Leytenant Lisaveta Britchkina Upgrade with Phicen Headswap
And wearing the second attempt on the new tunic which fits well. Made two of this version. Notice the improved boots with buckles.
The old doll
Lisa is a fictional character from a Russian film "The dawns here are quiet" nominated for an academy award in 1972. The film has recently been released with a new cast and can be found on YouTube with English subtitles. Sofya Lebedeva plays the character of Lisa in the 2015 film version. (Star Media).
With the uniform I begin with the top of her head and her pilotka cap, finishing with her stockings.
Pilotka (Field Service Cap)This was the most frustrating item of clothing I have ever had to make. Firstly, I couldn't find any English instructional video or website - all in Russian. I soon learned how to read Pilotka in Russian! The process is a kind of mathematical puzzle. Its basically a sock within a sock where the two toes sort of come together. I will go through the process later.
Leytenant Katyusha Pravda wearing my new design pilotka cap. Getting better...The old uniform will be gone soon.
The Tunic
The tunic is called a half placket as the buttons don't go all the way down the front. This meant coming up with a way of hemming them but not losing any fabric. I scratched my head for a while before looking at an example I purchased on line.
Sew the two pieces together and turn inside out once the sleeves have been hemmed and the placket has been completed.
Showing the placket on the inside to allow for extra fabric. As you can imagine, if you cut a piece of fabric down the middle how do you hem it without the fabric getting too short so buttons don't reach? This is one way...add extra fabric.
Extra fabric being sewn down one cut. Repeat on the other side.
But the tunic didnt fit the doll, but it fits the monster high range perfectly except I don't use those doll any more. That's not my pilotka by the way.
And on the monster high body.
Making the shoulder boards from red ribbon and tunic fabric. Brass button rivets from "I sew for doll.com" Very fiddly and annoying process.
Skirt
Leather Boots
The scrap leather comes from Spotlight in Henderson. It comes in an a small bag either in light tan, dark brown and mixed colours. More recently I have been looking at using flat foam sheets for items like belts and bags since spotting some design and craft youtube chanels. First make a cardboard tube by rolling it around the dolls leg, remove and hot glue. When cool, the dolls leg and foot should slide into the cardboard roll. Try not to use too much glue. Trace around the dolls foot onto foam for the sole of the boot but make it a lot wider.
Cut the leather into a rectangle and fold around the cardboard roll. Hot glue at the back to create a seam. Remove excess glue. You can leave the cardboard roll inside the boot for a better fit if you like. Hot glue the 'roll of leather' onto the boot sole trying not to get too much glue inside the boot. Make small leather semicircles for the toe of the boot, fold and hot glue into place. This might take some trial and error. Paint the soles black with a water based acrylic. I used a 'small jobs' paint pot for this application from Mitre 10 Mega in Lincoln Rd Henderson and still had tons of it left over. And that's it! (See section on Lilly Marlene).
The new doll has more realistic feet than the MHD and EAH dolls and because they are larger, new boots were required.
Rifle
Russian snipers were issued with Mosin Nagant rifles. When acting alone on a mission, male and female snipers usually wore camouflage clothing to hide their positions. They also wound camouflage cloth around the rifle and scope.
Like most of the projects in this website I am aiming at simplicity. I am constantly amazed by modellers that do this with working parts! I cut out the basic shape of the rifle on a band saw after tracing the image from a magazine. For the sling attachments I bent some brass wire around barrel and another piece around the stock of the rifle. I then made some tiny brass loops and soldered these to the brass attachments. I threaded some black elastic through the loops and sewed the ends to secure.
Like most of the projects in this website I am aiming at simplicity. I am constantly amazed by modellers that do this with working parts! I cut out the basic shape of the rifle on a band saw after tracing the image from a magazine. For the sling attachments I bent some brass wire around barrel and another piece around the stock of the rifle. I then made some tiny brass loops and soldered these to the brass attachments. I threaded some black elastic through the loops and sewed the ends to secure.
Leytenant Lisaveta Britchkina and her new Mosin Nagant Rifle
Traffic Controller Flag Set
(Regulirovschista)
The flags are made from toothpicks and coloured card. I hot glued the card to the toothpick handles and painted them brown.
Lisa's Blanket Roll
I copied the blanket from the movie The Dawns Here Are Quiet, the modern version of it. I cut out a rectangular section of light brown felt and gave it an over locking stitch, not that felt really needs it. Finally I cut a small length of (6 mm width) leather and threaded on a buckle.
Lisa's Story
Lisa Britchkina, Hero of Soviet Union for her sniping skills was also a famous night witch with the 588th Night Bomber and 46th Guards Night Bomber Regiment. She is destined to cross paths with the 24/7 Military Field Hospital. She is on a secret mission to recover the Romanov diamond worth $1000000. The diamond was confiscated by the German army when it captured towns and cities along the way to Stalingrad. The diamond was on a tour with Germany's famous personality, Lili Marlene when the allies invaded Normandy.
(I have yet to work out a plot that explains how Lisa got from fighting in Russia to somewhere near the 247 MFH in northern France.)
(I have yet to work out a plot that explains how Lisa got from fighting in Russia to somewhere near the 247 MFH in northern France.)
