Grace watched him walk away, and then sat down again, ready to take this next step. ‘What happens now?’ she asked, handing the signed form over to the officer.
‘You will receive an official letter telling you where to report. Then, as already mentioned, there will be the basic training. After that it will be decided what kind of job you will be doing.’
‘Do I have any say in the matter?’
His smile was wry. ‘Not a lot, as a rule, but your chances could be better than a lot of the new recruits. The reference from Major Chester will carry weight. I’m sure you will be all right.’
‘We’ll see, won’t we?’ She smiled and stood up. ‘And I hope you soon get an assignment more to your liking, Lieutenant. Major Chester hated being tied to a desk, as well.’
The officer laughed. ‘You recognised the signs, but you have made my day more interesting. I have enjoyed meeting you, Mrs Lincoln, and wish you all the best for the future.’
‘Thank you, Lieutenant.’ Grace headed out of the building feeling relieved to have finally made the decision. A smile hovered on her lips as she thought about the interview. That was the last time she would be able to speak her mind to an officer.
She saw a cafe across the road, and headed for it. She needed a strong cup of tea!
Chapter Eleven
A week or so later the letter arrived telling her to report to a camp in Northamptonshire on the 7th of September.
‘They haven’t given you much time,’ her mother complained. ‘That’s tomorrow!’
‘I’m glad I haven’t had to wait too long. Don’t look so worried, Mum. I’ll be all right, and I’ve got to do this.’
‘I know, dear, but we’ll miss you. I know you and Brian would have moved into a place of your own eventually, but this is different. You will be alone.’
‘No, I won’t. There will be lots of other girls there, and we’ll soon get to know each other.’
‘Don’t fuss, Jean.’ Ted walked in to the kitchen. ‘Grace is more than capable of looking after herself. Anyway, it will be an adventure, won’t it, Grace?’
‘It will,’ she laughed. ‘Don’t forget, Mum, that Dan took me to an army camp quite a few times, so I have some idea what to expect.’
‘Of course. And talking of Dan, don’t forget you promised to let Colonel Askew know what you’re doing.’
‘I haven’t forgotten, Mum. I’ll do that today.’
As soon as breakfast was cleared away, Grace went to the War Office. She no longer had her pass, so she had to wait while they checked to see if the colonel could see her. She would leave a message for him if he wasn’t there.
He soon came striding towards her, a wide smile on his face. ‘Grace, how lovely to see you. I’m afraid I can only spare ten minutes. Phone next time, and we can meet when I am free.’
‘I won’t be able to come again. I’m going away. I’ve come to tell you that I’ve joined the ATS, and will be going to a camp in Northamptonshire tomorrow.’
‘Ah, that’s splendid. Thank you for letting me know. Perhaps you could find the time to drop me a line now and again? I’d like to know how you get on.’
‘I’ll do that, sir.’
He nodded. ‘I miss having you and Dan here. It seems so quiet.’
‘I imagine it is,’ she laughed. ‘May I ask how he is getting on?’
‘He’s delighted to be back in the fray, you know. He’s fit and happy again, thank goodness.’
‘I’m pleased to hear it. I mustn’t keep you any longer. Thank you for seeing me, Colonel Askew.’
‘All the best for the future, my dear.’
The next day Grace caught the train, excited, but also apprehensive, and sad at the same time. She was leaving behind everything that was familiar, and heading for a life that was full of uncertainties. Her mother had been tearful at the station, and Grace had tried to explain that this was the right thing for her to do. The house held so many memories of Brian, and the large bed felt empty knowing he would never be there again. It had been hard to leave her parents, though, but her dad had remained cheerful and positive. That had been a great help.
The train was crowded, but after much searching, Grace managed to find a seat. She settled back and gazed out of the window at the passing countryside, not really seeing it. Her mind was now on what awaited her at the end of the journey.
