Scrap 43

SCRAP 43
Ken Chapman is delighted to have landed the lucrative contract to move an enormous industrial machine for shipment from Harwich Docks. He has sent his best drivers to carry out the job and Scotty follows Frank on the journey to the Midlands factory where the 400 tons of machinery has been carefully numbered, dismantled and prepared for the long journey to its new home in Germany.
They stop for breakfast just as the transport café is opening for the day, which means that they will get a decent cup of tea which has not been stewing for hours. They order the usual mix of eggs, bacon, sausages, beans and fried bread and take their seats at a window overlooking the road while they wait for the food to be prepared.
‘How many trips do you reckon we’ll have to make?’ asks Scotty. Frank does a mental calculation and guesses they will spend most of the week back and forth, which means nights sleeping in their cabs. They have both brought their sleeping bags, pillows and other essentials, including plenty of cushions to make up some kind of beds across the engine covers. It will be a long week, but Frank has decided it will also be a very profitable one for him and his pal.
The sun is shining warmly as they arrive at the closed down factory, to be met by two men who are there to oversee the careful loading of the precision components. The trailers are loaded each with 28tons of machine sections, roped down and sent on their way.
‘Follow me, wherever I go,’ Frank tells Scotty, ‘The Krauts are not getting their hands on all this copper.’ Scotty grins greedily, knowing what Frank has in mind and they set off in high spirits for a scrap yard which is nicely positioned near enough to their supposed destination yet far enough away to avoid suspicion. The proprietor is delighted to weigh off six tons from each of the trailers, pays the men in cash and agrees to be on hand if they happen by later in the day with the second load.
Nobody checks the consignment at the docks, and the men race back for their second load of the day, their cash neatly hidden away in their cabs. These men have not forgotten the war and have decided the Germans will pay for their crimes even if only in this small way.
The loading crew are surprised to see the drivers back so soon and congratulate them on their speed as the second loads are placed on the trailers, roped down and seen out the factory gates. Frank has promised to be back for a third load before the end of the day and the men agree to stay around to load the trailers. They are happy to get the job finished early as they are being paid by the load.
There is no time to stop for another meal but Frank decides they have time for fish and chips at a take-away he knows well. They park their trucks on the road and order cod and chips, which they eat during the drive to the scrap yard. Fish and chips are one of Frank’s favourite foods and he sits with the paper-wrapped delicacy propped on the engine cover, grabbing handfuls and stuffing them into his mouth as he trundles along deciding what he will spend all the money on.
Once again there is no check made at the docks. The goods are unloaded straight into the hold of a German registered vessel and they set off again on the gravy train.
It does prove to be a hard week, with very little sleep, but eventually the factory is clear and the men make their final trip to Harwich, via the scrap yard. They have delivered more than half the machinery to the docks, but much of it has been diverted for their own personal gain. Frank feels very satisfied as the last of the machinery disappears into the hold and the hatch is padlocked shut. He would love to see the looks on the faces of the Germans when they get this jigsaw puzzle back to their new factory to find it doesn’t fit together.