‘Oh, ma’am.’ They all looked quite overcome. ‘We’d sure love to do that.’ Hal turned to his friends. ‘Wouldn’t we?’
They all nodded. ‘Thank you. When can we come?’
‘Any time. Mildred, our cook, always has a pot of tea on the go.’
‘Ah.’ Ed couldn’t quite hide the grimace. ‘We can’t get used to your tea, so could we bring our coffee with us?’
‘Of course,’ Jane laughed. ‘Tea is an acquired taste.’
At that moment George arrived and tooted to let them know he was there.
On the way home the boys were too tired to talk much, and too full of food to stay awake.
‘What an afternoon!’ Jack prodded his sister playfully. ‘And why do they call you Nanny?’
She grinned. ‘When we met them they thought I was the twins’ mother, but the boys quickly told them I was their nanny, and it seems to have stuck.’
‘It was kind of you to invite them to the farm, Mrs Harcourt,’ Jack said. ‘They’re a long way from home and missing their families.’
‘I got that feeling as well. This blasted war has torn families apart all over the world.’
Twenty-Four
Two days later Jack was walking across the yard, heading for the house, when he saw Bob the American waving frantically at him. He had a man with him who Jack hadn’t seen before. He went over to them, smiling. ‘Hello, Bob, have you recovered from the party yet?’
‘Sure, that was great. The kids had fun, and so did we.’
‘So I noticed,’ Jack laughed.
Bob grinned and then turned to the man standing beside him. ‘My brother turned up out of the blue, and I had to bring him over to meet you. Greg, this is Jack. I told you about him.’
They were obviously brothers, but Greg was a few years older, taller, and had an easy smile. Jack took to him at once as they shook hands. ‘I’m pleased to meet you. Come into the house where it’s warmer.’
Hanna was there with Mildred and George, and after introductions were made, Mildred put the kettle on to boil. ‘We’ll have a nice cup of tea to warm us up.’
The Americans hesitated, glancing at each other, then Bob said, ‘I hope you won’t be offended, ma’am, but we brought this with us.’
They all stared at the packet Bob placed on the table. ‘Ground coffee?’ Mildred gasped. ‘My goodness, it’s an age since I’ve seen any of that!’
‘I’m afraid we can’t get on with your tea. I’ve tried since I’ve been here,’ Bob told them. ‘I really have.’
They were all laughing at the apologetic expression on his face.
‘Don’t worry about it,’ George said. ‘We do love our cup of tea, and it’s helped us through some tough times. First sign of trouble in this country and on goes the kettle.’
Both Bob and Greg smiled and relaxed. ‘Do you have a coffee pot, ma’am?’ Greg stood up.
‘Somewhere.’ Mildred began to rummage in the back of a cupboard and came out triumphant. ‘Found it! I’ll wash it out first because it hasn’t been used for quite a while.’
Greg soon had the kitchen filled with the wonderful smell of freshly brewed coffee. At that moment Jane walked in and stopped, and a look of delight crossed her face. ‘Oh my, is that real coffee I can smell?’
‘It certainly is, ma’am.’ Bob had scrambled to his feet. ‘I’ve brought my brother to meet you all. Greg, this is Mrs Harcourt.’
He inclined his head. ‘Pleased to meet you, ma’am. I hope you don’t mind us just turning up like this?’
‘Not at all. I told Bob and his friends that they can come any time.’
Hanna was busy putting out the cups, and then handing them round as Greg filled each one with coffee.
‘Oh, what a treat.’ Jane drew in the smell before taking a sip, then sighed. ‘That’s just heaven!’
Bob, Greg and Jack drank it black, but the others added a little milk.
‘Would you like to stay for lunch?’ Jane asked them.
‘Oh no.’ The Americans were both shaking their heads. ‘That’s very kind of you, but we can’t eat your food. We’ve been told we mustn’t because you hardly get enough to feed yourselves. We came to see if Jack would come and have a drink with us at the village pub?’
‘I’d like that.’ Jack drained his cup and stood up. ‘They’ll be open now.’
