Minerva

by June Hirst

  ‘Thanks Minerva,’ they all chorused.

  ‘It’s only for today though. Hang your towels on the bottom of the beds and they will dry while we’re out,’ Minerva told them. ‘And remember your irons!’

  The girls of hut number one were all present in breakfast on time but the other girls were late. Sergeant Benson noticed. She came to their table, where they were just finishing their beans on toast.

  ‘When you have all finished, you will all stand up at the same time? Walk to the bowl in a dignified manner. Rinse your irons and walk out ignoring all the men,’ she said, ‘we shall march back to your hut for inspection.’ The girls followed her instructions, ignoring the wolf whistles. In the hut, Sergeant Benson stood back by the door,

  ‘Stand by your beds,’ she yelled. The girls did as they were told and Benson entered, expecting chaos. She strolled down one side noting the burning stove and the drying towels. She could find no fault.

  ‘I am very impressed. Who is responsible for this organisation?’ she asked. All seven girls chorused,

  ‘Minerva, Sergeant Benson’

  ‘Step forward Minerva,’ Benson replied. Minerva stepped forward, head up and hands by her sides. Benson just nodded at Minerva.

  ‘That is the last time you will use Christian names, when speaking to an officer. Today you will be given your rank and number. Keep up the good work. Now fall in, behind me. We shall march to the office, where you will be photographed and tagged. No talking.’

  The apprehensive girls followed instructions, wondering how they were going to be tagged. Even Vanessa and Victoria dare not speak. Each girl held a card bearing her service number while she was photographed. Victoria was first and flashed her most appealing smile at the photographer.

  ‘You stupid girl, you are not being photographed for the Tatler Society Magazine. Keep a straight face. We shall have to do that again,’ Benson instructed.

  ‘They do this in prison to the convicts,’ Vanessa whispered to the others.

  ‘These photographs will be stuck on your identity card,’ Benson told them, ‘you will guard your identity card with your life. It you lose it there will be dire consequences.’

  ‘What’s a dire,’ Molly whispered.

  ‘Hung, drawn and quartered,’ Vanessa whispered back. Molly grabbed Minerva’s hand.

  ‘She’s joking Molly, but it means very bad.’ Minerva whispered reassuringly.

  Sergeant Benson returned carrying eight discs on leather thongs,

  ‘Your name, number and religion are on this disc, which you must wear at all times. If you are killed it is for identification purposes,’ she said as she handed them out. ‘You must learn this number off by heart. It is your new name.’

  The girls hung them round their necks, silently thinking about being killed.

  ‘Your shoes, stocking and coats will be issued today, but it will be a few weeks before your uniforms arrive, so for goodness sake try to wear something sensible. Your hats will be here next week. After your first lecture, you will go to sickbay for your examination and inoculations. We shall walk around the camp casually now, while the other W.A.A.F’s are photographed,’ Benson said, ‘and no chattering!’

  The girls followed Benson around the camp. It was the first time that they had seen its enormous size. Benson pointed out the various buildings, which were built out of red brick, while the girls vainly tried to absorb its geography. The Officer’s Mess looked very smart. It even had lawns, a rose garden and tennis courts. They walked along tree-lined avenues. It was possible to forget it was an R.A.F. station until, round the corner were the runway and the great steel camouflaged hangars. Suddenly two planes swooped down over their heads. All the girls screamed and fell to their knees. The planes circled and landed.

  ‘Get up, at the double. They did that on purpose. It’s a jolly prank to them. You will have to become accustomed to low flying planes,’ Benson said.

  They watched the pilots jump down from their cockpits.

  ‘They look a bit of alright. What do you say Victoria?’ Vanessa whispered.

  ‘I would have to have a closer look, but I’ve discovered that ‘All that glitters is not gold’, as the proverb tells us.’ Victoria replied.

  ‘That is the first sensible thing that I have heard you say 3036 Jones,’ Benson said. ‘By the way, your car is behind the Officers’ Mess. Assistant Section Officer Felman says that you can keep it. You will meet her in the lecture room. You will address her as Ma’am at all times. She is the boss and do not forget it. The lecture will start at 9 o’clock, we will go there now.’

