Angels at Mons

by Carl Leckey

  “Now men you must have had a long day, go and get a meal, the admission Corporal will show you where you can sleep tonight. In the morning I want another word about future transfers. In the meanwhile you may have a look around before you return to your base.”

  We leave his office and make our way to the main entrance, the Sergeant talks about the manner in which the Colonel and Staff Sergeant greeted me.

  He remarks. “It’s no wonder your lads were upset when they left the station.”

  We park the vehicles under some trees and drain the water out of the cooling system and the engine block. The snow has started again by the time we get back into the warmth of the Chateau.

  After reporting to the admission Corporal he leads us through to the kitchen. Jake and the Sergeant are amazed at the splendour of the place and keep stopping to gaze at some new wonder.

  Pyjama and dressing gowned clad patients wander about. Many of the patients are using crutches some are in bath chairs assisted by hospital staff. There are many without any visible injuries whatsoever, I can’t help wondering why they are patients in the hospital.

  Without doubt, every one appears quite happy with their surroundings. The interior is snugly warm, ‘very homely.’ This is how Jake describes the Chateau.

  The main dining room is illuminated by magnificent crystal chandeliers. When we enter the kitchen it has not changed in any way. The same cook Sergeant is still in charge. At first he does not recognise me until I mention Sandy then he welcomed me with.

  “Ah! Great to see you I hope Sandy is with you?”

  He serves us with a bowl of steaming soup and fresh bread as we eat, we swap news. I told him about Sandy being returned to stretcher bearing and disappearing on the front line listed as missing in action.

  The sergeant is disgusted and says.

  “What a bloody awful waste, sending a man with his education and knowledge to the slaughter house. We’ll need the likes of him when this damned war is over.

  He should have stayed here when I asked him the damn fool would be still alive now.”

  We have a nice roast dinner followed by suet pudding and custard that tops off the meal.

  “The biggest blow out I have enjoyed in my life.” Jake boasts as he rubs his bloated stomach.

  The cook Sergeant reveals the many changes that have taken place since the new CO arrived to convert the place to a recovery hospital.

  All the Officers have been emptied out of the Chateau the camp below is now a real R&R facility, which the lads from the front line really appreciate.

  “The town is now accessible to all ranks although the Officers now shun it.” He tells me with a smile all in all it is a great place to be as far as he is concerned. When I enquire about the French Staff, he assures me there have been no real changes except instead of being lackeys for the Officers they now assist in the hospital. My heart gave a little flutter at this news.

  The Corporal returns, handing each of us a lighted candle he leads us to a back staircase. The stairs reach a landing revealing a row of doors the Corporal selects one and shows us in. Four beds occupy the room with a china pot under each.

  “Sorry lads, no toilets up here you will have to wash downstairs, all the best rooms are allocated to the patients you see? That’s the Colonel’s orders. These are the old Staff quarters, try and keep the noise down. The people on this landing are on shift work they sleep at odd hours. Breakfast is at any time until ten o’clock the kitchen is always open if you want anything have a good kip. Oh! By the way, if you want any washing done? Just leave it outside the door in this bag with your name and numbers on it will be sorted out overnight.”

  He hands us a canvass bag and retires. We take advantage of the fantastic offer feeling like guests in a first class hotel. Filling the bag with dirty washing we leave it outside the door as instructed.

  Jake wonders if he leaves his boots and webbing outside will they be cleaned as well? However we don’t push our luck on that one.

  Bliss perfect bliss we congratulate ourselves on our good fortune, within minutes we are in the beds and fast asleep.

  Chapter twenty-five

  My first kiss

  Jake rises first, I hear him trying to strike one of the Sergeant’s vestas to light a candle. Fumbling my way over to the window I pull the heavy curtains back to reveal daylight.

  What a sight greets me, a blizzard has raged while we slept, the park Chateau grounds lie under deep snow. Jake stands beside me silent for a moment taking in the scene.

  “Christmas Eve! It’s beautiful and clean no craters no shelling, blood or bodies, just pure clean snow. This is what Christmas should be like eh Scouse?”

  I’d forgotten about the approach of Christmas my first one away from home. The Sergeant joins us holding his watch in his hand.

  “Bloody Hell it’s nearly eight o’clock. I’ve not been in bed as late as this since I joined the Army.”

  He looks through the window at the depth of the snow. He declares. “There is no way we will be able to move in this lot. Aye and there’s more to come by the look of it. Come on lads we best make a shape.”

  Following a knock on the door a voice reports. “Laundry!”