That time seemed to come all too soon, and as Grace walked into the camp, she was reminded of the times she had spent with Dan when he’d been training to get fit again. About twenty girls had arrived on the same train, and most of them were looking worried.
‘What do we do now?’ one of the girls whispered to Grace.
‘We’ll soon find out. Our instructions are on the way.’
‘Oh, help!’ the girl exclaimed when she saw the soldier marching towards them. ‘Now this is actually happening, I’m scared!’
‘You’ll be all right.’ Grace smiled. ‘What’s your name?’
‘Peggy.’
‘Pleased to meet you, Peggy. I’m Grace.’
‘You don’t look scared.’
‘I’m sure there isn’t anything to worry about. If we follow orders we’ll be all right.’
‘Can I stay with you?’
‘Of course.’ There wasn’t time to say anything else, as the procedure of checking them in began. They were issued with uniforms, had a medical, and given a string of instructions. After a long day they were finally taken to their sleeping quarters.
‘Oh, no!’ Peggy cried in dismay. ‘This is just a hut, and there are twelve beds in here!’
Grace couldn’t help laughing at the dismay on some of the faces. ‘Did you expect single rooms?’
‘I didn’t know what to expect.’ Peggy suddenly grabbed Grace’s arm and pulled her towards two beds at the far end. ‘Quick! Let’s bag these. They are away from the door, and it won’t be so draughty. This place will be freezing when the weather gets colder.’
‘Good thinking.’
They made a dive for the beds and sat on them, laughing. This propelled the other girls into action, and there was chaos for a while until everyone was settled.
Grace stood up and raised her voice above the noise. ‘We haven’t had time to get acquainted, so we should all introduce ourselves. I’m Grace Lincoln from Ealing, in London.’
Each girl introduced herself in the same way, and they were soon talking and laughing with each other. They had survived the first day, and there was relief all round.
‘Quiet!’
The chatter stopped abruptly, and all eyes turned to the female officer standing in the doorway.
‘We have just received news that London has been bombed. As many of you come from there, I thought you should know.’
Grace went cold. They had been expecting this, of course, but for it to happen on the day she left … She stood up. ‘Thank you for letting us know, ma’am. Do you know which areas have been attacked?’
‘What’s your name?’
‘Grace Lincoln, ma’am.’
‘Well, Lincoln, we believe the main attack has been on the docks. The information coming in isn’t detailed yet. I’ll let you know when the situation is clearer.’
‘Thank you, ma’am.’
‘Get some rest. Tomorrow will be busy as we try to turn you into soldiers.’
There was silence until the officer left, and then one girl said, ‘I hope my folks are all right.’ There were worried murmurs of agreement.
‘Grace!’ another girl called. ‘You sounded as if you know what you’re doing when you spoke to that officer.’
‘I worked for an army major before coming here. I picked up a few tips.’
Sleep wasn’t easy that night as Grace tossed and turned. She had to find a way to get in touch with her parents quickly. She wouldn’t rest until she knew if they were all right. George immediately came to mind. She’d phone him if she could. He wouldn’t mind, she was sure.
Colonel Askew was so b
usy he hadn’t had any spare time for a couple of weeks after the first raid on the 7th September. Somehow, Grace had managed to get hold of a phone the next day and contact him. He had already checked to see if her parents were all right, and had been able to put her mind at rest straight away. This was the first opportunity he’d had to see Dan.
The moment he walked in to the officer’s mess at Winchester, he saw him. His height made him easy to spot in a crowd.
‘Hello, George.’ Dan strode up to him. ‘What brings you here?’
‘Thought I’d have a break from London and bombs. I’ll have a double whisky.’
‘I ordered it the minute you walked in the door.’
‘Initiative, that’s what I like to see.’
An orderly brought the drinks from the bar and they sat down.
‘You’re looking well,’ George said, after taking a good sip of his drink. ‘How is the leg holding up?’
‘Good as new.’ Dan waited. His uncle didn’t just turn up without a good reason. ‘So, Hitler hasn’t been able to destroy our air force, he’s started bombing London.’
