Love and War in the WRNS

by Vicky Unwin

  On my return from Cairo I was promised some leave, but just as I had decided to go to Beirut and had been vaccinated, a phone call from the fleet signal office bade me go on duty at 1300 that day! And I’ve been working ever since. However, the secretary has been most kind and has promised I may go off exactly when I like for 10 days. I think he was rather terrified I should fall by the wayside after my strenuous time in Cairo, but I seem to have survived so far. I’m afraid I find this rather slow and would like to be out of it – but one mustn’t grumble I suppose.

  Bruce came down to see me this week – we didn’t have time to do much as he had to be away again quickly. I haven’t seen John for a month or 6 weeks – I’m afraid he’ll never be quite normal. I’ve had a couple of letters from him but on the same old lines – his sister Maureen whom I knew at Rosyth is terribly ill with high blood pressure and may not recover. It really is awfully sad. She is very young and awfully attractive.

  … I am hoping to go on leave in 10 day’s time – to Beirut. Unfortunately nobody can come with me as it’s rather difficult to arrange and I don’t want to let it slide too long.

  With heaps of love,

  Sheila

  Sheila did manage to go on leave, but unaccompanied. As she writes elliptically to her mother in a series of letters written on 13, 14 and 27 July:

  Of course, I’ve never even told you where I am going, and why. Well, it is quite a long story, but it all evolves from the fact that I have been working very hard in Cairo on the staff of Admiral Ramsay, which should convey quite a lot to you, and now I have been given four days’ leave in return for my labours … I am very thrilled at the idea of going to another country – I shall really see two, because Beirut is in Syria and I have to go through Palestine to get there. It is extremely beautiful up there – high mountains and hills, and I hope very much to be able to go into the Lebanon to see the cedars.

  She set off from Alexandria towards the end of July, following the same route as when they were evacuated during The Flap, enjoying a plate of egg and chips in Sidi Gabr en route. The journey involved going by train to Port Said and thence to Palestine. She had interesting travelling companions: first a gunner officer, who had been at Sfax, in Tunisia, and the scene of heavy fighting, who had interesting things to tell:

  Apparently there are quite a lot of French people who had olive farms there before the war where they used to spend the odd weekend over from France. When things got a bit hot in France, they decided to go and live in Tunisia and there they have been ever since. They are terribly snobbish, funny as it may seem and hate the Jews more than the enemy, in fact, they attribute all the trouble in France to the Jews. They have very few clothes, their shoes are rough ones made by the natives, but funnily enough, they had quite a bit of makeup. I can’t think where they got it from, though. Contrary to my imaginations, it is hot desert up there, and the most beautiful flowers grow there in Spring time, two and three feet high and they smell marvellous.

  Then there was Miss Roberts, an ancient missionary who ‘seemed far too old to hold such a job, but she was very alert and alive … just wouldn’t stop talking!’ And, finally, a nursing sister, who had been working in a mobile unit in the forward areas, ‘even as far as Tunisia – so thrilling it sounded, I was quite jealous’.

  Train travel was not luxurious, and Sheila ended up sleeping on the floor ‘lying on half my rug and with my shoes, handbag and towel as an assortment of pillows’. The ‘cloakroom’ was ‘a frightful place ... but I had a quick wash, and returned to the compartment cleaner, but a little sick inside’.

  On arriving in Lydda, she disembarks:

  … to have a cup of tea at the NAAFI buffet across the line – This was a very primitive place, but we managed to buy some tea which we drank from cut down beer bottles and bought the morning paper. I was most annoyed to see that they’d left out Admiral Ramsay from among the pictures of the force commanders who have been taking part in the invasion of Sicily. I was glad, though, to read that all has been going so well, particularly in our sector.