Saint LO
Captain Winchester pulls the tent flap back looking outside, spotting Joe rummaging through his medical kit. "Hey Joe, come over here for a minute, I've got a job for you". The Captain flattens out a map on the admin desk and marks out a location of interest.
"OK Joe, we just got a radio call from the 82nd, Looks like three of their guys are in the wrong location here. They want us to pick them up and bring them back to our evacuation centre".
Joe replies."They can't walk?"
Eugene "One officer wounded - his sergeant accidentally shot him in the butt. It's on our side of the current front line so there won't be any problems. Take Washington with you and radio in when you get there".
Duffy Washington takes Joe along some quiet roads and after 10 minutes they reach the entrance to a wood where he slows the jeep to a crawl. They pass slowly over a wooden bridge and find themselves in the shadow of a tall canopy of trees.
The radio bursts into life. Joe jumps in the back and grabs the microphone. It's the 82nd HQ and the signal is a little garbled with static, but he just makes that the group of soldiers has been picked up and taken to another field hospital. Also there are reports of a rogue Sherman tank in the area and they need to get out and return to camp quickly.
Hidden in thick forest ferns, Lisa scopes out a German tank (probably a stolen Sherman Tank since I don't think I have time to build two tanks) stalled on a track, its commander Manfred Klink yelling at his driver private Willi Huber, who had left the family farm to join the army. He was originally a medic by trade who got acquired by his new master. He had only ever driven a tank once when on a tank drivers course. Unfortunately, he drove his panzer through the base commander's wife's flower garden. He was promptly transferred to a medical training unit. But his misdemeanors weren't recorded on his military record and wasn't questioned by Klink who assembled his tank squad under fire from the advancing allied forces west of St Lo.
Dieter Marlene operates the gun. Dieter who is only 18 has lived in Berlin and comes from a wealthy family in the shoe making industry. He decided to answer the call to fight for his country and save it from the invading allied forces. Rather than take a commission he decided to enlist on his own after a significant falling out with his father. Half the German army is marching in boots made by the family firm. He is also the brother of Lili Marlene, entertainer, singer and patron of female flak gunners.
Klink looks down from his cupola "You idiots, there are a couple of American soldiers over there. Take them out! Sitting in the driver's seat, Willi complains bitterly about the new tank they have stolen from the enemy. " This tank is a piece of crap compared to German panzers!" "The Americans probably wanted to get rid of it. After all, we found it with the 'keys in the ignition' and engine running". They spin the turret on the Sherman and lock on target. A shell is loaded and the commander signals Marlene to fire. A clicking sound can be heard inside the tank but no shell is fired. The commander becomes impatient. "Well, what are we waiting for, Christmas?" But the gun won't fire.
The commander prepares to dismount and take things into his own hands. Lisa slowly trails her rifle across the tank back and forth looking for any supporting infantry but sees nothing. Lisa scopes out the long gun barrel again trailing her rifle across its length from the tank commander to the tip of the barrel. She continues to trail along the track, picking up tree stumps, an old fence post, a small creek trickling across the road ...and then suddenly the face of Sgt Joe Bradley!
Lisa gasps "etokto? (who is that?) American?"
The jeep has broken down, Joe has gone under the hood trying to see what is wrong with it. Duffy is climbing out of the driver seat and neither can see the danger they are in.
"This is what you get for helping out the 82nd! Oh, I think I've found the problem"
"Duffy replies "yeah, what?"
"There's no motor!"
"It's in the back, most GTM jeeps have rear drive motors in the back above the back axle. This is an all electric jeep"
"Ok, there it is and ah....the drive chain has slipped off, I'll get the tool kit out"
"Joe that's my job!"
"Joe looks up and around the dense ferns and trees. "Duffy I have a bad feeling about this, it's very quiet around here don't you think, shouldn't we be hearing our guys shooting up the joint?"
Lisa returns her rifle-sight back to the tank and its commander who seems to have given up on his tank crew. Klink dismounts from his tank landing on his feet, pulling out his pistol from his holster. The driver also emerges from the tank ...and then another. Both have rifles. They scurry down the track keeping a low profile.
By this stage Lisa needs to think fast. She is unsure if the two American soldiers are armed. She notices the red cross emblems on Joe's helmet and sleeves.
"Don't think one American has guns, oh red cross arm band! He will not have."
Lisa's finger tightens on the trigger. A loud shot rings out. A flock of birds take flight squarking as there overdriven wings propel them into the air. A startled Duffy grabs the walky talky radio and he and Joe take cover behind the jeep and try to contact base but there is nothing but static coming through the speaker. The two German soldiers watched their tank commander falter and collapse on the track ahead of them. They too, halted and then seemed confused as to where or who was shooting at them.
They quickly retreated back to their tank where they locked down the turret. "Hey Willi, you just stood on my liverwurst sausage!" "Somehow I don't think that's important just now Dieter". Lisa stepped out from her position and ran quickly down to the track, one hand holding her pilotka cap in place and the other securing her rifle. Her ankles hurting from the hard landing of her aircraft. A belch of black smoke signaled the tank slowly tracking its way along the winding track and out of the forest. For good luck, the Dieter rattled off a few rounds of .30 cal. Little did he realise - he got lucky!
Leytenant Lisaveta Britchkina on patrol before meeting Sgt Joe Bradley.
