The Kostoris became Joe’s primary connection, such as it was, with Jewish circles in England. Although they did not attend synagogue on a regular basis, they kept a kosher house and Dan involved himself in Jewish community affairs in Manchester. Dan was a type familiar enough to Joe from his parents’ generation in Montreal – more devoted to hard work and making money than to culture and manners. The Freedmans, in contrast, were transplanted continental bourgeoisie: gracious and cultured, and at ease in several languages, their first being French. They were European in outlook, and pleased to converse about art, music, culture, and politics. Their Judaism was more habit of mind than religious conviction and strict observance.
As Joe had recognized immediately, the Kostoris regarded their fine home more as a cocoon in which to shelter themselves from the outside world than as a venue for entertaining others or exhibiting their quality and taste. Although Henriette longed for company, Dan could do without. Playing on Henriette’s desires, Joe visited again two weeks later, this time bringing several of his Canadian pals whom he had visited at their base in June.
Again he described the weekend’s events in letters home.
Good old Jeep MacLean – the short fellow from Timmins Ont, who sat at Mom’s right – picked me up by accident in town Friday afternoon. I had just managed a 48 hour pass to visit my famous pals Art Hunter (hell hooter) and Ken Fraser in Manchester. They wired me to meet them at the Victoria Hotel, Manchester, Sat. night. I took Jeep along with me and we blew into Midfield as they were discussing plans about a nice quiet weekend over a quiet Friday evening supper. We both got a warm reception – were duly fed and then Janine, Jeep and I grabbed some bikes and sped off for a swim. … Next day we played tennis and got Dan working on the phone to locate our pals – the hotel they planned staying at had been blitzed six months ago. … In the meantime the three of us again went swimming. This time Jeep and I had adequate toasting material. After all Jeep has survived four bad crackups and a parachute jump from an impossibly low height. He is still the same as ever so we had a delightful time at the pool – the problem soon developed though, how were we – that is Jeep and I going to get back – we attempted to ride the bikes – Jeep did alright so did I – despite the fact I found myself in the ditch on no less than three occasions – we staggered home and Jeep and I left for Manchester to search for the boys. Well a great gathering took place – and at exactly 12 o’clock, Sunday noon – an old cab with an ancient driver and four roary eyed airmen in the back pulled up outside of Midfield singing their heads off – to be met by Dan at his best. He was the regular country squire and he really set out to do us up in style. He was a treat – He drove us all out for a swim – a feat unparalleled by anyone else as gas is hard to get – then we all got into our shirt sleeves and stretched out on the floor of the living room with Dan and shot crap – yes my hearties – we rolled the bones – shook the dice – to top off a perfect story Dan won seven shillings and he was so tickled at trimming us that he really opened up – He is having the other boys send their mail through him – he drove us into Manchester to catch my train – in short – he put on an admirable display for us and when Dan wants to be nice – he knows how. When pals like mine who know how to conduct themselves appropriately and at the same time create an atmosphere of breezyness get hold of men like Dan – the fun really starts – Dan can hold his own at cracking jokes – telling us dirty stories – being more or less one of the boys – well a riotous time was had by all. Henriette of course gets the worst of it – Janine had a job on her hands but she more or less took Janet’s place – you know – one snappy girl with four dashing airmen …
Perhaps the funniest thing that happened was with Dan – he is a teetotaler and thought that Jeep and I were just hot from racing after him on his bike. We were both stretched out on the bed and telling Dan what a marvelous bike rider he was and praising his strength to the high heavens – well that really endeared us to him – and Dan spent the next hour telling us all about his adventures – prowess, etc – at the end of that time we were both sober enough to stand up and head for Manchester – of course you can’t fool Henriette or Suzanne or Janine, but it was a pretty merry weekend all told and everybody left happy – I was particularly delighted with the reception my friends received. I was a little dubious as to what the reaction would be – but I guess my two quiet previous weekends paved the way for when the lid blew off because we were all treated, fed, and dined royally.
(JJL 14 July 1941)
Two weekends later, Joe brought his pal Roger Rousseau along.
Roger & I swung a 48 hr pass – set out for Midfield – surprised everyone as usual at 10 o’clock – rec’d usual warm – hearty & boisterous welcome – Yvon Freedman [Janine’s younger brother] was around – he is a great youngster – absolutely wild about flying – he is 15 so won’t get into this war I hope. (JJD 25 July 1941)
Spent a delightful day – Roger & Janine & I went shopping in Altringham in the morning – then we took Yvon with us to … Manchester after dinner – we arrived early so Janine & I went to one movie – Roger & Yvon to another … – the whole family played cards (heck) when we got back. (JJD 26 July 1941)
Spent the day playing tennis … Roger got along swell with the whole gang & has made the biggest hit of any of my pals – Roger is a great guy … (JJD 27 July 1941)
Joe wrote to the Pony Club about the Kostoris family and especially about Janine:
You must look them up when you come over – they will treat you well – it’s nice to have somewhere to go and above all – you could not do better anywhere with regards to feminine company than with my pal Janine – why I should discover really top notch girls for you I don’t know – I think she might even have Cecily beat – of course I have only spent two weekends there with her and have only managed to have the odd word, swim, bike ride and tennis match with her.