‘In retaliation to our raid on Berlin, I expect. I was going to phone you, but decided to come instead. I miss you and Grace at the War Office.’ He took another sip of his whisky. ‘As I told Grace.’
Dan’s expression didn’t change. ‘And what did she say?’
‘She laughed. I would have liked to spend more time with her, but I had a meeting to attend. I won’t have the chance to see her again, though, because she’s gone away.’
‘Oh, to get away from the raids?’
‘No, of course not. She left before that started.’
Dan frowned. ‘And you’ve waited this long before telling me? Where has she gone?’
‘Northamptonshire.’ George looked at his nephew, but couldn’t read anything from his expression. ‘How the hell did you know what she would do?’
‘George! What are you talking about? Get to the point.’
‘Grace has joined the ATS.’
A slow smile appeared on Dan’s face. ‘Good for her. And the answer to your question is, I didn’t know. I was hoping she would, though.’
‘Why?’
‘Because it’s right for her. She needed to make a fresh start – somewhere away from her normal home life with all its memories. Did she give you any details?’
‘I only had ten minutes with her, and all she told me was her destination.’
‘Hmm. I know the camp.’
‘Dan! I know that look. Don’t interfere. Grace won’t thank you if you do. Leave her to make her own way.’
‘What makes you think I’d interfere?’ Dan gave his uncle an incredulous look. ‘I’m just curious to know where she will be assigned after basic training.’
‘She has promised to write and let me know how she is getting on. I’ll tell you, but you make sure you leave it at that. You are taking too much interest in her, however much you deny it. She’s a nice girl, Dan, but she isn’t for you.’
‘You’re letting your imagination run away with you again, George. I’m taking an interest in her because she’s a plucky girl, and she helped me through a rocky time. Is it wrong to be grateful for that?’
‘No, of course not, but remember, your regiment will probably be among the first to be sent to fight. Don’t get involved. She has suffered enough.’
Dan’s eyes narrowed. ‘Do you know something?’
‘No, but there’s no harm in being prepared. Just remember what I’ve said. Keep away from that camp. If you go striding in there, you could make life difficult for Grace.’
‘You are acting as if Grace is your daughter.’
‘If she was, you wouldn’t get anywhere near her. You never keep a girlfriend more than a couple of weeks before you move onto the next one. You should be married by now – or at least thinking about it.’
‘I haven’t found anyone who would put up with my lifestyle yet. I’m a career soldier, George, and a wife would have to be prepared to move around, never having a permanent home, and be capable of mixing with all ranks right to the top. You were lucky, you found one, but there aren’t many around. And if you’ve come here to lecture me, then you can stop right now. Why the devil do you think I’ve asked you to keep in touch with Grace? You’ve misinterpreted my motives towards her completely.’ Dan picked up their empty glasses. ‘And if you’re hinting that I could cause grief by not surviving, I can tell you now that I’m not going to die in this bloody war! Same again?’
George nodded and grinned as he watched his nephew order more drinks. He had done what he came here to do. It was a mystery how the two of them could have become so fond of that girl in such a short time, but she was still coping with the grief and loss of her husband. He wasn’t absolutely sure what Dan’s feelings were towards Grace, but alarm bells were ringing in his head. He could be completely wrong, of course, but a little warning wouldn’t go amiss. And he felt very protective towards her.
‘There you are.’ Dan put the drinks on the table. ‘I hope you’re not driving?’
‘I’m staying overnight.’
‘That gives us plenty of time to catch up on the rest of the news, then. Do you know how James is?’
George took a deep breath. ‘Two days ago, on 15th September, I paid a visit to Kenley. It was the most harrowing day I have spent since Dunkirk. As soon as the planes came in to refuel, they were off again. Everything they had was flying, and there were losses each time they returned. My heart was thumping until I saw James get out of his Spitfire at the end of the day. It’s bad, Dan. Those men are so tired they fall asleep anywhere. I never got a chance to say more than a few words to James. When I said I didn’t think they could keep that up, James slapped me on the back, and said of course they could. Then he was asleep. I left him, knowing he would start all over again at first light.’