‘It’s been nice to see you again, Bob, and to meet you, Greg.’ Hanna smiled at them and then at her brother. ‘Enjoy your drink. I’m sure you’ve got a lot to talk about.’
‘We sure have, Nanny.’
‘My name is Hanna,’ she laughed. ‘Not even the boys call me Nanny.’
As the men began to walk out of the kitchen, Mildred caught them and held up the opened packet of coffee. ‘You forgot this.’
‘No, you keep it. We’ve got plenty back at the base.’
‘Nice folks,’ Greg remarked, as they walked towards the village.
‘They’ve been wonderful to Hanna and me. This is the first time we’ve ever had anything like a real home. We were brought up in an orphanage. We went there when Hanna was eight and I was five.’
‘Gee, that’s tough.’ Greg shook his head sadly. ‘We’re lucky. We’ve got great folks.’
‘Er . . . Hanna wears a ring on her left hand. Is she spoken for, Jack?’ Bob asked.
‘Yes, she’s engaged to a fine man. He’s in the army and hasn’t been home for some time, so we believe he might be in North Africa.’
Greg whistled through his teeth. ‘That’s been a real hot spot, but then so have many places. I came through London on my way here, and the bombers have made a mess of parts. I wouldn’t like to be there during a raid.’
‘You’d rather be in a convoy being shot to pieces by U-boats, would you?’ Jack asked dryly.
‘As a matter of fact, I would.’
The two sailors burst into amused laughter, understanding each other.
‘I don’t know how you two can joke about it. I’d be terrified.’
Jack glanced at Bob, his expression serious. ‘Who says we’re not scared? We spend night after night fully clothed in case a torpedo hits and we have to jump overboard – again,’ he added. ‘Is it the same for you, Greg?’
‘Just the same, but I’ve been lucky so far, and hope my luck holds. Have you been to the States?’ Greg asked, changing the subject as they went into the pub and settled at a corner table.
‘Several times to New York, but my last couple of trips have been to Russia. Winter there is so cold that everything gets iced up on the ship.’
‘Yeah, so I’ve heard. I’d rather be in warmer waters. If you go overboard in those conditions you don’t stand any chance of surviving.’ Greg began to write in a little book, then tore out the page and handed it to Jack. ‘Our folks live in New York, so if you go there again we’d be real grateful if you’d drop in and see them for us. It’s tough on them with us both being away, and it would mean a lot to them to talk to someone who has seen us.’
Jack took the address from Greg and tucked it safely into his wallet. ‘I’ll certainly visit them the next time we dock in New York.’
‘Thanks, pal, they would be delighted to see you.’
They spent the next hour talking about many things without touching on the war again, and Jack thoroughly enjoyed their company. When they parted he wondered if he would ever see Greg again. He hoped so, and he would keep his promise to see their family at the first opportunity.
The end of the week’s leave came all too soon, and Jack was once again back on his ship, heading out to join up with another convoy. ‘Anyone know where we’re going?’ he asked.
‘Not yet, but I hope it’s not Russia again.’ Frank blew on his hands. ‘I never knew it could be that cold.’
‘Nor me!’ Bill looked out to sea. ‘Ah, there’s the rest of the convoy. We’ll soon be on our way now.’
Jack borrowed Bill’s binoculars and scanned the ocean. ‘Phew! Big convoy this time. There are at l
east three Royal Navy ships as escort. If they’re all coming with us then they must be expecting trouble.’
Frank snorted. ‘There’s always trouble!’
‘Let’s have a look. I only saw three.’ Bill took the glasses and said nothing for a while, then pointed over to their left. ‘There’s another one. That makes four, and I’d say you’re right. Wherever we’re going they could be expecting trouble.’
Harry joined them. ‘With a convoy this big the U-boats will be after us like a pack of wolves. Where the hell are we going? Not Russia again, I hope. That was a massacre.’
‘I wouldn’t mind New York,’ Jack said. ‘I met a couple of Americans and they asked me to go and see their parents.’
‘Not this trip.’
The men turned to find the petty officer behind them. ‘Canada is our destination, and we’ve just received orders to take our place in the convoy.’
