DEATH FINDS THE DAY

This clipped, compressed account of one day (except for White -- the last) in the life of three members of a special group of a Commando Brigade dawns in a barn, where they are waiting orders and fighting ""a little war against boredom, tiredness and the unquenchable desire to be somewhere else."" On this day the author killed his first German-- then a second one; they were also taken prisoners for a few hours by another, Helmut; later when they reversed the situation and had to move on, they drew lots (Helmut rigged the decision) whether or not to kill or not to kill him. Patrols, the journey to another farm-house tenanted by corpses, and the final burst of mortars leaves no survivors- except Helmut and White, who finally killed him-- his third casualty...White reviews this with admirable economy, and if this minor memoir is to the major full-scale account like shrapnel to a shell, the effect is just as painful.