  The bag has been returned with our clothes washed ironed and neatly tucked inside.

  It is freezing in the room, we dress quickly visit the ablutions downstairs and hurry to the warm inviting kitchen.

  The cook Sergeant directs us to the dining hall for our breakfast. The meal we ate last night in the kitchen was evidently an exception to his rules.

  Slightly apprehensive I lead my mates into the banqueting hall where I had been so angry on my last visit, what a difference there is. The place hums with conversation individual ranks cannot be detected as all the patients wear the same dressing gowns and pyjamas.

  The French and British staff are serving the meals to the patients as they sit at individual tables scattered around the huge room. The enormous banqueting table is nowhere in sight. How inviting the room looks with log fires crackling away in the ornate open fireplaces.

  My old Sergeant sees us enter and calls us over to join him. I introduce my Sergeant and Jake.

  “Sit yourselves down, I heard you were here lad, how are you?”

  “I’m great Sarg. I have got myself a new job as a driver thanks to the Sergeant here.” I proudly reply. He explains to Jake and my Sergeant.

  “The last I saw of this fellow he was in the underground casualty station out for the count. We had orders to leave a day after he was injured in the bombing. Incidentally Scouse! I still feel guilty about that, after all it was my idea.” I disagree.

  “No need to think like that, by the way your plan did work it achieved its object. Billy reckons there are holes galore to bury er, our watsit’s courtesy of the Huns. Eh Sarg! I forgot to tell you Billy has taken over my job on the bits and pieces cart.”

  A waiter serves us with a bacon and egg breakfast, along with fresh bread and coffee in china cups. Luxury indeed, the Sergeant looks puzzled.

  “Why is Billy doing your job, I thought he was happy helping out in the operations. He’d recently been promoted shortly before we left. Billy was more or less in charge of the general duty lads working there and doing a good job?”

  I put him in the picture regarding the situation at the station between mouthfuls of the delicious food.

  “A lot has changed since you left. It’s horrible there now the women nurses are on the scene. They treated me like a slave when I should have been on light duties after the bomb incident. Lots of bullshit, inspections and parades, the place is run like a training camp, the lads are tired out with it all. The Officers have moved underground away from the bombing. The Adjutant took Billy’s stripe off him because he couldn’t read and write. It seems he didn’t like the fact Billy couldn’t fill in forms and wasn’t putting enough of the lads on charges. Oh! And another thing, the lads blame it all on that MP that visited, I don’t know myself I liked
him.”

  “That reminds me, Toot and I, do you remember him?”

  The Sergeant answers “Course I do.” Satisfied I continue.

  “Well we were stuck in the front line during the big push. Bloody Hell Sarg. I don’t mind telling you I shit myself with fear. The shelling was horrendous then the tanks arrived and led the advance. That was great to see as the lads pushed forward I have never seen tanks before they just rolled over the barbed wire and trenches. Anyway I reckon they saved us. After that we made our way back to the station. Oh and another thing, I think that blooming MP had even been there as well. Well I reckon it was him, the company clerk based in the front line described him to me.”

  The Sergeant smiled. “I wouldn’t be surprised at that he is responsible for having the situation changed here. I think he would be really upset if he knew he was responsible for the situation at your station now.”

  I disclose more news from the station

  “The Sarg here is trying to get Bill and Dave transferred to motor transport. It’s great in transport we are based outside the station in some woods because of the bombing. They leave us alone to get on with our work under our Sarg here.”

  I stop as I realise I have talked practically none stop, complaining and moaning. The hospital Sergeant certainly looked annoyed when I described the situation at the station, the once excellent place to be based in.

  The Colonel and his colleagues had carefully developed it from a farm to an efficient casualty clearing station without the usual Army bullshit etc.

  He answers thoughtfully.

  “The lads may be right Scouse about the Member of Parliaments hand in the changes. Some of the Staff from here have been transferred to the dressing station to replace us when we left. Never mind it looks like you are stuck here over Christmas, so enjoy your stay until it’s fit to move. You know you are very welcome here. I have to go now, many things to do and people to see.”

  He leaves us finishing the last of the yummy meal.

  After breakfast the Colonel calls all the witnesses involved in the Officers demise together. We gather in his office and give our evidence one at a time.

  After hearing all our accounts of the incident he declares none of us responsible. He warns us again, he will be contacting our station and they will also be inquiring into the matter.

  After the inquiry we attempt to break through to the ambulances unsuccessfully, the snow is waste deep making our attempts futile.