‘They are doing a valiant job, and giving the rest of us the time needed to recover to full strength. The Luftwaffe are suffering high losses, and the daylight raids they are making on London are madness.’
‘I agree. Göring wanted to wipe our planes from the skies, but he hasn’t been able to do that. Intelligence says Hitler has abandoned his plans to invade – for the time being, anyway.’
‘He didn’t have any choice. If he’d attempted it immediately after Dunkirk, we would have been hard pushed. We’re building up our strength again, but we still need more time.’
George nodded. ‘And those weary pilots are giving us the time; it mustn’t be wasted. I would say he’s decided to break the will of the people with these raids.’
‘It’s going to take time, but Hitler will be defeated eventually. He has to be! The alternative is unacceptable.’
‘Agreed. Many believe that this little island, standing alone and facing the might of the enemy, can’t possibly survive. They are wrong, and in that conviction we will never waver, no matter how rough it becomes.’
Dan lifted his glass. ‘Let’s drink to that. With Grace now in the army, Hitler doesn’t stand a chance,’ he said, a slow smile appearing. ‘I expect her to rise steadily up the ranks.’
‘Without any help from you!’
‘She won’t need my help, George. There’s natural leader there, just waiting to be revealed.’
That wasn’t how Grace was feeling at that moment. She was worried about being away from home with the raids going on – and the basic training. If she wasn’t so tired she would laugh. The first few days on the parade ground had been a shambles. Some didn’t know their left from their right, and kept marching when the rest had stopped, causing chaos and much milling around. The look on the sergeant major’s face had been something to see. Grace thought that picture would always remain with her. Two weeks of hard slog and they were beginning to march without too many mistakes. Two more weeks to go.
‘We didn’t do too badly today, did we, Grace?’ Peggy dropped onto her bed and stretched out with a sigh of relief. ‘We marched like pr
ofessionals. I even saw the sergeant major almost smile today.’
‘Almost?’
‘Yes, well, that poor man has been sorely tried. I expect he’s forgotten how to smile.’
‘Don’t you believe it,’ Grace said. ‘They’ve probably been laughing at our antics in their bar every night.’
‘I’d love to know what they’ve been saying,’ Peggy laughed. ‘We’ll show them, though. In another two weeks we’ll be as good as the men. Then we’ll find out what job we’ll be doing. What are you hoping for, Grace?’
‘I really don’t know. I suppose it will be clerical work of some kind. What about you?’
‘I’d like to be assigned to the Transport Division, if I can. I’ve always been fascinated by mechanical things.’
‘Let’s hope you’re lucky.’ Grace smiled at Peggy. The frightened girl she had met on the first day had disappeared. She had grown in confidence and was thoroughly enjoying life in the army. A couple of the other girls were not faring so well. The rest of them had gathered round to encourage and support those struggling. The comradeship between them had grown over the two weeks, and Grace felt it was helping to strengthen the whole squad. She wondered if this was one of the things Dan had missed while at the War Office. He had certainly fought hard to get back to his regiment.
Remembering those times brought her thoughts back to those she was separated from. Letters from her parents were cheerful; assuring her they were perfectly all right. She had also heard from George, and he’d told her, proudly, that James was now a squadron leader. Like her parents, he had made light of the bombing. In two weeks she would be able to see for herself exactly how bad it was.
And in two weeks, this group of girls who had melded together so well would be assigned to different postings. They would be saying goodbye to each other, probably never to meet again.
Chapter Twelve
The camp gates were a welcome sight, and Dan could hear the groans of relief behind him. It had been a tough run with heavy packs, but if the men were to endure the rigours of battle they had to be very fit. Many of them were new recruits and had to be toughened up quickly.
Day Will Come Page 9