL NAVY PAY DEPARTMENT OFFICER WERE EACH WAITING TO SEE SOMEONE IN AUTHORITY.

NONE OF THEM REALISED THAT FATE HAD BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER.

SUB-LIEUTENANT BRIAN COUSINS WAS A FORMER MATHS TEACHER SERVING IN PAY OFFICE. HE HAD A TALENT FOR WORKING OUT ALL SORTS OF INFORMATION FROM A COLUMN OF FIGURES.

BUT RATHER THAN SEE THE POTENTIAL IN BRIAN’S TALENT HIS SUPERIOR SAW IT AS A FORM OF INSUBORDINATION.

SO YOU SEE, SIR, OUR PAY LISTS NEED TO BE UPDATED TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THIS UNIT’S TRANSFER.

HOW THE DEVIL DOES HE KNOW ABOUT THAT? I’VE ONLY JUST FOUND OUT MYSELF!

NOW LISTEN HERE, COUSINS! YOUR JOB IS TO CHECK THE PAY AUTHORISATION FORMS AND THEN STAMP THEM AS APPROVED, NOT GO OFF ON FLIGHTS OF FANCY.

5 THE C.O. DECIDED TO GET RID OF THE POTENTIAL TROUBLE MAKER. I SEEM TO RECALL THEY NEEDED A REPLACEMENT PAY OFFICER IN TOBRUK. I THINK YOUNG COUSINS MIGHT JUST FIT THE BILL.

IT WAS BRIAN’S BAD LUCK THAT HE ARRIVED IN TOBRUK JUST AS THE GERMANS WERE ADVANCING TOWARDS IT. SAILOR ROB LANE HAD STARTED THE WAR IN THE MERCHANT NAVY ON A SMALL INDEPENDENT STEAMER CALLED THE S.S. QUEEN ELEANOR MAY. THEN ONE DAY A U-BOAT SURFACED AND USED ITS DECK GUN TO SINK THE UNARMED MERCHANT SHIP. COWARDS! EASY WHEN YOUR VICTIM CAN’T FIGHT BACK!

ROB SWORE HE’D GET REVENGE FOR THE QUEEN ELEANOR MAY AND WHEN HE FINALLY REACHED HOME HE JOINED THE ROYAL NAVY TO TAKE THE FIGHT TO THE ENEMY.

6 ROB TRAINED AS A GUNNER AND ALTHOUGH HE WAS GOOD AT HIS JOB HE HAD LITTLE TIME FOR THE NAVY’S TRADITIONS AND METHODS. WHAT I’M SAYING IS THAT ALL THIS DISCIPLINE NONSENSE THE NAVY GOES IN FOR STOPS US GETTING THE IMPORTANT STUFF DONE.

ROB HADN’T REALISED THAT A PETTY OFFICER WAS STANDING NEAR ENOUGH TO HEAR HIM EXPRESS HIS OPINIONS.

THE PETTY OFFICER DIDN’T LIKE SAILORS WHO CRITICISED THE NAVY AND DECIDED TO GET ROB OUT OF CIRCULATION FOR A WHILE.

ALL RIGHT, LANE, I’VE GOT JUST THE JOB FOR YOU! GO DOWN TO THE DOCK’S H.Q. AND GET SOME STORES REQUISITION FORMS!

7 HOWARD GEORGE, ON THE OTHER HAND, LOVED THE NAVY AND HIS SHIP SO HE WAS NOT AMUSED WHEN HE HEARD TWO AUSTRALIAN SOLDIERS MOCKING THE WORLD WAR ONE VETERAN. STREWTH! LOOKS LIKE THE NAVY’S FLOATING IN SCRAP IRON FOR US TO CHUCK AT THE GERMANS.

HOWARD, A NEW ZEALANDER, DIDN’T LIKE AUSTRALIANS AT THE BEST OF TIMES SO HE WASN’T GOING TO STAND FOR THEM INSULTING HIS BELOVED SHIP. HE WADED IN WITH BOTH FISTS. YOU NEED TO BE TAUGHT SOME RESPECT, WALLABY!

WHAT THE DEVIL’S GOING ON HERE? UGH!

8 UNFORTUNATELY, FOR HOWARD THE AUSTRALIANS’ N.C.O. HAD SEEN THE WHOLE THING.

I DON’T CARE WHAT YOUR REASONS WERE, YOU’VE JUST REDUCED MY WORK DETAIL

BY TWO MEN, SO YOU CAN DARN WELL REPLACE THEM!

HOWARD WAS ORDERED TO THE DOCK H.Q. TO BE ASSIGNED HIS “ARMY” DUTIES.

ABLE SEAMAN CHRIS WEBB, A FORMER GARAGE MECHANIC, WAS A FITTER IN THE NAVY. HE WAS ALSO GENIUS WHEN IT CAME TO ANYTHING MECHANICAL, BUT HE HAD ONE MAJOR FLAW. FOR GOODNESS SAKE, KEEP AN EYE ON WEBB, OR HE’LL START STRIPPING DOWN THE MAIN ENGINE JUST TO SEE HOW IT WORKS.

9 THE OFFICER’S WORDS WERE BORNE OUT LATER WHEN CHRIS WAS IN THE DOCKS ON AN ERRAND.

WOW! WHAT A BEAUTY. IT COULDN’T HURT TO HAVE A QUICK LOOK.

THE VEHICLE WAS A ROVER 14 CONVERTIBLE BEING USED AS A STAFF CAR BY AN ARMY OFFICER. CHRIS JUST COULDN’T STOP HIMSELF “EXPLORING” THE ENGINE. WHAT THE DICKENS HAVE YOU DONE TO MY CAR?

THE ENTHUSIASTIC SAILOR HAD FORGOTTEN THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT HIS RESPONSIBILITY. SOR...SORRY, SIR. I WAS JUST CHECKING OVER YOUR CAR.

AND JUST HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GET BACK TO MY UNIT NOW?

10 WHEN CHRIS EXPLAINED THAT HE WAS A QUALIFIED MECHANIC THE OFFICER DECIDED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FACT. HE ECCENTRICALLY TAPPED CHRIS ON THE HEAD WITH HIS SWAGGER STICK TO MAKE SURE HE WAS PAYING FULL ATTENTION. RIGHT THEN, NOW LISTEN. I WANT THAT CAR FULLY SERVICED, WASHED AND POLISHED BY THE TIME I GET BACK AT SIXTEEN HUNDRED HOURS! UNDERSTOOD?

BLOOMING HECK, I’D BEST FIND OUT WHERE I CAN GET ALL THE STUFF I’M GOING TO NEED. THE OBVIOUS PLACE TO ASK SEEMED TO BE THE DOCK’S H.Q. OFFICE. MAJOR BRUCE PAYNE, THE AUSTRALIAN IN CHARGE OF THE H.Q. BUILDING, WAS FAR TOO BUSY TO BE CONCERNED WITH THE FOUR MEN’S MINOR PROBLEMS. I’M SORRY, SIR, BUT I JUST DON’T HAVE ANY MEN SPARE TO SEND...HANG ON A MO, THOUGH.

THE HARASSED OFFICER SAW A WAY OF SOLVING TWO OF HIS PROBLEMS IN ONE GO. YOU FOUR! I’VE GOT A JOB FOR YOU.

WHAT? ER, BUT WE’RE NOT TOGETHER, SIR.

PAYNE ORDERED THE MEN TO FOLLOW HIM OUTSIDE.