Lisa notices two American soldiers pondering over their broken down jeep, and further away a Sherman tank but the driver doesn't look right at all. She pulls out her Mosen Nagant rifle to take precautions.
Through her scope she notices the tank commander is in German uniform, this is not good.
Lisa scopes out the two GI's by the jeep, it looks like one of them is waving to the tank commander. He obviously doesn't realise the danger they are in.
Well at least the grass is in focus.
Duffy, is the Russian front closer than we thought?
Lisa stumbles, dropping her rifle and falling backwards. Joe rushes in just before she falls to the ground.
Joe speaks Russian to the female soldier to calm her down.
Lisa giving Joe some rifle practise, dolls arm wont bend to hold rifle correctly, this would result in injury to the face in real life.
Joe and Duffy got to their feet, throwing their arms up in surrender, staring down the barrel of an unfamiliar weapon in the hands of a female soldier in an equally unfamiliar uniform.
But something was wrong. Joe noticed blood trickling down her wrist, dripping from her fingers. The tip of the barrel of her rifle lowered and then the whole weapon dropped to the ground. But before the figure of Lisa Britchkina collapsed, Joe had rushed forward and caught her in his arms, the palm of his hand cradling her head, gently lowering her to the ground.
"lucky for her you're a medic Joe"
"Yeah I know but what's she doing here?" Joe looks her over from her boots to her pilotka cap. "This is a Russian uniform and that's a sniper rifle."
"So she's on our side right?"
"Well I hope so Duffy because you don't want this one for an enemy".
Lisa utters "mama!"
Joe finds an entry and exit hole in the upper arm of her jacket and applies his first aid skills and temporarily secures her wound.
"It's just a flesh wound, not serious, why she fainted I'm not sure"
Joe whispers quietly to her "tam tam vse budet khorosho (There there, just relax,... you'll be fine)".
He places her pilotka on her lap.
"Duffy, help me lift her onto the stretcher, put her on the bonnet of the jeep."
Duffy continues with the chain drive repair. "OK that's fixed."
"Great Duffy, oh what about the German soldier, looks like an officer. Is he dead Duffy?"
"I'll take a look."
"No he's still alive"
The tank commander regains a little conscientiousness babbling in German,
"Mutter, Mutter"
Duffy adds "he's trying to talk Joe"
"They're both calling for their mothers Duffy"
"Its common in combat from what I've heard."
"Oh, there's a luger over there on the ground">
"OK got it, nice souvenir but not for a medic".
The German commander is placed in the back of the jeep.
"OK Joe let's get out of here!"
Willi drives the sherman out of the forest and down a winding road. Dieter stands in the cupola. He looks down inside the tank and spots an m1 helmet.
"Hey Willi, pass me that helmet there"
"I'm driving you dumb skull"
So Dieter reaches down and scoops it up. He places it on his head
"I'm general Pattern haha" and salutes to the front and then to the back of the tank.
"Hey Willi look at me"
Suddenly he hears a voice
"Hey mack"
They arrive amidst a small American engineering unit
Dieter whispers down to Willi
"Willi we are kaput!"
The american soldier looks up at Dieter
Hey mack you OK?
"Ahh, Jah, I mean Yes actually no I, um, our gun won't fire".
Willi looks up and whispering, "are you nuts Dieter?"
"cut it out with the German accent Mack, you wanna get your head blown off?"
"That's a common ailment with this model" as he throws a small wax paper packet up at Dieter who catches it.
"replace the trigger guard bracket, it's preventing your firing mechanism from operating"
Dieter throws a salute. They continue on their way, the engineer with hands on hips watches them trundle down the road.
"Cowboys, God help them if they run into the enemy."
Once out of sight they pull up and jump out, both run into some roadside bushes and evacuate their bowels in a hurry.
End of scene.
The Sting in the Tiger's Tail
The captain and chief medical Officer, Eugene Winchester is in the admin front section of the medical tent. He is on the phone to HQ on the beachhead. "For Heaven's sake sir I'm trying to run a hospital here. I ask for medical supplies and what do they send me? A reporter from the stars and stripes magazine to interview a film star and a shipment of buckets and spades for the beach. We're in the middle of a Goddamned war! So I told him she was over at the 82nd HQ sir. No sir she's here. Wants me to take her uniform to the dry cleaners and wants me to pay for it like this whole war is my fault sir. And then some Captain from the 29th infantry regiment on a Goddamned crusade steals one of my medics."
"I believe he was a Ranger sir."
"No sir, the captain. He was a Ranger"
"The same guy, took your translator?"
"what's the world coming to sir?"
Duffy and Joe arrive back at the MFH just outside the tent where Buck is waiting. He casually glances at the wounded soldiers "Joe, Duffy, they don't look like the 82nd!" He quickly identifies the two soldiers nationalities and is about to enter the tent when he hears his Captain "I hate arrogant Germans, don't wanna see any more of those today, not on my watch." Buck carefully back's off and turns to face the boys and begins helping the wounded into the tent. Captain Winchester stands up as they enter, he clears the way for them and Joe informs him of the events they just experienced.
Duffy and Buck go outside the tent where the two light up cigarettes. Buck starts the conversation.
"The tank was one of ours, heard it was taken from a depot this morning. Some idiot crew were taking a dump in the forest and were captured by a remnant German unit. They knew how to operate the tank so they must be from the XX1 st panzer division. How they survived the bombing run from hell and back I'll never know".
