Minerva

by June Hirst

  ‘You never cease to amaze me Minerva. You are so knowledgeable.’

  ‘I spent my free time in the library. I used to lose myself in books. They stopped me from being so lonely.’ Victoria hugged her.

  ‘You’ll never be lonely again love,’ she said. The two young women stood looking at the green shoots, which one day would be bread. They were both remembering their love nests in the hayfield.

  ‘I wish Parky would get in touch. I’ve no idea whether he is alive or dead, Victoria said. He was jolly good fun Minerva. I loved to be with him and he was very passionate. I was falling in love with him and that is more than I can say about the so called gentlemen, who I met during my debutante days. This wretched war! When will it end?’

  ‘Sergeant Jenkins says that it will go on for years, because it is only just starting. He says that it will spread worldwide. He is such a lovely man and such a good friend, but I think that he was falling in love with me, so I told him about my secret love. It wasn’t fair to give him hope.’

  ‘Oh Minerva surely you must have heard the proverb; A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Sergeant Jenkins is available, but goodness knows whether Martin Moxon will fly out of his bush back to you.’

  ‘He will, I know that he will and I’m prepared to wait.’

  Suddenly they heard an approaching air craft. They automatically looked up and saw a lone Messerschmitt fighter plane diving. They jumped over the stile, quicker than they had done when they had heard the Commanding Officer’s car, when they were with Ricky and Parky. They huddled under the wall in the grass. The Messerschmitt fired its guns and the bullets bounced off the solid stone wall. They were terrified and remained as still as stone. They heard the plane ascend. Their breathing was the only sound that they could hear apart from the plane. It swooped down again and again, they heard its guns.

  ‘He is attacking the farmer, Minerva whispered, the rotten swine, the coward, attacking defenceless people. I hope our lot blow him to smithereens. He is out of the range of the anti-aircraft guns. He dare not fly over the camp.’ Victoria was shaking uncontrollably. Minerva put her arms around her,

  ‘We’re safe here. He thinks that he has shot us. He won’t come back. She peeped over the wall. The farmer was crawling out from underneath his damaged tractor. He had lived to fight another day as well.

  ‘Come on love let’s return to the camp. If we had kept some fighters on our base they could have chased him and shot him down. Do you think that they’ll ever let women fly Victoria? Ricky said that he would take me flying after the war.’ Victoria was white and shaking with shock. Minerva held her hand and together they reached the camp safely, where a mug of sweet tea worked its miracle and Victoria recovered, enjoying repeating the story of their brush with death.

  Minerva knocked on the Assistant Section Officer’s door and was told to enter.

  ‘Good afternoon Sergeant Wood. What can I do for you? The A.S.O asked.

  ‘Corporal Jenkins-Jones and I have had a dangerous close encounter with the enemy Ma’am. We were the target for a lone yellow nosed Messerschmitt. We sheltered under a stone wall and he missed us and also missed a farmer, but wrecked his tractor.’

  ‘That is terrible. Are you alright? Do you need anything for shock?’

  ‘No thank you Ma’am we have had a mug of tea. Do you think that they will ever let us train as pilots Ma’am?’

  ‘No certainly not! They will not! There will be big changes after this war, just as there were after the first war. I can just see you learning to fly then Sergeant.’

  ‘I would love to fly Ma’am, God willing that shall be my ambition.’

  ‘I shall make out a report of your experience Sergeant and I’m glad that you’re both safe.’

  ‘Thank you Ma’am.’

  ‘The news is very bad Sergeant. Gather all the girls together tonight to listen to the 9 o’clock news.’

  ‘Very well Ma’am,’ and Minerva saluted and left.

  Minerva, together with Sergeant Harris gathered together all the girls in the recreation room after dinner. By now everyone knew about the attack on Minerva and Victoria, causing everyone to feel nervous. All the girls were carrying their gas masks. They had previously been careless about carrying them at all times. Suddenly the siren sounded and in their nervous state, the girls screamed.

  Attention!’ Sergeant Harris bawled as Sergeant Benson used to. The girls stopped panicking and jumped to attention.

