Eating porridge - what a way to die?

 18 Jan 1944

 1 York & Lancs. A soldier in ‘A’ Company described the crossing as follows:

 ‘We crossed the River Garigliano in the early hours in rubber dinghies and could hear the artillery fire and as it became light, we came across some troops digging themselves in. The chap who was carrying our food rations for the Section deserted and it was late evening before we had anything to eat. They told us not to cross into this field as it was full of mines. However, we were told to keep going and after proceeding about 75 yards the mines started to go off and half the platoon were casualties. There were only about twelve of us who escaped, and we were incredibly lucky. We carried on advancing and prisoners were being taken and we saw enemy transport retreating. We went into a hut and a German was sitting on a chair looking quite normal except a bayonet was sticking into him and porridge was spilt on the floor. He must have been taken by surprise. We then climbed over a wall into another field, about eight of us, and in the corner was a German with his hands on a machine gun, pointing at us. Luckily for us and for him he lifted his hands in surrender".

This hut is in the first rest area for 1 York & Lancs. before climbing the hill to Tufo.

   Was it the hut the German was in?