Ex-Air Force Logistics Assn AGM

The Sri Lanka Ex-Air Force Logistics Association held it's Annual General Meeting on April 7. The following members were elected Office-Bearers for 2013/2014.

President: Wg. Cmdr. K M S Wijenayake, Vice President: Gp. Capt. S M U B Senaratne, Secretary: K M G K Wickramasinghe, Assistant Secretary: W A T Ranjan, Treasurer: R Rajaratne and Assistant Treasurer: K Ratnasinghem. Seven members were also appointed to the Executive Committee.

Memoirs of a War Veteran Night in the Cellar

His name was either Salnikov or Sotnikov. "Help me student," he called out. Abyzov darted towards him an leaned over. "Wounded," he (Abyzov) asked. "Looks like it," he replied.

His face was pale and there was fever in his eyes. He could hardly move his right leg. There was a bloody spot under his knee. Abyzov took a first aid packet out of his haversack. "Have you a knife," Abyzov asked.

"Yes," he answered pointing to a chain on his side. Abyzov tugged at the chain the knife was fastened to.

When he (Abyzov) tried to cut the top of his knee-high boot he (wounded man) explained: "Don't do that! Who will give me another pair like that?". He was wearing officer's leather boots. It made Abyzov angry. "They will cut your leg off" Abyzov said, "Pull it off!" as Abyzov pulled off his boot, he gnashed his teeth.

But he bore the pain the poor "Slave of private property". When he (Abyzov) dropped the boot on the ground, blood began to trickle out of it. He (Abyzov) tore his breach, applied a ligature and bandaged his wound.

"Now sit and wait for the medical orderlies." "Never mind you may go," he said. When he (Abyzov) made a few steps, he called him back. "What's the matter?" he (Abyzov) asked "Thank you student. Good luck!" "Same to you" Abyzov replied, not knowing why he felt happy and relieved.

Abyzov caught up with Kiselyov. The company was fighting for a block of flats facing the street they had advanced along in the dark. Abyzov threw himself to the ground onto some bricks near Medvedev. "What's that?" "The Reich's chancelling.

They say Hitler has dug in there.

Goebbels and Eva Braun are there too" "Stop lying," Abyzov said. "So I have been told," he snapped.

They had to stay in their brick shell till evening. It started to rain. The air became cooler and they had only their tunics on. It would be bad if they had to stay there under the rain.

However, they were destined to spend the night in the cellar of that building. All, but three men who formed an out-post, got in. Kiselyov counted them on his fingers.

There were exactly 20, plus Sorokin who just came to say good bye. He had been appointed Company Commander of another battalion. During the respite on the autobahn (super highway), there had been 104 of them. It was not amusing arithmetic. It was damp in the cellar but warm. There were forces lying in disarray, and a lot of wood shavings. Candles appeared from somewhere and they were lit in every corner.

The telephone operator who was with them at the Anhalt railway station established himself opposite the stone steps. He recognized Abyzov and gave him a hearty handshake.

He was smiling at the terminal he had been, as angry as the devil himself. Katkov appeared with two enamel- coated pails in his hands with covers on them and a haversack full of rusks.

One of the pails contained diluted alcohols issued to them on the occasion of May Day, and the other meat borscht together with rice porridge cooked with raisins.

To be continued ...