They all split up to carry out their allotted duties. Because of Jack’s excellent distance sight, he now did regular watches, some at night and others during the day. When they were under attack he was always called upon, and often spent long hours scanning the sea for any sign of submarines or survivors if ships had been hit. No one had any sleep during those times, and Jack was much happier being kept busy. There was less time to think about what was happening.
They’d had air cover for a while, but now that was gone the atmosphere was tense.
‘Anything?’ an officer asked.
Jack shook his head. ‘Not so far, sir, but they’re there. I can feel it.’
‘Me too. Keep your eyes peeled. They’re probably waiting for others to join them.’
Two hours later and the first ship was hit, quickly followed by two more. Then the escorts began to sweep the ocean to the rear of the convoy, dropping depth charges.
‘At least that should make them dive deep, giving us a respite,’ Harry said, standing by ready to give aid to any wounded. He was their first-aid man and usually kept busy on these convoys.
‘Or seek refuge right underneath us,’ Jack pointed out.
‘That too.’ Harry grimaced.
One of the support ships was off their port side when there was a terrific explosion. They watched as the vessel listed badly, and men began to jump overboard.
‘Oh, hell! She’s going down fast. They haven’t had time to launch lifeboats.’ Jack trained the glasses on the scene and felt their ship change course.
‘Get those men out of the sea!’ the officer was yelling. ‘Scramble nets over the side!’
Some men were able to climb aboard on their own, but others needed help. Jack and the crew worked frantically to pull as many as possible to safety, knowing that every moment they stayed there put them at great risk.
‘Thanks, mate,’ one man gasped, as Jack dragged him on to the deck.
‘Who’s your captain?’ he asked urgently.
‘Johnson. Don’t know if he made it though.’
Jack let out a pent-up breath. He had been afraid he would hear the names of Harcourt or Freeman.
They stayed as long as they could – too long really – but had been determined to pick up as many from the water as they could find. The engines sprang into life and Jack scanned the sea anxiously for survivors, and finding none they got under way again. It was a blessing their ship was quite fast because they had to put on as much speed as possible to catch up with the rest of the convoy.
When it came in sight and they took their position again, Frank joined Jack on the deck. ‘Phew! That was risky, but we couldn’t leave those men behind, and we were the nearest ship to them. We managed to find a lot of men, and we’re now packed tight. Hope to God those subs don’t strike us now.’
Jack nodded. ‘It doesn’t bear thinking about. Still, you know what Harry said, lightning doesn’t strike twice.’
‘Don’t say that, Jack!’ Frank held up his hands in horror. ‘We don’t want to tempt fate.’
‘I didn’t know you were superstitious.’
‘I never used to be, but I am now.’ Frank pulled a face. ‘Daft, isn’t it? As if any kind of superstition is going to stop a torpedo heading our way. Ah, well, I’d better go and get some food and tea for these poor devils. You’re not going to get much more than sandwiches today, Jack. Sorry, but I’ve got far too many mouths to feed.’
‘Don’t worry, that will do fine. Just make them thick slices of bread.’
Frank chuckled. ‘I’ll see you don’t go hungry.’
They lost another two ships before they reached their destination, and by then they were all exhausted.
‘Doesn’t get any easier, does it?’ Bill remarked.
‘It will.’ One of the Royal Navy sailors joined them as they manoeuvred into the dock. ‘We’re sinking more subs now. We’ve got them on the run.’
Jack and the others looked at him in disbelief. ‘We haven’t noticed.’
‘You will. Take my word for it. Now, I’d better go and check on my mates.’ He went to walk away and then turned back. ‘I expect you’ll be glad to get rid of us, but thanks. We’re missing three men, but without your help it would have been a lot more.’
‘No thanks needed,’ Bill told him. ‘We know what it’s like to have a ship blown out from under you.’
‘Ah.’ The sailor nodded. ‘Thanks, anyway.’
They watched him walk away, and Bill gave a wry smile. ‘Poor bloke’s still suffering from shock if he thinks we’ve got the submarines on the run.’
‘Must be.’ Frank gave a grim kind of smile. ‘We haven’t got much in the way of food left. Wonder how long we’ll be here?’