  A very stern looking W.A.A.F officer was standing by a podium looking at her notes. Benson marched up to her and saluted.

  ‘Hut number one all present and correct , Ma’am,’ she said.

  The A.S.O. looked at them disdainfully,

  ‘They might be present, but they are certainly not correct, until their uniforms arrive, Benson. Hopefully we will soon knock them into shape,’ she barked.

  ‘Yes Ma’am.’ Vanessa wanted to giggle, but her cockney survival skills took over.

  ‘Welcome to the R.A.F. Brackston Aircraft Women Second Class. I am Assistant Station Officer Felman. As you will know the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force is very new. You are the first group of recruits to arrive here. We only arrived a few days before you. Your huts and ablutions are very basic, but I can assure you that they will improve. We shall be quiet and dignified at all times. The men are waiting to prey on you like vultures and the officers are expecting us to be a nuisance and fail. You must be strong determined women or you would not have volunteered. We are at war. We shall all be needed. The conflict will be long. Our enemy is strong and we will be strong too. Sergeant Jessop will now speak to you about your sexual health.’

  The Officer were having a discussion and all the girls started chattering. Minerva looked around at all her fellow recruits. So far she was enjoying herself. She had twenty-three companions, who she hoped would be twenty-three friends and they were all equal. She was no longer the mill-girl, who could not be with the mill owner’s son. Again she wondered where he was.

  ‘You are very quiet Minerva, are you alright?’ Victoria asked.

  Minerva smiled, ‘Yes I’m alright Victoria. I was wondering about sexual health.’

  ‘That will be about all the diseases we can get if we let the men have their wicked way!’ and she laughed. Minerva vaguely remembered the mill girls whispering about that.

  The A.S.O. left the room and the Sergeant bawled,

  ‘Quiet!’ as she turned over the first page on the chart. ‘It is our job to turn raw recruits into smart W.A.A.F’s and looking at some of you it might be difficult, but it will happen and how hard or easy it will be, depends on you. There are over a hundred sexually deprived airmen out there and you will be their new targets. You will keep your knickers on at all times and believe me when you see your issued knickers’ by now the girls were laughing hysterically, ‘QUIET!’ she bawled, ‘it is not funny. I shall show you pictures of sexual diseases.’

  As she turned over pages and talked most of the girls were horrified. When she had finished everyone was subdued.

  ‘Right! Now, I see that you have understood my lecture. You will go to the Medical Officer for your inoculations and examination. Hut one you will go first. Hut two you will go at fourteen hundred hours and Hut three at sixteen hundred hours.’ She marched out. There was a pandemonium, as all the girls began to talk at once.

  ‘What’s an inoculation Minerva?’ Mollie asked.

  ‘It’s an injection, like a prick, to stop us getting diseases. Come on girls let’s get it over with.’

  ‘3030 Wood, take your recruits to the Medical block.’ Benson ordered. Minerva blushed and hoped that she could remember its position.

  ‘ Yes, Sergeant,’ Minerva replied. The other girls had already put their faith in Minerva to know what to do. The eight nervous new recruits made their way to the medical block, silently. Min
erva hesitantly opened the door into a passage and the girls entered.

  ‘It stinks of hospitals,’ Vanessa whispered. All the girls were pale and nervous. Even Victoria was subdued. Minerva started walking down the corridor and the others followed. Suddenly a door opened an a nurse came to meet them,

  ‘Hut number one reporting nurse,’ Minerva said.

  ‘Good you are on time. I shall check you for lice and sexual diseases. Come this way,’ the nurse replied and the girls followed her into an examination room.

  ‘I have not and never had lice or sexual diseases,’ Victoria complained. The nurse noted Victoria’s long wavy auburn hair and Minerva’s beautiful golden curls. She pointed to them.

  ‘You two will certainly have to have your hair cut,’ she said, ‘and you,’ she continued pointing to Vanessa, ‘have used too much bleach. Your hair is in a dreadful condition. The rest of you are passable.’ They were all lice free. After a humiliating examination for sexual diseases they were all passed as clean.

  ‘The medical officer will now examine your heart and lungs and then you will line up for your inoculations,’ the nurse told them, ‘You just need to take off your blouses and jumpers.’

