by Ellie Dean
‘Hostilities will end officially at one minute after midnight tonight, but in the interests of saving lives, the Cease Fire began yesterday to be sounded all along the front, and our dear Channel Islands are to be freed today.’
A collective sigh of relief whispered through the gathering, the release of tension palpable as Churchill continued.
‘The Germans are still, in places, resisting the Russian troops, but should they continue to do so after midnight they will, of course, deprive themselves of the protection of the laws of war, and will be attacked from all quarters by the Allied troops. It is not surprising that on such long fronts, and in the existing disorder of the enemy, the orders of the German High Command should not in every case be obeyed immediately.
‘This does not, in our opinion, with the best military advice at our disposal, constitute any reason for withholding from the nation the facts communicated to us by General Eisenhower of the unconditional surrender already signed at Rheims, nor should it prevent us from celebrating today and tomorrow as Victory in Europe days.’
‘Not much chance of that if the Nips decide to attack us ’ere,’ shouted a Cockney gunner who earned a severe glare from his Commanding Officer.
‘Today, perhaps, we shall think mostly of ourselves,’ Churchill continued. ‘Tomorrow we shall pay a particular tribute to our Russian comrades, whose prowess in the field has been one of the grand contributions to the general victory.
‘The German war is therefore at an end.’
A great cheer went up, to be quickly hushed as Churchill continued speaking.
‘After years of intense preparation, Germany hurled herself on Poland at the beginning of September 1939; and, in pursuance of our guarantee to Poland and in agreement with the French Republic, Great Britain, and the British Empire and Commonwealth of Nations, declared war upon this foul aggression.’
Churchill’s voice held them all in thrall as he continued. ‘After gallant France had been struck down we, from this island and from our united Empire, maintained the struggle single-handedly for a whole year until we were joined by the military might of Soviet Russia, and later by the overwhelming power and resources of the United States of America.
‘Finally almost the whole world was combined against the evil-doers, who are now prostrate before us. Our gratitude to our splendid Allies goes forth from all our hearts in this island and throughout the British Empire.’
‘Too bloody right,’ drawled an Aussie sapper.
‘We may allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing; but let us not forget for a moment the toil and efforts that lie ahead. Japan, with all her treachery and greed, remains unsubdued. The injury she has inflicted on Great Britain, the United States, and other countries, and her detestable cruelties, call for justice and retribution. We must now devote all our strength and resources to the completion of our task, both at home and abroad.’
There were shouts of agreement to Churchill’s rallying cry, and even the most senior officers could be heard joining in.
Churchill paused and then his voice rose with great passion. ‘Advance, Britannia! Long live the cause of freedom. God save the King!’
They stood as one and saluted as the National Anthem was played. There was barely a dry eye amongst them as thoughts of home and loved ones came to the fore. Jim wasn’t ashamed of the tears that blinded him, for he was almost weak with relief that Peggy and his beloved family were finally out of danger.
As the anthem came to an end the joy of the moment could no longer be contained. Cheers went up, hats were thrown into the air, beers were swigged and men began dancing on and around the tables.
Jumbo had finished his quarter bottle of whisky and was halfway down his second. He stood and inflated the bag on his pipes, which emitted a terrible wailing, and then began to play a stirring rendition of ‘Scotland the Brave’.
The powerful music stopped everyone in their tracks and they listened in awe, for this old Scottish tune was well known and seemed to fit the occasion perfectly. As the pace of the melody quickened and swelled, one of the young sappers began to accompany it by using wooden spoon handles as drumsticks to beat out a tattoo on tin plates. He was soon joined by others, and further into the tune men began to beat their hands on the tables as if playing the big bass drums, whilst others whistled to stand in for the fifes, and stamped their feet in time. As the volume rose and swelled it sent tingles up Jim’s spine, for it was as if an entire marching band was beating to the rhythm of the pipes, and he finally understood the power they held to rouse men into battle.
Jim promised himself that he’d never moan about Jumbo’s bagpipes again.