  ‘We shall march to the shelter in a dignified manner. Formation is into twos, in the same order as church parade, behind Sergeant Wood. Quickly and quietly the W.A.A.F’s obeyed. Minerva led them by the quickest route to the shelter with Sergeant Harris bringing up the rear. This was the second raid, but it had been expected. All the bombers had taken off to destroy the barges assembled on the French coast ready for the invasion. Minerva lit the oil lamp in case the electricity failed. All was quiet, the girls were silent, and some were clutching their rosary beads and praying. The two Sergeants crept outside to look and listen. It was still light. The anti-aircraft guns were ready and in the distance they could see the approaching enemy bombers. They would bomb the runways and the hangars. Hopefully the billets would be missed. Quickly they took shelter. They could hear the guns and the earth shattering noise of exploding bombs. They were all wearing gas masks and when the light went out the flickering light of the oil lamp cast eerie shadows. When the all clear sounded, the two Sergeants and the two Corporals ordered the relieved W.A.A.F’s to remain sheltered while they inspected the damage and assessed the safety.

  ‘It is not as bad as last time. The run way seems to have been the target, so that the returning planes can’t land. The hangars took a direct hit, but the guns must have stopped any more damage’, Sergeant Harris informed them

  ‘The gunners have shot three of them down, look there are 3 fires in the distance, Minerva said. That means some of the crew will have survived if they used their parachutes. The army stationed in York will be on their way already to capture them’. Victoria and Angela were silent.

  ‘It’s nearly dark, we had better order everyone back to the huts to inspect the damage and then hopefully get a hot drink.’ Sergeant Harris told them.’ There will be much extra work. We might have to help repair the run way.’ Mary and Mollie came to the rescue and soon all the girls were drinking hot sweet tea.

  Once again they had lived to fight another day, but Minerva’s thoughts were with R.A.F Bilton. They would have been raided too. Had Martin survived?

  Chapter 15

  The Battle of Britain continued. The damage to the airfield was repaired once again. The W.A.A.F.s had worked with the men and there had been no loss of life this time. Minerva realised how exhausted and tense they all were and tempers were beginning to erupt. She enlisted the help of Assistant Officer Felman who telephoned E.N.S.A. and requested some entertainment. Minerva meant to announce this to the girls after the nine o’clock news, but all thoughts of concert parties disappeared as they listened in horror to the news. The East End of London had been bombed and the raging fires illuminated the River Thames, which guided a further onslaught of Nazi bombers. This was the first bombing raid directed specifically at civilian targets.

  Victoria and Vanessa were white faced and trembling. This was their home town. Their families and friends were the target.

  ‘What shall we do Victoria? I know that I haven’t been back since I joined up and I was glad to leave, but I don’t want my mum and sisters to be killed. How will I know if they are safe?’ Vanessa asked. Victoria was shaking and Minerva held her closely.

  ‘Come on Victoria take deep breaths. Your parents will be in the air raid shelter and it doesn’t mention your side of the river.’ The other girls watched the two Londoners sympathetically.

  ‘First thing in the morning you can telephone your parents Victoria until then there is nothing we can do.’ Minerva told her. Victoria soon recovered from her initial shock.

 
‘If you give me your mother’s name and address Vanessa I’ll ask daddy to make some enquires,’ she said.

  ‘Thanks Victoria I would like to know how they are. I thought that I didn’t care if I never saw them again, but I do’ and she struggled to hold back her tears.

  ‘I think that this calls for some jugs of hot cocoa. Who’s coming to the cookhouse with Mary and me?’ There was instant agreement and they were soon holding steaming mugs of comforting cocoa. They were all realising that this bombing raid would be the first of many.

  Day after day and night after night the blitz, as it was now being called, continued. Victoria wanted to go and see her parents, but permission was refused. Lord Charles still had not located Vanessa’s mother. Victoria and Vanessa comforted each other. They were both in Minerva’s room.

  ‘I’m sure that your mother will be safe Vanessa. You would feel something if she had been killed.’ Victoria said.

  ‘We didn’t part on the best of terms Vic. She’d sell her own mother if she was still alive. She likes buying and selling does my mother and sometimes she doesn’t care what she buys or where it came from. We were used to the police knocking on our door. I wanted a better life. My sisters are just as bad. The devil looks after all three of them. They’ll have found a safe corner somewhere.’