"Tell me about Duffy, I heard from division we took over a hundred casualties from our own guys, strange no one was killed though".
"Buck we've been here what, 4 or 5 weeks and no deaths don't you find that strange too?"
It's a new war Duffy, not like the last one, the war to end all wars".
"yeah but still, I saw the German officer after the Russian shot him right through the heart, you can't survive that sort of a wound surely?"
"I heard similar stories on D-Day, haven't had time to think much about it. Anyway I wonder what the Russian is doing here. She's a long way from the Russian front."
"Oh looky here comes Katy"
Katy Clarke is one of the first female medics to arrive at the unit now that it is secure. She was seconded from the beach head to look after Lili Marlene, after she fell ill making it impossible for her to be transferred to the beach.
"The tank was one of ours, heard it was taken from a depot this morning. Some idiot crew were taking a dump in the forest and were captured by a remnant German unit. They knew how to operate the tank so they must be from the XX1 st panzer division. How they survived the bombing run from hell and back I'll never know".
"Tell me about Duffy, I heard from division we took over a hundred casualties from our own guys, strange no one was killed though".
"Buck we've been here what, 4 or 5 weeks and no deaths don't you find that strange too?"
It's a new war Duffy, not like the last one, the war to end all wars".
"yeah but still, I saw the German officer after the Russian shot him right through the heart, you can't survive that sort of a wound surely?"
"I heard similar stories on D-Day, haven't had time to think much about it. Anyway I wonder what the Russian is doing here. She's a long way from the Russian front."
"Oh looky here comes Katy"
Katy Clarke is one of the first female medics to arrive at the unit now that it is secure. She was seconded from the beach head to look after Lili Marlene, after she fell ill making it impossible for her to be transferred to the beach.
Buck helps Katy off the escort motor cycle and is introduced to Duffy.
"Pleased to meet you Duffy"
"pleased to meet you too ma'am" He salutes by raising his hand and holding onto the rim of his helmet.
Katy enters the tent and meets captain Winchester.
"Glad you're here Katy, hope the trip wasn't too scary for you."
"I'm already one aidman down And no nurses currently avaikable. We've got three casualties in here, follow me through. All are remarkably stable but unconscious, two German and one Russian."
Katy notices the German actress instantly.
"Oh my, Lili Marlene?"
"sure thing Katy, she was captured here, didn't put up any fight and I don't recollect her getting hurt in the action but shortly after she collapsed and has been unconscious since."
"Pleased to meet you Duffy"
"pleased to meet you too ma'am" He salutes by raising his hand and holding onto the rim of his helmet.
Katy enters the tent and meets captain Winchester.
"Glad you're here Katy, hope the trip wasn't too scary for you."
"I'm already one aidman down And no nurses currently avaikable. We've got three casualties in here, follow me through. All are remarkably stable but unconscious, two German and one Russian."
Katy notices the German actress instantly.
"Oh my, Lili Marlene?"
"sure thing Katy, she was captured here, didn't put up any fight and I don't recollect her getting hurt in the action but shortly after she collapsed and has been unconscious since."
"The Russian however, is the mystery girl. Her rifle identifies her as a sniper and do you see that decoration on her breast pocket? That identifies her as a Hero of the Soviet Union."
"And the German officer sir?"
The German Officer is also remarkable. He has a bullet wound through his heart, we have controlled the bleeding but the area around the wound seems to have healed. It's beating a little fast and his breathing is slightly heavy but I think he is stable. I have not experienced this before. Quite frankly, he's either very lucky or he's got a wooden heart"
Winchester chuckles at his last remark.
Lisa begins to rouse on her stretcher.
Very lightly she begins to sing.
"Ooh, I'm blinded by the lights,
No I cant sleep until I feel your touch"
Moaning, she places the back of her hand on her forehead. Slowly her eyes begin to open and she sees the tent light quite bright in her eyes. Lisa covers her eyes with the palm of her hand and slowly rolls her head to one side. Peaking through her spreading fingers she sees the German officer in his cot. Her large anime eyes widen. She rolls over to the other side only to see another German uniform in the cot next to her. Startled, Lisa begins to panic.
She props herself up
"Nemetskiy soldat!"
Eugen and Katy grab hold of her and pin her down both trying to calm her.
"I knew it was a mistake putting them together" says Winchester.
He calls for Joe who bursts into the tent and stands over Lisa, speaking russian
"Eto normal'no, uspokoysya, ty zdes' v bezopasnosti"
"Calm down , you're safe here."
"where am I, what is happening to me?" lisa yells
Joe replies
"You saved my life, remember back in the forest?"
"what is your name and where is your unit?"
Katy looks startled at Joe's translation skills. Captain Winchester finds her expression amusing.
"Yes, yes, it is coming back to me now. I am Leytenant Lisaveta Britchkina, from ah, Army of the Union of Soviet socialist republic oh, and my head hurts!"
Joe places a glass of water near her lips
"Here drink this."
Lisa responds
"Vodka?" as she gulps it down.
"woah, slow down ma'am"
Lisa chokes on the water
"Oh, no it is not!"
Katy dabs Lisa's chin with a cloth.