Then too I have never had a chance to settle down and discover what Cecily was really like – so I guess I am doomed to be one of these bachelor gents that will be welcomed in all the finest salons by his former lady friends. This much is certain – as a good judge of humans I say they are both top-notchers – I have not fallen for either – but I could do plenty worse and not much better. But I like to take a long term view on some things – one is – that it is easy enough to get carried away by all the excitement and glamour taking place to-day – but the majority come out and have to settle down when it’s over. I would not relish swooping a young lassie off her feet and then have her stuck with me when the glamour wears off. I would rather start the other way round. … (JJL 15 July 1941)
I could very easily fall like a tons of bricks [for Janine] even though I received a couple of letters and a smart picture from Cecily. Janine has first place now – but my position is difficult – when you don’t know what is going to happen to you between visits – … you are liable to kind of lose your sense of perspective and overstress your fondness. Something always becomes dearer and more precious when there is a very considerable chance of losing it – added to that Janine is rather lonely in a strange country – in a quiet, sedate community without any friends and recently bereaved of her father with whom she was on exceptionally good terms. So the set up was kind of a natural – we really get along exceptionally well and I have sort of fallen lightly – naturally the engagement or marriage stage has not entered our heads – mine anyway – I am not that serious. But I have a girl friend here of whom all Poneyites will definitely approve of – pictures will be forthcoming –
… on second thought better not make too much fuss about Janine back home – Cecily looked mighty good in her latest pictures – and it is possible that I might get back after the war – and bachelor Joe will still need classy girl friends in Canada’s leading cities. (JJL 4 August 1941)
Joe’s situation in England only confirmed his reluctance to commit to any long-term relationship. That would have to wait until his job was done.
The
Hell Hooters. Left to right: Ken Fraser, “Jeep” McLean, Art Hunter, Joe. Midfield, Hale, July 1941. (Canadian Jewish Archives)
After a swim. Left to right: “Jeep” McLean, Ken Fraser, Art Hunter, Joe, Janine Freedman. Near Midfield, Hale, July 1941. (Canadian Jewish Archives)
Joe with Janine Freedman and Henriettte Kostoris. Midfield, Hale, July 1941. (Canadian Jewish Archives)
Tennis with Dan Kostoris. Midfield, Hale, July 1941. (Janet Jacobson Kwass)
Joe at Midfield, July 1941. Left to right, in background: Henriette Kostoris, Janine Freedman, Suzanne Freedman. (Janet Jacobson Kwass)
Roger Rousseau and Joe. Midfield, Hale, July 1941. (Janet Jacobson Kwass)
Sixteen
Preparing for Battle
Completion of operational training required several long cross-country flights at night with searchlight, target finding, and bombing exercises. Joe’s stint at Finningley wound up on 28 July after many delays, having taken twelve weeks instead of the projected eight. He would be posted to an operational squadron as an individual, not as a member of an established crew. His flying log records that he was graded much as he had been in Canada: an average navigator, bomber, and aerial gunner, not recommended for specialist navigation training.
Made my last flight – I hope – here – my parachute broke open after taking off – but we got down alright – went swimming at Hatfield with Roger – took bikes – had a pleasant time – started doing Charles Atlas exercises – seriously – should put on plenty of muscle – I weigh 165 stripped – 5'10" – real exercise – makes me feel 100% better –
(JJD 24 July 1941)
Joe was anxious by this time to get into battle after being in training for nearly a year.1 He had more than once in his letters home exaggerated the similarity of his air training to actual operations over Germany. But there was more to this than Joe’s self-admitted tendency to embroider the facts. There had been real dangers in training, and he was preparing himself psychologically for what he would be encountering soon enough on real bombing runs over Germany. Joe had already lost close friends before he left Finningley. He knew that at least six of the fellows he had trained with in Canada had been killed in flying accidents at other training units that summer. There had been fatal flying accidents at Finningley, and close calls in the air, and he was well aware of similar happenings at Upper Heyford. On the 30th, he noted in his diary: “heard Tyson & Williams also had it – the boys are starting to go … Ed Kennedy had it.”2
After a weekend leave spent at Midfield, Joe and Roger returned to Finningley long enough to get news of their posting to 106 Squadron at Coningsby and be granted a three-day leave. Together they set off for London.
Hard to imagine the change between flying & weekending at the Kostoris – all dangers & worries forgotten – peace & fun reign supreme – I like Janine more every time we meet. (JJD 27 July 1941)
Arrived at the Park Lane Hotel at 5 AM – weather rainy – wrote Janine to meet me here – hope she does – doubt it though. (JJD 28 July 1941)
Signing off his letter with love, he asked Janine to come to London where, he suggested, she could stay with her cousin. Her mother did not approve of this arrangement, needless to say, and so Janine stayed at Midfield. Joe may have been disappointed but, as when Cecily had arrived in Montreal with measles, he quickly found other things to do.