  ‘What about your father Vanessa?’ Victoria asked.

  ‘He was killed in the first war. He left my mum with two little girls and me on the way, so I expect that I can’t blame her, she had to survive and we never went short.’ Minerva had remained silent, as she listened to the two Londoners, from the opposite ends of the social scale and now here they were as best friends.

  ‘Anyway Minerva what were you saying about a concert party?’ Vanessa asked. I love a good sing song.’

  ‘You were marvellous Vanessa when you sang with the band. Minerva was too poorly to appreciate how good you were. I bet that you can sing as well as any of the concert party. Why don’t you see if you can join the Entertainments National Service Association. It would be better than serving drinks, washing up and cleaning.’

  ‘That’s a good idea Victoria. Shall I ask A.S.O. Felton if you can have an audition Vanessa?’ Minerva asked.

  ‘Oh I don’t know if I dare.’

  ‘Of course you dare, you have a lovely voice. There is no harm in auditioning. You might become a second Vera Lynn,’ Minerva told her and Victoria agreed.

  ‘Alright then Minerva, will you ask Felton if I can audition?’

  ‘Of course I will. I’ll go now.’ Minerva knocked on the door, entered and stood to attention.

  ‘What can I do for you Sergeant Wood?’ Fiona Fenton asked.

  ‘I am requesting advice and information, Ma’am. Vanessa Jackson has an exceptionally good voice and we were wondering if she could have an audition, to sing with the concert party.’

  ‘Well it is an unusual request Sergeant Wood, but boosting morale is also an important weapon in this war. I believe that Gracie Fields and Vera Lynn are in very great demand. Can she perform in the forthcoming concert?’

  ‘Yes Ma’am, but she needs to rehearse with a pianist.’

  ‘It can be arranged, if we can find a pianist.’

  ‘Sunny Saunders will play for her Ma’am, if he is not operational.’

  ‘Very well I will ask the Commanding Officer when he will be available. Come and see me tomorrow at eleven hundred hours.’

  ‘Thank you Ma’am,’ and Minerva saluted and returned to a jubilant Victoria, but Vanessa began to be nervous.

  ‘Come on Vanessa, I thought that you said you were a tough cockney sparrow and you could survive anything. Just sing the two songs that you know best,’ You are my sunshine,’ and ‘A Nightingale sang in Berkley Square,’ Victoria told her.

  ‘She’s right Vanessa and I’m sure that Sunny will be delighted to play for you,’ Minerva added ‘and we’ll be there with you.’

  ‘O.K. then I’ll do it. Live for today as tomorrow may never come.’ The three young women hugged one another.

  ‘What is it you taught us Minerva;’ All for one and one for all.’ Vanessa said.’ I’m looking forward to it and Sunny will be there supporting me as well.

  ‘Is it alright Minerva to be organizing a concert, when so many people are being killed every day and night in London,’ Victoria asked.

  ‘There is nothing that we can do about that Victoria. Our responsibility is to our own camp. Our Airmen are risking their lives every night bombing Hitler’s invasion ports only just across the English Channel. It is a miracle that they have all returned every night. They will appreciate some light entertainment and a rest from their usual horrific bombardments.’

  ‘I spoke to mummy today. She says that the noise from the anti-aircraft guns is deafening. They sleep in the cellars every night. Daddy is often at the Foreign Office though. The War Cabinet have their own shelter.

  ‘There is still no news of my mum is there? I expect she is down in the underground stations with the rest of the East Enders every night. I wouldn’t put it past her to have set up a market stall down there,’ Vanessa said.

  ‘Winston Churchill says that all this bombing of London is part of Hitler’s invasion plan. If he thinks that he will force the London population into submission, he has another think coming. They will never surrender, Victoria exclaimed and Vanessa agreed.

  ‘They have even bombed Buckingham Palace trying to kill our king and queen,’ Vanessa added and Minerva remembered when the Royal couple had waved to them.

  ‘They are still bombing our air fields as well. Goering boasted that he could destroy our Air Force, but he was wrong. Sunny says that our boys are more skilful than theirs. I hope they don’t come while we are having our concert, Vanessa said.