Lisa turns to face Joe
"you have vodka? She studies Joe's rank insignia and sees his surname on his medical bag slung over his shoulder - comrade Sgt Bradley?"
"You have vodka in your medic kit?"
"No Ma'am, we only use that for hand sanitizing"
Lisa reponds
"Oh shame, I think I have some in my rucksack"
Joe's face goes into thought mode. "you didn't have any belongings with you when you rescued us"
Lisa has a recovered memory and clenches her fists
"Oh, oh, wait , ah, rifle, my rifle where is my rifle?"
"It's OK ma'am we have it here safely stored"
Buck and Duffy enter and assist Eugene move the male German officer into a partitioned part of the tent.
Lisa freezes as they maneuver his stretcher around and push through the tent flap partition. Her eyes don't leave the soldier until he is completely removed.
Lisa's attention then returns to the female German soldier next to her who has now started to stir. The medic staff are completely taken by surprise as Lisa bolts out of her cot, and standing next to Lili Marlene uses threatening language that even Joe can't translate.
Not one to be intimidated, Lili pulls back her cot blanket. Lisa's attention is drawn to Lili's exceptionally long legs as Lili draws them out and places her feet on the tent floor. Lili slowly stands to her full height. Joe and Katy restrain Lisa and at the same time Lisa's explicatives are reduced to a few mono syllables. Silently she stares at Lili's leather belt at eye level.
"I think I should sit down now"
A radio call comes into the unit and Buck throws on a pair of headphones. HQ advise that a small remnant of enemy soldiers has broken through one of our lines near your position. Your unit is going to be cut off for a while until reinforcements can be called in on the next wave.
Buck "Oh shit!"
"Sorry Buck, didn't copy your last, over."
"I said, any indication of the numbers? over"
"negative, but reports they are accompanied by a rogue sherman are likely since the tank has not been recovered yet"
"Thank you sir 247 out"
"And the German officer sir?"
The German Officer is also remarkable. He has a bullet wound through his heart, we have controlled the bleeding but the area around the wound seems to have healed. It's beating a little fast and his breathing is slightly heavy but I think he is stable. I have not experienced this before. Quite frankly, he's either very lucky or he's got a wooden heart"
Winchester chuckles at his last remark.
Lisa begins to rouse on her stretcher.
Very lightly she begins to sing.
"Ooh, I'm blinded by the lights,
No I cant sleep until I feel your touch"
Moaning, she places the back of her hand on her forehead. Slowly her eyes begin to open and she sees the tent light quite bright in her eyes. Lisa covers her eyes with the palm of her hand and slowly rolls her head to one side. Peaking through her spreading fingers she sees the German officer in his cot. Her large anime eyes widen. She rolls over to the other side only to see another German uniform in the cot next to her. Startled, Lisa begins to panic.
She props herself up
"Nemetskiy soldat!"
Eugen and Katy grab hold of her and pin her down both trying to calm her.
"I knew it was a mistake putting them together" says Winchester.
He calls for Joe who bursts into the tent and stands over Lisa, speaking russian
"Eto normal'no, uspokoysya, ty zdes' v bezopasnosti"
"Calm down , you're safe here."
"where am I, what is happening to me?" lisa yells
Joe replies
"You saved my life, remember back in the forest?"
"what is your name and where is your unit?"
Katy looks startled at Joe's translation skills. Captain Winchester finds her expression amusing.
"Yes, yes, it is coming back to me now. I am Leytenant Lisaveta Britchkina, from ah, Army of the Union of Soviet socialist republic oh, and my head hurts!"
Joe places a glass of water near her lips
"Here drink this."
Lisa responds
"Vodka?" as she gulps it down.
"woah, slow down ma'am"
Lisa chokes on the water
"Oh, no it is not!"
Katy dabs Lisa's chin with a cloth.
Lisa turns to face Joe
"you have vodka? She studies Joe's rank insignia and sees his surname on his medical bag slung over his shoulder - comrade Sgt Bradley?"
"You have vodka in your medic kit?"
"No Ma'am, we only use that for hand sanitizing"
Lisa reponds
"Oh shame, I think I have some in my rucksack"
Joe's face goes into thought mode. "you didn't have any belongings with you when you rescued us"
Lisa has a recovered memory and clenches her fists
"Oh, oh, wait , ah, rifle, my rifle where is my rifle?"
"It's OK ma'am we have it here safely stored"
Buck and Duffy enter and assist Eugene move the male German officer into a partitioned part of the tent.
Lisa freezes as they maneuver his stretcher around and push through the tent flap partition. Her eyes don't leave the soldier until he is completely removed.
Lisa's attention then returns to the female German soldier next to her who has now started to stir. The medic staff are completely taken by surprise as Lisa bolts out of her cot, and standing next to Lili Marlene uses threatening language that even Joe can't translate.
Not one to be intimidated, Lili pulls back her cot blanket. Lisa's attention is drawn to Lili's exceptionally long legs as Lili draws them out and places her feet on the tent floor. Lili slowly stands to her full height. Joe and Katy restrain Lisa and at the same time Lisa's explicatives are reduced to a few mono syllables. Silently she stares at Lili's leather belt at eye level.
"I think I should sit down now"
A radio call comes into the unit and Buck throws on a pair of headphones. HQ advise that a small remnant of enemy soldiers has broken through one of our lines near your position. Your unit is going to be cut off for a while until reinforcements can be called in on the next wave.