2
Cliffehaven
Ron and Rosie’s wedding celebrations had lasted long into the night, so Peggy hadn’t had much sleep and was suffering from a bit of a hangover. Still, the anticipation for what she’d hoped would come had been enough to get her out of bed that Tuesday morning, and take a stroll with little Daisy and elderly Cordelia Finch along the seafront, to drink in the atmosphere of the gaily decorated town. Her boss, Solly Goldman, had told her the previous evening that since it looked as if Victory in Europe was about to be declared, the clothing factory would be closed for at least two days as there was very little likelihood of any work being done, so Peggy had decided that all but the most basic of household chores could be set aside too.
As the day had progressed, three-year-old Daisy had got over-excited, even though she didn’t understand what was going on, and Peggy became a little tearful at the thought of Jim and the rest of her family being so far away and unable to be with her on this special day. But if peace really had come, then at least her darling Anne and her boys would finally be returning home.
It wasn’t long before close friends and family started arriving at Beach View to share in this momentous occasion, each bearing gifts of food and drink – much to Peggy’s relief, for her own larder was almost bare. The kitchen was soon crammed so it was decided to decamp into the large dining room where, like an omen of good things to come, the sun broke through the clouds to shine brightly through the bay window.
Peggy’s young evacuees, Sarah, Rita, Fran, Danuta and Ivy, had excitedly clattered in and out from their brief forays into town, eventually arriving back with a crate of beer, courtesy of the newlywed Ron and Rosie, who were already very busy behind the bar at the jam-packed Anchor. Fran’s husband Robert had come in with Ivy’s young fireman, Andy, and they’d been swiftly followed by Jim’s elder brother Frank and his wife Pauline, who was smiling for once. And to Rita’s joy, her injured Australian fighter pilot, Peter Ryan, turned up having charmed the new matron at the Memorial Hospital into giving him a lift in her car. His head was heavily bandaged still, and although the plaster was long-gone from his leg, he still found walking a trial and had to use crutches to get about.
Peggy’s one-time evacuees, Ruby and April, arrived with the stationmaster, Stan, and April’s baby, Paula, who would be one this coming August; soon to be followed by Kitty and her sister-in-law, Charlotte, from Briar Cottage with their three babies. Luckily, they’d been asleep so their prams had been parked in the denuded kitchen. Cordelia’s friend Bertie Double-Barrelled had come looking very dapper in a tweed suit with a patriotic red rose in his buttonhole, and soon there was very little breathing space to be had even in the larger room.
The mood was happy and expectant as food and drink were dispensed and the volume of laughter and chatter rose. It felt to Peggy as if half of Cliffehaven had turned up to listen to Churchill with her that afternoon, and she was absolutely thrilled. These were the people she loved, and they seemed to understand she’d be missing Jim and the rest of her family on such an auspicious occasion, and wanted to do their best to fill that gap.
With only minutes to spare before the broadcast was due, her elder sister Doris slipped into the room with her fiancé Colonel White and Peggy’s daughter Cissy, fresh from Cliffe aerodrome. Peggy’s thrill at seeing her after so lo
ng was curtailed by the sound of Big Ben chiming the hour, so after a swift hug and kiss, Peggy had to be content with clasping her hand as Churchill’s familiar voice told them the war in Europe was over, and now they could celebrate before continuing the task of crushing the Japanese.
Churchill’s voice strengthened in triumph as he came to the end of his address. ‘Advance, Britannia! Long live the cause of freedom! God save the King!’
‘Gawd bless you too, Winnie,’ shouted a rather over-refreshed Ivy, raising her glass of elderberry wine. ‘We couldn’t ’ave done it without yer.’
They all cheered and then stood during the National Anthem, the men saluting, the women blinking against happy, relieved tears while Daisy and Paula watched in wide-eyed confusion as to what all the fuss was about.
When the final note of the Anthem faded everyone clasped the person next to them in the sheer joy of the moment. Peggy hugged and kissed everyone, even Pauline, for this was not a day for old enmities to resurface. The war in Europe was finally and indisputably over and, God willing, her nephew Brendon and all the other Cliffehaven men would soon be coming home along with her loved ones from Somerset. But even in her happiness she couldn’t help wondering how long it would be before her beloved Jim could cross the threshold of Beach View to be with her again.