  Sheila would have been relieved that the naval losses were small compared to the army’s, with under 1,000 dead and wounded respectively from the US and British navies. The Seventh Army took 12,000 casualties, and the Eighth 9,000, out of a total of over 250,000 men. The navy, in particular, performed superbly – several types of new landing craft were used for the first time – and deployed vessels on dummy runs to divert the enemy’s attention to the real battle plan. Tactics such as a decoy dead body with top-secret papers were used to mislead the enemy further, with the result that the attack on Sicily was an outstanding success. Although the Italians did not surrender immediately – the Germans would not allow them – they did finally surrender the fleet on 10 September, the sight that Sheila describes in her letter of 18 September, below.

  From Lydda to Haifa via the Sinai desert but, approaching Haifa:

  … now the countryside was completely different, there were hills in the distance, the immediate surroundings were undulating, and there were groves and groves of orange trees, all a delightfully vivid green, with shiny glossy leaves. The ground was covered in grass, rather parched, and thick green weeds, and now and again we passed a village, on a hill, or in a valley, but looking far cleaner and less dusty than any Arab settlement in Egypt – where they really are the lowest, filthiest dwellings you ever could find. It was delightful – such a change from the Delta, which is as flat as the Fens and very dull … And so to Haifa, it very much reminded me of Cape Town – with hills in the background, an enormous bay, and behind that, in the mist, more hills.

  After a late breakfast in the Officers’ Club, she managed to get a lift in a courier’s car to Beirut, where her great friends Esmé Cameron (who had escaped from the sinking Medway) and Kay Way, stationed there, had not received her telegram and were not expecting her. No matter – she was soon installed in WRNS officers’ mess.

  Nevertheless she had a high old time seeing her old friends from Scotland days: ‘lunch and tea with Bert, bathed again when most unfortunately my bathing dress collapsed and Bert had to come to the rescue in public, with no towels!’; moonlight barbeques; swimming in mountain streams; canoeing; dinner up the mountain in Aley, ‘good hotel and excellent food. The fruit was so heavenly, cherries, plums, peaches, pears. The hills by moonlight were really magnificent and it was so cool up there.’ It was ‘topped by a visit to the Patisserie Suisse for a chocolate mud (a glorious cream - ice and chocolate affair) … the next day I came back to Alex. Short but it was a grand leave and such a change.’

  On her return at the end of July, she was ‘greeted with 10 letters including … one from Sicily written 3 days after the invasion – saying they were still leading the lives of gentlemen and even playing cards every evening!’ This must have been from John as she refers to it later.

  The next letter refers to the jubilant return of the ships involved in ferrying Montgomery’s Eighth Army to Sicily, including John and Bruce. A select few were invited by Rear Admiral Troutbridge to celebrate aboard HMS Bulolo – under the invitation Sheila has written ‘A grand party – Bulolo had just come back from the Sicily invasion’. No wonder they were all in party mood!

  C in C Levant

  5/8/43

  My dear Ma – …Yes I am back in Alex once more and in a way quite glad now I have settled down. I have been having a very gay week starting off with a cocktail party given in one of the ships here, as you know, we are usually not allowed in them at all out here – but this time the Superintendent let us all go (and went myself as well!) It was so absolutely grand for me as I knew nearly everyone there – because most of them had worked with me in Cairo. Oh it was marvellous to see them all again and what a lot we had to talk about. It was a real peacetime affair. On one of the starboard upper decks, bunting and coloured fairy lamps hanging everywhere and plenty to drink and eat, music playing softly over the amplifier – everything just marvellous! I had to be just dragge
d away to catch the boat ashore, there was so much to see and hear about. The following day I went out to tea and dinner with the Vegdi’s and we bathed from their hut at Cleopatra, after which we ate the most enormous dinner of chicken and then I returned to my convent, for night duty. Sunday, the following day, was most eventful. To begin with, previously I’d been to visit the SPCA with Ivan [the Barbers’ Hungarian friend, who lived with them], for his dog had been poisoned and wanted to choose another – there I saw an adorable wee scrap of a white dog, very miserable and decided to have it. Lenna Hardy who is in charge of these Quarters was away leaving me in charge so I took the plunge. Well, they sent him on the wrong day and he arrived just as I was going to bed. When I examined him I discovered he was one mass of fleas and ticks, and even tho’ I bathed him and smothered him in everything under the sun, I couldn’t get rid of the beastly clinging creatures, so in the end I had to return him for further cleaning, poor wee fellow. (I have him now, and has bucked up no end – calls himself James). Well, after this there was no time for bed, so I dressed and met Audrey and Idwal Humphrey and we went to the Yacht Club for lunch to be joined by one ‘Guns’ a really delightful person, who is a great dear … The next day, Tuesday, Barbara and Marion and I went out to the Carlton cabaret with Idwal and Guns (one man short unfortunately) where we wined, dined and danced. They are both so nice we did enjoy it so, and yesterday the three of us had lunch with Capt. McCrum, Warren Tute [a rather well-known writer], and Idwal at the Beau Rivage. They are the proud possessors of 2 Jeeps, in which we roared up and down the Corniche at umpteen miles an hour – hats flying, hair blowing. It’s all so friendly, we meet at Unica’s for coffee in the morning, then do a bit of shopping – a drink in Maxim’s bar maybe, and then lunch at the Yacht Club, all whizzing around in Jeeps – 8 of us yesterday, of course we work in between times but it’s such a rest cure after Cairo …