Buck "Oh shit!"
"Sorry Buck, didn't copy your last, over."
"I said, any indication of the numbers? over"
"negative, but reports they are accompanied by a rogue sherman are likely since the tank has not been recovered yet"
"Thank you sir 247 out"
The Secret Police
The Secret Police.
This story line is going ti take a whule ro sort out. And is raw unedited text.
The personel at the evacuarion center are trapped. Buck Duffy, Joe and George pur up a small machine gun post aiming back down the road. The rocket center is surroinded by u shaped dense forest.
before long they hear the whistling sound of trank
tracks. A sherman appears on the horizon but appears to drive past.
Excited, Joe jumps up waving his hands.
"over here!"
Duffy lowers the maxhine gun barell and relaxes.
The Sherman stops suddenly and momentarily sits idle. Joe runs up to meet it. The tank backs up and swings inro the road stopping infront of Joe.
Joe says ro himself,
"Boy, their driver is crap for sure"
The capola hatch pops open and a figure emergerges.
"Boy, am I glad to see you guys"
But his enthusiasm trails off as he realises the soldiers in the tank are not allies but German.
"Hands up American!"
Joe walks back to the center infront of the slowly crawling tank with his hands in the air
Buck who has taken over the machine gun trains it on its commander who has a pistol trained on Joe.
The commander speaks.
"Well well well. What a little united narions we have here. and here is the deal. Give us the Russian." There is a moments silence,
"ir we blow your litrle puppet show to pieces"
Lili Marlene emerges.
The tank commander is taken by surprise.
BYB
This story line is going ti take a whule ro sort out. And is raw unedited text.
The personel at the evacuarion center are trapped. Buck Duffy, Joe and George pur up a small machine gun post aiming back down the road. The rocket center is surroinded by u shaped dense forest.
before long they hear the whistling sound of trank
tracks. A sherman appears on the horizon but appears to drive past.
Excited, Joe jumps up waving his hands.
"over here!"
Duffy lowers the maxhine gun barell and relaxes.
The Sherman stops suddenly and momentarily sits idle. Joe runs up to meet it. The tank backs up and swings inro the road stopping infront of Joe.
Joe says ro himself,
"Boy, their driver is crap for sure"
The capola hatch pops open and a figure emergerges.
"Boy, am I glad to see you guys"
But his enthusiasm trails off as he realises the soldiers in the tank are not allies but German.
"Hands up American!"
Joe walks back to the center infront of the slowly crawling tank with his hands in the air
Buck who has taken over the machine gun trains it on its commander who has a pistol trained on Joe.
The commander speaks.
"Well well well. What a little united narions we have here. and here is the deal. Give us the Russian." There is a moments silence,
"ir we blow your litrle puppet show to pieces"
Lili Marlene emerges.
The tank commander is taken by surprise.
BYB
A whole lot of stuff happens next and then months later...
I'm way too good at goodbyes!
"Thank you Ma'am for saving my life"
"Oh no comrade Sgt Bradley, you saved mine!"
"OK we'll call it even then."
"Sgt comrade Bradley?"
"Yes Ma'am?"
"Meet me in Berlin at end of war, I'll be waiting for you near Brandenburg gate."
Joe lets go of Lisa's delicate hand. He looks into her gentle eyes. It wasn't the parting words he was hoping to hear. Joe can't believe they had been together so long since the early campaign in Normandy. He feels he has lost someone closer than a friend and this has been the day he had been dreading since their first encounter in the forest outside St Lo. She always had his back during the campaign keeping the enemy at bay so he could carry out his life saving work in the field. Joe feels a deep pain in his heart, and though she has been so close, because of her rank she has also seemed so far out of reach.
"Good bye Sgt Bradley"
He turns and slowly walks away. Joe recollects a poem
"I'm never gonna let you close to me
Even though you mean the most to me
'Cause every time I open up, it hurts
So I'm never gonna get too close to you
Even when I mean the most to you
In case you go and leave me in the dirt
I'm way to good at goodbyes
(I'm way to good at goodbyes)
I'm way too good at goodbyes
(I'm way too good at goodbyes)
No way that you'll see me cry
(No way that you'll see me cry)
I'm way too good at goodbyes
(I'm way too good at goodbyes)" - Sam Smith
Suddenly he hears Lisa call out.
"Sgt comrade Bradley - stop!"
Joe stops for a moment still facing forward. He then slowly turns his head, fighting back tears, he turns to face Lisa. Lisa approaches Joe and stands to attention in front of him.
"Sgt comrade Bradley - in United States Army is it not customary to salute superior officer?"
Surprised, Joe throws a short sharp salute. Lisa replies in kind.
"Sgt comrade Bradley, it is also customary for soldiers in armed forces of Union of Soviet Socialist Republic to kiss as a formal military compliment when in presence of Hero of Soviet Union - Leytenant Lisaveta Britchkina from Vologda!"
Joe cocks his head to one side to convey his confusion.
"Sgt Brad..." Lisa stutters, her lower lip quivers, "Sgt Joe Bradley you may kiss Leytenant!"
Lisa lowers her voice to a whisper
"Please Joe, please kiss me!"
A smile comes over Joe's face as months of heart ache melt away.