Cissy seemed to read her thoughts and embraced her. ‘It won’t be long before the Japs are forced to surrender, Mum,’ she consoled beneath the hubbub of the surrounding celebrations. ‘Dad will soon be on his way back, you’ll see – and then we can have another big party.’
‘Let’s go into town,’ shouted Ivy, downing her glass of wine in one. ‘Come on, Andy,’ she urged, pulling the young fireman towards the door. ‘I wanna dance and sing before them clouds roll in again and it starts to rain.’
The young ones didn’t need asking twice and shot off with promises to return, although it was not made clear as to when that might be. April left little Paula to her Uncle Stan’s tender care and quickly followed them whilst Rita argued with Peter over whether it was wise for him to try and walk all that way with crutches.
‘No worries, Rita. I’ll be right,’ he drawled, brushing her argument aside. ‘There’s no flaming way I’m missing out on what’s going to be the biggest party ever.’ He grasped the crutches and determinedly led the way through the kitchen, past the prams and slowly down the concrete steps to the basement back door with Rita fretfully shadowing him in case he had one of his dizzy spells and stumbled.
Peggy watched from the top of the cellar stairs, equally worried that the boy was trying to do too much, but she knew she’d be foolish to say anything for he’d take no notice in his utter determination to have his way – and bless him, he’d certainly earned the right to celebrate after spending so many years flying to defend her country.
She was about to warn Rita to close the back door quietly for a change when the girl banged it shut and woke the babies. Peggy gave a cluck of mild annoyance before breaking into a soft smile. Neither Rita nor Ivy had learnt the art of shutting doors quietly, and they were the noisiest, untidiest imps imaginable. But she couldn’t help loving them.
Peggy discovered that all the telephone lines were engaged, so reluctantly gave up the idea of trying to speak to her younger sister Doreen or Anne for now, and went back into the dining room to spend precious time with Cissy. Daisy was playing nicely on the hearthrug with Paula as Frank topped up glasses, handed round plates of sandwiches and got the gramophone going. Seeing him take on his father’s usual role as host, Peggy realised with a jolt that now Ron and his dog, Harvey were living at the Anchor with Rosie, their absence had taken a little of the shine out of the day. They would be sorely missed over the coming weeks and months. The only consolation was that Ron would be a regular visitor, for he had to tend his vegetable plot in the back garden, and continue helping her with the repairs to the house.
She took her refilled glass from Frank and sat down next to Cissy. ‘I’m surprised you haven’t gone into town with the others,’ she said.
‘I’ll go in later. For now it would just be lovely to sit with you for a while, if that’s all right.’
‘Silly girl. Of course it is.’ Peggy put her arm around her daughter’s slender waist, noting that she seemed thinner, but did look very elegant in the expensively tailored WAAF uniform that had certainly not been made in any factory. ‘It’s been so long since we’ve had more than a snatched hour together,’ she said on a sigh. ‘Still, it’s more than I’ve managed with Anne and the boys over the past five years.’
Cissy smiled. ‘You’ll soon have them all home, although Lord knows where you’re going to put them all.’
‘I’ll think of something,’ said Peggy. ‘It’s so lovely to see you, darling, but how did you manage to get away from the airfield?’
Cissy lit Lucky Strikes for them both and tucked the little gold lighter in her jacket pocket. ‘Cliffe’s all but shut down, and as I’ll be out of a job by the end of the week, they’ve let me come home until I’m officially discharged.’
Peggy regarded her beautiful daughter with some concern, for although she’d spoken lightly, there was a brittle quality to her smile. ‘But if Cliffe’s closing what will happen to all the planes still over in Europe?’
‘They’ll go to the bigger airfields along with the troop carriers and bombers.’
‘And how do you feel about leaving? I know how much you’ve loved being a part of the WAAFs.’
Cissy shrugged her narrow shoulders and tried to appear nonchalant. ‘I shall miss it dreadfully,’ she admitted. ‘But there’s nothing any of us can do about it – in fact a lot of the other girls have already gone home, so it’s a bit dreary up there now.’