‘Not long. I’ve just been told we’ll be loading almost at once because there’s a convoy already gathering, and we are to join her.’
‘That’s a shame.’ Jack studied the activity on the docks. ‘This is my first time in Canada.’
‘Never mind, lad, we’ll be here again, and let’s hope it’s in summer. I’m tired of being cold.’
‘I’ll ask Hanna to knit you a woolly hat.’
‘Hey! Don’t forget me.’ Frank blew on his hands. ‘And a pair of gloves, please.’
‘All right. Two hats and two pairs of gloves.’ Jack grinned at his friends. They all had dark circles under their eyes, were looking dishevelled and none too clean, but just relieved to have reached their destination in one piece. It was a shame they couldn’t stay for a couple of days. The break would have done them all good, but that was how it went sometimes, and they just accepted it. Perhaps the journey back would be easier.
In less than twenty-four hours they were taking their place in the convoy, and Jack was in his usual position, surveying the lines of ships.
‘What have we got?’ Bill asked as he joined him.
‘They look like troop ships right in the middle, and British and Canadian escorts. That was obviously the reason we had to load so quickly. Let’s hope we have a trouble-free crossing.’
Their hopes were realized when they reached Liverpool without the loss of even one ship.
‘That’s one to write about in your diary,’ Bill told Jack. ‘We all made it for once, so perhaps that sailor was talking sense after all.’
Jack nodded. ‘Feels good, doesn’t it? This was one of the best-protected convoys we’ve been on. Not only plenty of escorts, but air cover for part of the way. They were determined to get those troops here safely.’
‘They’re going to be needed when we make our final push to finish off Hitler.’ Frank signed. ‘And that can’t be soon enough for me. Oh, to get back to the days when all we had to worry about was the weather, and not what was lurking underneath the sea. Do you remember your first voyage with us, Jack? All that sun, all those exotic places.’
‘Seems like a dream now,’ Jack laughed at the blissful expression on Frank’s face. ‘But those days will return.’
‘Of course they will. Now, back to the present. We’ve got two days, and that isn’t enough time to get home, so what are we goi
ng to do?’
‘Find somewhere comfortable and warm to relax. We’re all tired out.’
‘I know just the place.’ Bill ushered them off the ship and took them to a small lodging house where they spent the next two days sleeping and eating.
Feeling refreshed and ready to face another trip, they returned to the ship. They were all busy until they were well under way, and then Bill came into the mess and sat next to Jack. ‘We’re back on the Atlantic run, lad, and unless we have a quick turnaround we won’t be home in time for Christmas.’
‘Perhaps we can spend it in New York.’ Frank checked the ovens to see how the shepherd’s pie was getting on. ‘Might even get turkey there.’
‘Wouldn’t mind that,’ Jack agreed. ‘But I’m hoping we at least get enough time ashore so I can keep my promise to visit Greg and Bob’s parents.’
‘Oh, yes, they’re the Americans you met.’
Jack nodded. ‘I liked them, especially Greg. He’s a merchant seaman, just like us.’
‘Have you got the address handy?’
Taking the piece of paper out of his wallet, he handed it to Bill, who studied it. ‘Hmm, I don’t know where that is, but we’ll find it.’ He looked pointedly at Jack. ‘You are taking us with you, aren’t you?’
‘You know I never go anywhere without you.’ He shook his head when they both grinned. ‘But you’ve got to promise to behave yourselves.’
‘We’ll be good boys,’ Frank said, with mock humility, and then the three men roared with laughter.
They were only two days out when the alarm sounded and they were running to their stations. Jack immediately had the binoculars trained on the sea. ‘Torpedo! Port side – stern!’
The message was shouted through the ship and they just had time to change course enough for it to miss them by the smallest of margins.
‘Phew! That was close.’ The officer with Jack slapped him on the back. ‘Well spotted. I didn’t see it.’
‘Here comes another one! That’s way off and going to miss us as well.’
They watched as it went harmlessly by, and as they were at the rear of the convoy there was nothing else for it to hit.
A New Day Page 19