He warmly embraces Lisa
"Joe... I love you"
Joe repeats her name over and over, the first time he had ever called her by her first name. At the same time Lisa closes her eyes.
"Lisa....Lisa....Lisa"
"Lisa, I have always loved you".
"Joe, we will see each other again soon"
Joe gently caresses her cheek with the back of his hand.
"Lisa, do Soviet soldiers really kiss each other?"
Lisa briefly breaks their embrace while stilling holding onto Joe.
A stern look falls on her face. "You don't believe I am Hero of Soviet Union?"
"No, no , no I was just , ah I didn't mean..."
Lisa breaks into laughter
"It's ok Joe I'm teasing you!"
"Would you like to accompany me to airfield Sgt comrade Bradley or should I get those British pilots there to help me?"
"Wouldn't advise it ma'am, they will only get you lost, how else did they get here? And anyway, I have the perfect transport for us".
Duffy turns up in the Jeep and jumps out.
"All yours Joe" as he winks at Lisa.
"Sgt comrade Duffy Washington, Lili needs you!"
They disappear into the distance.
END SCENE
Lisa flew from the nearest allied airfield and returned to her unit.
Lisa had failed in her attempt to retrieve the Romanov diamond but at least she secured something better with the help of Lili Marlene, the notes from Dr Von Braun's research papers on the V2 rocket and some essential rocket parts. On the American side they scored the famous Romanov diamond which was packaged under extremely secure conditions. Put on the next ship bound for the USA. But best of all she secured an American servicemen by the name of Sgt Joe Bradley.
Gradually the American forces progressed into the German heartland. Finally they met up with the Russian forces at the river Elbe near Torgau where the 247 MFH set up its station on April 25th 1945. Not a day went by without Joe thinking about Lisa. He was concerned about rumours he had heard about the high casualty rate expected on their advance into Berlin spread by a wounded communications officer who stumbled into one of their tents before being rushed away by some soviet officers within minutes of his arrival. On April 30th, Hitler committed suicide. The city's garrison surrendered on 2nd May and the last forces in the cities west on the 8th of May 1945.
A few weeks later Joe and the team drove through the city stopping to chat with soviet soldiers whose Russian Joe was able to interpret. He pretended to be interested in their conversation but he was scanning the area around the open spaces. He saw the Brandenburg gate columns peppered with bullets and soviet trucks criss crossing the intersection. And then he noticed a female soldier standing on a platform waving two flags in almost semaphore fashion. Joe excused himself from the group and approached the girl. He also noticed a soviet film crew performing an interview with the female soldier.
Joe stopped and stood still. A few trucks drove between them. The film crew departed. The girl flicked her flags for a Soviet Staff car, saluting it as it passed by, putting Joe directly in Lisa's line of sight. Her Mosin Nagant rifle was slung across her back just as Joe had remembered her wearing it after their last meeting. Suddenly the square was quiet. They stood looking at each other for a moment in silence.
"Sgt Bradley" Lisa called out loudly.
"Is it customary in United States Army to salute superior officer?"
Joe replied.
"Is it customary in the the armed forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic to kiss a superior officer as a formal compliment?"
"Then Sgt Bradley...you had better obey order!"
An ascending aerial shot sets the final scene as Joe crosses over to embrace the love of his life. As they intertwine the sounds of heavy soviet transport truck horns and the cheers of Soviet soldiers can be heard as they pass followed by Duffy and the gang circling them in their jeep. Joe, with his arms around Lisa lifts her up and swings her around. With the fading audio Lisa can be heard to say "Joe, you are so terrible at goodbyes". Fade out - Without any traffic control, the intersection becomes clogged and confusion envelopes.
Music fade out
Last time I saw you said "What's up?"
And pushed right through
Then I tried to catch you
But we're always on the move
And now it's over, we're sober
Symptoms of the culture
And the night ain't getting younger
Last call's around the corner
Feeling kinda tempted
And I'm pouring out the truth
Just fading out these talkers 'cause now all I want is you, I'm saying
Come over here sit next to me
We can see where things go naturally
Just say the word and I'll part the sea
Just come over here and sit next to me
And I'll take you high, high - source: Foster the People Startime Columbia Records.
Back in Moscow...in a secret warehouse location.
"And now comrades we reveal the glorious efforts and ingenuity of the union of the soviet socialist republic, top secret plans taken from under the noses of the allies that will determine our solid future in rocket supremacy and world leaders in space technology"
A soldier holding a claw hammer is given the nod to wrench the cover off a large wooden crate open. The cover is thrown onto the floor and some wax paper pulled back.
There is a sudden gasp and the sound of flash bulbs going off ten to a dozen.
Lying in the crate, bright and shining is the largest diamond in the world - the Romanov Diamond!
In Washington...The president begins to speak...
"It is with great rejoicing and appreciation that we owe a significant debt of gratitude to our intelligence network. Without their contribution we would not have in front of us today this genuine prize of humanity that speaks for all Americans as we unveil the world's largest diamond. It is a tribute to the power of our democracy and symbol of our strength and courage as we assist to transform the world from the league of Nations to the new United Nations. On that note may I now declare..The second world war in Europe is over. These proceedings are closed!"