  ‘But miss he’ll see our breasts,’ Mollie exclaimed.

  ‘You silly girl! He is a doctor. He has seen far more than breasts. He will not even notice.’ The nurse replied. ‘Sit down there, the Medical Officer will be here any minute.’ Just as she spoke he came in. The girls stared in admiration. His black hair gleamed and his eyes were startlingly blue. He was tall and broad and his shirt sleeves were rolled up showing powerful arms.

  Minerva gasped and was thankful that she was sitting down. She felt faint. At first glance he was so like Martin Moxon.

  ‘Good morning Aircraft Women Second Class,’ he said and when he smiled his eyes were smiling too.

  ‘Good morning sir,’ they all replied.

  ‘I refuse to give you all the injections at once or you will be ill, so I shall give you the smallpox today and get it over with, before you start your duties.’ They all gazed at him with relief. When it was Minerva’s turn to be examined she gritted her teeth and firmly told herself that this was not Martin, but she wished that it was. When they were all finished the Medical Officer announced,

  ‘You are a healthy set of young women. You may feel the effects of the injection tomorrow. There could be headache and fever. Report here and you will be given medication. You are to report to the administration block at fourteen hundred hours to be interviewed for your duties. You are dismissed,’ and again his smile lit up his face.

  When they were outside they all started to giggle with relief,

  ‘What did you think of him then Victoria,’ Vanessa asked. ‘I shall not mind being ill if he is going to examine me.’

  ‘I agree. He is the best specimen that we have seen since we arrived. What did you think Minerva?’ Victoria said.

  ‘He startled me when he came in. He reminded me of someone I know. I thought that I was going to faint,’ Minerva replied.

  ‘Oh yes you dark horse! Come tell all.’ Vanessa said.

  ‘I can’t at the moment. It is too painful. Maybe one day I will tell,’ and her gentle brown eyes filled with tears.

  ‘The rotten bugger. Don’t cry, there’s plenty more fish in the sea and I mean to catch some,’ Vanessa said as she put her arm round Minerva.

  ‘No it’s not like that, he was out of my league, so I ran away.’

  ‘You silly girl! All is fair in love and war and don’t you forget it,’ Victoria told her, ‘Come on its lunch time. Let’s go and see what monstrosities they will serve us today.’

  ‘We will have to fetch our irons first, or we shall have to eat lumpy mashed potato with our fingers,’ Minerva said. ‘I’ll feed the stove while we are there. It can be very cold in Yorkshire in October.’

  When the girls arrived at the Cook House, they were greeted by the usual whistles and calls. Vanessa was tempted to answer, but remembered ‘dignity at all times’. They were served sausage, peas and chips and found that they were very hungry. Even Victoria did not grumble.

  ‘We’ll all walk out together like Benson told us. They’ll soon get fed up of teasing us if we ignore them. That is how I used to deal with the men at work,’ Minerva told them.

  That afternoon they were all interviewed for duties. Victoria, who could drive was detailed to the garages. Vanessa who had been a barmaid was to carry on behind the bar. When it was Minerva’s turn she marched into the office and stood to attention.

  ‘Can you drive 3030 Wood?’ Assistant Section Officer Fenton asked.

  ‘No Ma’am, but I like machinery. I used to repair the looms for the other girls. I would dearly love to drive.’

  ‘Very well 3030 Wood. It has already been noticed that you have potential. You seem to be a very intelligent girl. You will learn to drive and study road maps.3036 Jones will be detailed to teach you to drive and I shall test you.’

  ‘Thank you Ma’am,’ Minerva replied and her brown eyes were sparkling.

  ‘I need a quiet personal word with you 3030 Wood. You are very beautiful, but you must not flaunt your beauty. You will of course have to have your hair cut, because regulations state that it must be above the collar. Minerva blushed scarlet.

  ‘Yes Ma’am I will conduct myself with dignity at all times,’ she replied

  ‘See that you do. Now go and tell Jones what I have said. I shall be watching the pair of you,’ Fenton told her. ‘Go and report to Corporal Jenkins in the garages.’