  Tons of love, S

  The next letter contains the first specific mention of ‘the assault’ in any of the letters. As it was in the Illustrated London News – no doubt hailed as a great victory – Sheila would be more at liberty to mention it. Despite enjoying Alexandria, she is hoping to rejoin her naval colleagues back in Cairo:

  C in C Levant

  13/8/43

  My dear Ma –

  I haven’t had any mail from you this week – and I’ve certainly had very little time for writing letters, but now all our friends have gone away again. So I can get down to it. Oh every possible occasion we’ve been down on the beach bathing – Captain McCrum, Warren Tute and Idwal used to call for us in the jeep, and away we’d fly along the Corniche at breakneck speed – On Sunday we drove out to Aboukir – or just beyond – we were tearing along at about 60 mph when there was a howl from Captain McCrum who’d lost a pound note from his pocket in the wind. Eventually we pulled up and backed to where it had fallen in the middle of a canal! Out they all jumped and threw sticks in to the water to try and rescue it but alas it sank – much to Capt. McCrum’s chagrin, and everyone got awfully dirty and muddy. Warren nearly fell in and it is very dangerous to do that in muddy water as you can catch a dreadful disease called ‘bilharzia’.

  The following day, Monday, Barbara, Marion and I gave a cocktail party for remaining members of our Cairo staff left in Alex – this we held on a large balcony overlooking the sea and the setting sun – about 20 people came including the C in C’s secretary. When it eventually got dark, we decided to go on to dinner and dance at the Carlton, and ten of us piled into one jeep and away we flew. It was so crowded I had to stand up and when we got there I don’t think I’ve ever been so hot in my life. I was just in a bath of sweat! But my goodness, it was fun. The following day, Capt. McCrum, Warren and Guns all departed to Cairo – leaving Idwal here. We’ve bathed with him a lot and 2 nights ago Marion, + he + I and I all went to see the ‘The Young Mr Pitt’ but now he’s gone, so we are on our own again. It has been just grand having them all here. It’s so difficult to explain, but they are all real people, friendly, amusing in the extreme and just grand fun to have about the place. A great tragedy of my life was that James, my dog, disappeared and no one could find him anywhere, even after ringing up the municipality, seeing the local police, etc. I gave up hope – only to be rung up by Lenna 2 days ago to say he had been found and was being looked after by a civilian cyphering at Ras el Din, about 10 miles from here and he was returned to us this morning, terribly pleased to see us again and looking much fitter. Apparently the women had given him 3 baths in 4 days!

  ‘A fruitless quest – by Warren Tute and Idwal – for Captain McCrum’s £1 note, lost from a jeep.’