  ‘The anti-aircraft guns are manned all the time, so if we get a warning they’ll blast them out of the sky. I wonder what happened to the last lot that they shot down. I expect that they are in the prisoner of war camp near Malton,’ Minerva said. ‘Anyway that was good news that Berlin has been bombed. It is a pity that one did not drop on Hitler’s head. The R.A.F. pounded Berlin for two hours in the moonlight.

  The W.A.A.F.s carried out their ordinary duties, while the squadrons of Wellington bombers took off day and night to drop their lethal loads. Victoria led convoys to fetch more bombs and Minerva concentrated hard in the Operations room plotting the course of the planes. Every night they were exhausted. Vanessa rehearsed her two songs with Sunny every time that he was available.

  The expected invasion did not take place. The German Luftwaffe had not been able to destroy the R.A.F. The personnel of R.A.F. Brackston were in the mood to celebrate, especially when Winston Churchill broadcast to the nation and paid tribute to the young men of the R.A.F. They were some of the ‘few’ who he praised when he said; ‘Never in the field of human endeavour, has so much been owed, by so many to so few.’

  Intelligence had communicated that they were safe from the threat of invasion, It was with great exhilaration that the preparations were made for the approaching entertainment. The enormous cookhouse was prepared. Tables were pushed to the sides and the back to act as extra seats and chairs were placed in rows. The carpenters had constructed a stage, which could be taken down and stored for the next performance. They would have to manage without curtains. The piano was brought from the Officers Mess and placed in front of the stage. There was still a strong smell of food lingering, but nobody cared. The concert party had arrived.

  Fiona Felman had enjoyed listening to Vanessa singing and had made arrangements for her to sing just before the interval. Vanessa was in Felman’s office wearing Victoria’s blue dress. Her dried up bleached hair had grown out and her natural brown hair was curled and shining. Felman remembered how loud, common and brassy the girl used to be.

  ‘Are you ready to meet the concert party, Vanessa?’ she asked.

  ‘Yes Ma’am, thank you Ma’am for your support.’

  ‘You have a beautiful voice
. I hope that this is a start for you. Come along we shall go back stage or to be more precise into the kitchen. One day you might have your own dressing room my dear.’ Vanessa was speechless.

  ‘Thank you Ma’am,’ she managed to whisper.

  Minerva and Victoria were in the middle of the front row, both feeling nervous for Vanessa. The show began, with much clapping, stamping of feet and whistling, as all the performers came onto the stage and Vanessa was with them.

  ‘Good evening ladies and gentlemen and welcome to our show. May I present to you The Yorkies! Again the applause and whistling was deafening. The whole group sang Little Brown Jug and the audience joined in enthusiastically. A comedian followed and his jokes were loudly appreciated. A short sketch from the ever popular I.T.M.A. with impersonations of Tommy Handley, Colonel Chinstrap and Mrs Mop was very well received with loud applause and laughter. Then it was Vanessa’s turn. The compeer came on stage and asked, which one of them had dropped their load in Goebbels garden, much to every one’s delight and everyone claimed to have done it. He introduced Vanessa as your very own Bluebird. Minerva and Victoria held hands and their mouths were dry as Vanessa started with When ‘A Nightingales Sang In Berkley Square’. When she finished there was uproar, as the audience showed their appreciation. She followed with the ever popular,’ You Are My Sunshine’ and every one joined in the second time.

  After a short interval, when some of the men changed places with others, who were on duty, the second half began. The female vocalist sang some of Gracie Fields’ songs and the male vocalist sang some Bing Crosby’s songs. The comedian had them roaring with laughter as he imitated Adolf Hitler. The show ended with the whole cast, including Vanessa, singing,’ Somewhere Over The Rainbow.’ They all stood to attention and patriotically sang the National Anthem and everyone departed refreshed and feeling ready to face tomorrow.

  Minerva, Victoria, Mollie and Mary stayed behind to help the men replace the cookhouse furniture. Mollie and Mary checked over the kitchen ready for morning. The concert party had gone and Vanessa joined them to appreciative whistles from the Airmen. Minerva and Victoria both hugged her.