  Minerva saluted and marched out and Fenton made a note; promotion quickly. She almost ran to the garages, but remembered ‘dignity at all times’ and marched. She could not believe, that she Minnie Wood, had been paired with the honourable Victoria Jenkins-Jones.

  In the garages rows of trucks, cars and wagons were parked and Victoria was talking to a mechanic, so Minerva walked over to them.

  ‘Victoria you have been detailed to teach me to drive,’ she said.

  ‘That’s marvellous Minerva. This is Corporal Jenkins, no relation though. He is alright.’

  ‘I won’t shake hands they’re mucky,’ Corporal Jenkins said. Minerva smiled at him and the word mucky made her feel at home. He was a Yorkshire man.

  ‘That is great news Minerva and we will be able to go out in my car. We’ll have our hair cut while we are out. The R.A.F butchers are not going to crop us.’ Victoria said. Again Minerva felt a glow of happiness, Victoria was accepting her as an equal.

  ‘Would you like your first lesson in this car?’ the Corporal asked. ‘These country roads are very quiet. I expect you are all free this afternoon.’

  ‘Oh yes please Corporal.’

  ‘You can get used to changing gears on an R.A.F. car,’ he said.

  Victoria thought things were improving as they both jumped in. Corporal Jenkins drove to the gates and the barrier lifted.

  ‘Freedom, we have been let out,’ Victoria said from the back seat. Soon they stopped on the flat country road. The ploughed fields stretched for miles and the trees still held their autumn leaves. Corporal Jenkins stopped the car and got out.

  ‘Right 3030 Wood now is your chance. Slide across into the driving seat.’ And he took his place beside her. Minerva had never been in a car before, but that would be a closely guarded secret. She soon became accustomed to the three pedals and the gear lever, and felt exhilaration when she progressed to steering the car along the road in first gear.

  ‘You are doing very well 3030 Wood,’ Corporal Jenkins told her, ‘you are a natural. Now press the clutch and put her into second gear.’ Minerva followed his instructions for the next hour. When they arrived back at the camp, she managed to steer back into the garage and stop. She felt on top of the world.

  ‘You can take her out in your car next time 3036 Jenkins-Jones. Drive to Malton. There are no sign-posts now, but I will get a road map for you to study.’

  ‘Thank you Corporal,’ they both
replied. They were both nearly bursting with excitement.

  ‘Right, dismissed for today. Report here at nine hundred hours in the morning.’ He said.

  ‘Yes Corporal,’ they replied.

  When they arrived back at the hut there was chaos. The other girls were shrieking with laughter. They were all wearing the most enormous black knickers, reaching from their breasts to their knees, along with wool stockings and black-laced shoes. On every bed was a big air force blue coat.

  ‘Did ever you see anything like these Victoria,’ Vanessa said. ‘Come on you two, get yours on.’

  ‘Yuk they are disgusting,’ Victoria replied, ‘I shall wear my own panties underneath.’

  Minerva howled with laughter and they all joined in, until they were almost hysterical. They lay on their beds kicking their legs into the air, displaying eight voluminous black bottoms and sixteen heavy black shoes.

  ‘I’ll show you how to do a black bottom dance,’ Minerva said, ‘line up behind me and hold onto one another’s waists.’ They danced around the hut in a line behind Minerva singing,

  ‘Black bottoms, Black bottoms, we’ve got ‘em, we’ve got ‘em, kicking up their legs, their heavy shoes were clattering on the floor. The door flew open and the Sergeant was standing there.

  ‘Quiet, at the double!’ She yelled. The girls could not stop laughing. The Sergeant had to bite her lip to prevent herself from laughing. She took a deep breath.

  ‘Get dressed immediately. I shall overlook this behaviour today, but it will not happen again,’ she said. ‘You will wear regulation knickers, stockings and shoes from now on. You will present yourselves on the parade ground at fourteen hundred hours tomorrow, wearing your regulation great coats. Your hats will arrive next week. Is that clear?’

  ‘Yes Sergeant,’ they all replied.

  ‘Tonight after dinner you may go into the recreation hall, but you will not fraternise with the men, until you are wearing full uniform. You will have one hour to listen to the music and play table tennis, then you return to your hut.’

  ‘Yes Sergeant,’ they all replied again.