The whole room is filled with roars and cheers as a corporal splinters the side of the crate open. The furrore dies down in a hurry as the room is filled with the flutter of paper files, sketches and rocket drawings. Complete silence descends on the room. A small component rolls out and stops at the feet of the president. The president stoops and picks up the object, and a sketch of a V2 rocket, He scratches his head.
"Well what the hell is this?".
The corporal comes over.
"Mr President, I think it's an automatic pilot, you see sir it says so on the" the corporal is cut off by the president who turns to his inferiors
"I know what it says corporal, heads are going to roll for this blunder, what the hell are we going to do with a box of stupid skyrockets?"
"And did we get that German chef who works at the rocket centre kitchen famous for world cuisine or did we stuff that up as well?"
The corporal replies
"Oh no Mr President, he's right here"
"Good, what's your name son, I presume you speak English?"
The young man replies
"Ja Mr President, my name is Von Braun, Wernher Von Braun at your service".
Music fade out
Last time I saw you said "What's up?"
And pushed right through
Then I tried to catch you
But we're always on the move
And now it's over, we're sober
Symptoms of the culture
And the night ain't getting younger
Last call's around the corner
Feeling kinda tempted
And I'm pouring out the truth
Just fading out these talkers 'cause now all I want is you, I'm saying
Come over here sit next to me
We can see where things go naturally
Just say the word and I'll part the sea
Just come over here and sit next to me
And I'll take you high, high - source: Foster the People Startime Columbia Records.
Back in Moscow...in a secret warehouse location.
"And now comrades we reveal the glorious efforts and ingenuity of the union of the soviet socialist republic, top secret plans taken from under the noses of the allies that will determine our solid future in rocket supremacy and world leaders in space technology"
A soldier holding a claw hammer is given the nod to wrench the cover off a large wooden crate open. The cover is thrown onto the floor and some wax paper pulled back.
There is a sudden gasp and the sound of flash bulbs going off ten to a dozen.
Lying in the crate, bright and shining is the largest diamond in the world - the Romanov Diamond!
In Washington...The president begins to speak...
"It is with great rejoicing and appreciation that we owe a significant debt of gratitude to our intelligence network. Without their contribution we would not have in front of us today this genuine prize of humanity that speaks for all Americans as we unveil the world's largest diamond. It is a tribute to the power of our democracy and symbol of our strength and courage as we assist to transform the world from the league of Nations to the new United Nations. On that note may I now declare..The second world war in Europe is over. These proceedings are closed!"
The whole room is filled with roars and cheers as a corporal splinters the side of the crate open. The furrore dies down in a hurry as the room is filled with the flutter of paper files, sketches and rocket drawings. Complete silence descends on the room. A small component rolls out and stops at the feet of the president. The president stoops and picks up the object, and a sketch of a V2 rocket, He scratches his head.
"Well what the hell is this?".
The corporal comes over.
"Mr President, I think it's an automatic pilot, you see sir it says so on the" the corporal is cut off by the president who turns to his inferiors
"I know what it says corporal, heads are going to roll for this blunder, what the hell are we going to do with a box of stupid skyrockets?"
"And did we get that German chef who works at the rocket centre kitchen famous for world cuisine or did we stuff that up as well?"
The corporal replies
"Oh no Mr President, he's right here"
"Good, what's your name son, I presume you speak English?"
The young man replies
"Ja Mr President, my name is Von Braun, Wernher Von Braun at your service".
THE END
MMXX
Joe and Lisa returned to America after the war. Joe returned to his job at General Toye Motors retiring in 1990. Lisa became a nurse after the war, inspired by her husbands war time effort as an aid man. They maintained their contact with members of the 224 MFH, attending functions through the years. Joe passed away in 2012. Duffy Washington and Lisa are now the only surviving members of the unit. In 2020 Duffy returns to England to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the end of the war. Unfortunately the world is plummeted into lock down as a result of the COVID 19 virus. But he is able to visit one of their training camps where his great granddaughter Chelsea experiences some strange events.
Firstly she sees some soldiers in a jeep. There is a dog sitting on the hood of the jeep who sees her and begins barking. But strangely the soldiers cannot see her but the dog does and jumping down off the hood comes up and excitedly jumps on her before being recalled back to the jeep. Chelsea hears some names and learns the dog's name is Ranger.
Later in another encounter Chelsea presents Ranger with a medal she was given in a school she was visiting in Manchester. She places it around Ranger's neck.
During the war Ranger sometimes goes missing when the unit is training in the English countryside. On one occasion he returns from nowhere with the medal around his neck and surprises Buck Remington, Ranger's owner.
Firstly she sees some soldiers in a jeep. There is a dog sitting on the hood of the jeep who sees her and begins barking. But strangely the soldiers cannot see her but the dog does and jumping down off the hood comes up and excitedly jumps on her before being recalled back to the jeep. Chelsea hears some names and learns the dog's name is Ranger.
Later in another encounter Chelsea presents Ranger with a medal she was given in a school she was visiting in Manchester. She places it around Ranger's neck.
During the war Ranger sometimes goes missing when the unit is training in the English countryside. On one occasion he returns from nowhere with the medal around his neck and surprises Buck Remington, Ranger's owner.
Too Good for Goodbyes words and music by Sam Smith
UMG on behalf of Capitol Records
UMG on behalf of Capitol Records