Peggy could see that, despite her stoic words, her daughter was concerned about losing touch with the many friends she’d made at Cliffe. And noticing the bulging suitcases by the door, she began to fret about where Cissy would sleep. The house was chock-a-block and Danuta was in her old room. She very much doubted that either girl would happily settle in Ron’s abandoned basement bedroom.
‘Don’t worry about me, Mum,’ said Cissy, attuned as always to her mother’s thoughts. ‘I’ll bed down somewhere and try not to get under your feet too much. I might be at a loose end for a bit, but things will work out once Randy’s released from that POW camp and we can discuss our plans for the future.’ She squeezed Peggy’s fingers, her face quite radiant with hope and excitement. ‘Of course it will probably mean going to live in America once we’re married, and that will be a terrific adventure, don’t you think?’
Peggy felt a pang of unease as she saw how her daughter’s blue eyes were sparkling. Cissy hadn’t seen Randy for at least two years, and distance often made the heart grow fonder and reality a hazy blur – especially during such perilous times. She had no doubt her daughter had been in love with the young American at the time of his capture, but had it been reciprocated, and was it strong enough to endure their long, enforced separation? They’d hardly known each other before he’d been shot down and captured, and Cissy’s rose-tinted vision of a future with him worried Peggy intensely. But she kept her concerns to herself, for this was not a day to voice doubts.
‘Let’s just enjoy today and let tomorrow take care of itself,’ said Cissy cheerfully. She picked up Daisy and planted a kiss on her cheek before going across the room to pour another drink and make a special fuss of her adored Cordelia.
Despite her worries, Peggy watched her with a heart full of love and pride. Cissy would be twenty-three at the end of the month, and was so very different to the naïve young girl who’d once danced in the back row of the chorus line on the pier, and dreamed of starring in Hollywood. The war had matured her – perhaps a little too swiftly – and taught her to face danger and tragedy with courage and strength. Her work as a driver at Cliffe had also brought her into contact with a set of young men and women from a much higher social class, and their way of talking and mannerisms had rubbed of
f on her. Peggy suspected she would find it hard to settle down to the mundane life in Cliffehaven after all the excitement – especially if things didn’t go to plan with her young American.
Once the babies had been changed and fed, they were brought in to join Paula and Daisy on the hearthrug. Daisy, at three, immediately took on the role of ‘little mother’ by telling them what to do. Much to the child’s annoyance, David had ideas of his own and kept trying to crawl away, which made everyone smile.
‘He’s so like his father,’ giggled Charlotte, rescuing him from beneath a chair where he’d got stuck. ‘According to the few letters I got from Freddy, it seems he spent most of his time as a POW trying to escape.’
‘My brother always was an adventurer,’ said Kitty dryly. ‘He used to drive poor Mum and Dad quite mad with the way he used to keep disappearing out into the pampas.’ She gave a wistful sigh. ‘As annoying as he is, I do miss him, and can’t wait for him and my Roger to be home again.’
Cissy broke the heavy silence this statement had elicited. ‘They’ll have to go through all sorts of checks and debriefings, and with the utter chaos over there, it could take a while to round them all up and find transport to bring them home. I’m not really expecting to see Randy before the end of the month at the earliest – but of course I could be wrong,’ she added hastily, seeing the gloomy faces.
Peggy got to her feet. ‘Right,’ she said decisively, ‘it’s time we went out and joined in the fun. Finish your drinks and get your hats and coats. I for one want to see how our newly-weds are faring.’
The mood brightened. The children were rounded up, hats and coats went on, and within a very short time everyone was trooping out of the front door.
Bertie and Cordelia went slowly arm in arm, Peggy walked with Cissy, and Stan had strapped Paula into her pushchair. Frank carried Daisy on his shoulders as he followed Kitty and Charlotte with their sturdy prams, and Doris and John held hands like young sweethearts. Pauline strolled by Stan’s side chattering about all the plans she had for when her son Brendon was released from his duties with the Royal Naval Reserve.