  … Tonight I am having supper with Eve and Clement – a terrible thing has happened. Ivan’s beautiful mare, Belle Aurore, has died. As his dog has just died of poisoning, I feel sure there must be foul play somewhere, but will hear all about it tonight.

  I am hoping to get a draft from C in C’s to join all my Cairo people again. So if you get a cable with a new address, don’t be surprised. It is very difficult to work these changes, and it’s quite on the cards it won’t come off, but we are doing all we can. I have had a long descriptive letter of life in Sicily from John, and also (but not so recent) some from Bruce in the same lines. Most interesting it is to get first hand knowledge from the army and then to talk to the Navy who have actually been there at the assault and see all their photos. Please could you either tell me the date or forward me a copy of the Sphere or Illustrated London news which tells of the assault? Heaps of love S.

  C in C Levant 18/8/43

  My dear Mummy – …Well, we are still pretty busy here and life is good here. Yesterday I went on a picnic with Eve and Ivan, another Wren officer and 2 Poles. We drove past Aboukir in Ivan’s caravan and then stopped by the side of the road for lunch under the shade of a palm. Scores of small Arab children came up, and watched with solemn eyes. Eventually, we encouraged Eve to speak to them in Arabic, she didn’t want to encourage them too much and they are very charming. When asked, they said that Eve was 12 years old, Diana 10 and me 8! They guessed in the right order anyway. We asked one of them if she would like to come home with us, and she said no, she didn’t want to be a slave. When told she wouldn’t be she said well, her mother would beat her if she went! This particular child looked very European, with longish fair plaits, and a face of great character. She said she wanted a gold watch and some nail varnish like Diana’s! After we’d had lunch, Ivan, I and the 2 Poles went in for a bathe – the sea was very rough and we had a strenuous time jumping the enormous rollers. When eventually we had to go home, there was a great send off from them all! Although only about 10 or 12 on average these Arab children are terribly grownup for their age and their philosophy most sound. They told Eve that if she wanted to take one of them away, she must take a baby because they’d all formed their minds and were settled. But why, they said, didn’t she take one of the nice gentlemen with her for a husband and then she could have children of her own! Apparently when Ivan was washing up, they asked him which was his wife and when he said he wasn’t married they wouldn’t believe him until he said ‘Do you think I’d be doing the washing up myself if I had a wife?’ To which they all said ‘that is true’. In the evening Captain McCrum and Warren Tute who had come down from Cairo, came to take Lenna and Barbara out (I was Duty Officer so couldn’t go!) it was grand to see them again we met them again this morning at Unica’s for iced coffee and now they are jeeping their way to Palestine for a quick call. I’m so jealous! This morning I was at the dressmakers and am having my beautiful flame coloured Damascus brocade made into an evening frock. It is a wonderful colour, shot with gold, and small birds and flowers all over it.

  ‘On the beach near Aboukir: Eve Barber, Diana Stokes and Edward something, a Polish captain. With Arab children.’

  I went to a shop and bought you a length of blue green woollen material for a winter frock which I want you to make up. I think you will like the colour and I’m sure it will s
uit you, now please don’t give it away to Rosemary. It is for you. It is lying on the end of my bed now, together with a large carton of French Fern powder, Velouty, 2 lbs of icing sugar, and a large wad of wire wool which I’m told is very hard to get. All these will be sent off as soon as I can find a suitable box to put them in and they are ALL for you. The last parcel I sent you was taken home by one of our staff, together with all our planning orders for the invasion of Sicily, rather funny. Capt. McCrum did up special bags marked most secret, etc. and sent them as official mail. Old Moore, the secretary, disapproved and sent his by the hand of the officer, and his were the only ones seized by customs! How we laughed. It’s a great shame really. The letter I wrote to you on June 7th (I think) was taken by General Montgomery himself, as he worked in close cooperation with our staff, and was flying home to London for a conference or something. I saw him once in our buildings – small and unprepossessing, but with an iron look, the whole show has gone so wonderfully well, it makes one wonder what next? With very much love. Sheila.