The Park Lane, near Green Park, was one of London’s newest hotels, adorned by an Art Deco lobby. There the two pals “looked after” Roger’s brother Réal’s suite for the weekend. Réal was then a senior Canadian official in London, and he had returned to Canada to get married. Recounting that weekend to his family, Joe told them
I have been bumping into all kinds of old pals from College – school – and Canada. … It is great to see so many old time faces – it makes me feel quite at home … I believe I would feel at home anywhere now.
(JJL 30 July 1941)
Among those he met was Adjutor Savard, who, he related, was a newspaper man,
a pal of Roger’s brother who is here to get publicity for the R.C.A.F. boys in England … a brother of Ernie Savard – a former director of the [Montreal] Canadians. He knows Harvey and Sandwell and everybody else so it was very enjoyable being with him – he gave us all the latest news about Canada [having] just arrived last week. … we drank champagne scotch – wine & liquor together – ate at la Cigale – set him back £3 – 6s (JJL 30 July 1941 and JJD 31 July 1941)3
Joe loved London and he couldn’t get enough of it. Earlier that summer he recorded:
Being in London gives me something the same feeling as NY – only more intimate – more friendly & more significant – they are proud here [to] have been thru hell & come out unchanged – perhaps bitterer – a bit shaken but still as independent as ever. (JJD 8 June 1941)
This time he wrote:
there is a definite romance about London – its squares its cabbies – who roar thru the dark winding streets – night or day in their old fashioned reliable hacks. The city lacks culture at the moment – possesses a war time licentiousness – as do all cities now. (JJD 1 August 1941)
He told his family that London was
quite different this trip – it is livelier – more bustling and spruce than last time. Previously people hated to read of raids on Berlin and other big towns because it meant retaliation raids on London and our big cities – now all is changed. There is no fear of German raids just now. The V sign is prominent – we are doing the shoving around and the people are definitely a lot happier because of it. … People are really making the most of the long days and raidless nights. (JJL 31 July 1941)
For Joe, New York and London were the two great cities of the world. New York was the capital of modernity and the twentieth century. But London had been the capital of the nineteenth century, and was still the capital of civilization. In 1941, London was New York with courage.
While in London at the end of July, Joe saw the film Target for Tonight, which he told his family about with great enthusiasm.
You will no doubt see it soon. It is definitely authentic and has made a deep impression on everybody who sees it. The remarkable thing about it is that it is played down – there is no attempt to make it sensational – no exaggeration – in fact it is just the opposite. If all my trips were that easy – boy would I be happy – that was just a routine trip – and routine trips just don’t seem to occur very often any more. (JJL 30 July 1941)
Target for Tonight, which had just opened in London earlier that week, was the Air Ministry’s most successful film promotion of the bombing offensive against Germany. It depicted a night bombing operation by following the fortunes of a single Wellington crew, beginning with target selection at headquarters, through briefing and preparation on a bomber station, on-board scenes of the crew’s sortie from beginning to end, and subsequent debriefing. Dramatic tension increases on the return trip, as the wireless operator is wounded by flak, the radio goes dead, the oil pressure is dropping, and the home aerodrome is enveloped by fog. Finally, through a gloom relieved only by the runway flare path, the lights of the aircraft appear and tensions ease. It was not quite the routine trip that Joe, exaggerating once again, had made it out to be.
Target for Tonight premiered when the public was eager to believe that Britain was striking back rather than just taking it, and both critics and audiences hailed it as an accurate and realistic depiction of the air war. The film critic for the Express asserted that it was the “greatest flying film of the war,” and the paper editorialized that “the example of these young R.A.F. bomber pilots will inspire every citizen to heights of service and sacrifice for the state.” The left-wing New Statesman and Nation called Target for Tonight the best propaganda film of the war, providing immeasurable thrills without sensationalism, and claimed it would do a world of good in America and the neutral countries.4
Target for Tonight, innovatively conceived as a docudrama rather than simply a narration of film sequences
, became the propaganda success it was intended to be. Perhaps because it used actual RAF personnel rather than actors, and realistic settings, Joe would have seen it as an unsensationalized and reasonably accurate presentation of the planning and execution of a bombing operation, even if the return flight was by no means routine. The nonchalant banter in the crew room, and the phlegmatic but determined manner of the squadron leaders, must certainly have appealed to Joe. It showed the comradeship of the diverse national and regional origins of aircrews, while at the same time highlighting the distinctive upper-class speech mannerisms and demeanour of senior officers. Joe was close enough to operations to pass judgment on the film’s authenticity on station and in the air. He must also have enjoyed the film’s very English facade of nonchalance in the face of danger, something that did not come naturally to him but which he sought to cultivate. Yet even he (let alone a civilian audience) was in no position to question the veracity of film’s depiction of the “destruction” of the oil storage facility. That he would discover through experience in the coming months.
Joey Jacobson's War Page 19