  I spot a group of Soldiers digging their way towards us from the camp below. The Sergeant decides to wait until they reach us before making any decisions. His plan is to try and make it to the road and ascertain if we have any chance of getting back to base.

  “In the meantime lads, please yourself what you do see you at lunch time, I’ll find you if I need you in the meanwhile.”

  I return inside in an attempt to find Denise, my first stop is the silver room where I had last seen her and her sisters. Changes had been made here also, since my last visit the room has been altered to a postal office for the hospital. The silver cabinets, plus the contents, the table and chairs, have all been removed.

  Disappointed, I wander about with no plan in mind and not knowing where to look next. Whenever I hear a French female voice I track it down in a vain attempt to find her. Parts of the Chateau are shut off, with notices prohibiting entry to British personnel. After a fruitless search for the girl I sadly give up. I decide to return to the kitchen to see if the Sergeant has any information regarding Denise’s whereabouts.

  As I approach I hear her voice as she translates the Sergeant’s wishes to the French Staff. My knees turn to jelly as I have my first glimpse of her for such a long time.

  Denise continues translating while I edge into the kitchen.

  At last she notices me, I don’t know what I expect her to do, but I hoped she would at least acknowledge my presence by a smile or at least a wave. Instead she turns away after giving me an angry glare.

  Her action devastates me, why should she behave in such a manner? What have I done to annoy the girl I love from the bottom of my heart?

  My spirits slump as I quietly withdraw from her presence. I stand in the corridor outside the kitchen leaning against the wall with nowhere to go and nothing to do my entire world has been turned upside down.

  The dreams I have lived with since our first encounter are shattered by one angry look from a young girl I hardly know.

  I wander aimlessly back to the reception area, the Sergeant and Jake are clearing snow from around the front door, joining them I begin sweeping the steps. The cook Sergeant emerges and stands looking at the progress of the diggers.

  “Hope they get here soon.” He remarks to no one in particular, “I’m waiting for some deliveries.” The Sergeant notices me working.

  “Eh lad I didn’t recognise you yesterday, it was when I saw you pop into the kitchen just now I realised you’re the lad our little Denise is sweet on aren’t you? Sandy told me you promised to marry her. Um I remember now, she was always asking after you when anyone came from your station. Poor kid was very upset because you didn’t answer her letter, didn’t you get the letters from her.”

  I am taken aback by his manner, when I don’t reply he continues in the same vein.

  “She thought you’d been killed you know, one of the drivers told me you had been caught in a bombing raid, when I told her the poor little girl broke her heart for days. She thought you had deceived her when she saw you in the kitchen, poor kid ran off in tears. You are not welcome in my kitchen any more lad.”

  Mixed feelings wash over me, I am so filled with emotion I cannot defend myself, head bowed I feel near to tears.

  My Sergeant and Jake had finished clearing the snow and hear the cook’s condemnation of me. The cook is about to return indoors when Jake speaks.

  “He couldn’t answer her letter Sarg, cos he can’t read or write. He lost the girls letter before he could get his mate to read it to him when the Huns bombed us. We all tried to find it, honestly, Scouse is really upset himself you know? And for your information he was bombed and spent time in hospital.”

  Typical of Jake, he makes a statement about something, then immediately falls silent. The cook turns to face me.

  “I’m sorry lad for doubting your sincerity.” He shakes my hand.

  “I am very protective of that little girl she’s like a daughter to me I don’t know how I’d manage without her. Don’t worry lad I’ll put things right for you.”

  He re-enters the Chateau as my flagging spirits soar again, I thank Jake for his intervention on my behalf. He blushes and mumbles something about mates sticking together.

  The gang of snow clearer’s make it to the Chateau an hour later.

  The Sergeant persuades them to clear the way to the parked ambulances with a tot of rum for each man when they finish. The lads set to with a will clearing the way like fury, a half hour later we are able to reach our vehicles, the Sergeant rewards the diggers and they leave cheerfully on their way back to the camp.

  He follows them shortly after to investigate the road conditions leaving Jake and I to check the vehicles. We have been working for a while I have my head in the engine compartment checking the oil level. Jake is clearing the snow out of the cab despite the canvas cover the bloody stuff has filled the drivers space.

  He gives a little toot on the horn. I pop up to see him pointing behind me, turning around I am confronted by Denise accompanied by one of her Sisters. Oh! How beautiful she looks, she wears a long black coat trimmed with fur, a hood frames her Angelic face, both her hands are buried in a muffler. Of course I blush, damn this blushing, will I be cursed with it for the rest of my life?

  I stand tongue-tied, gazing at this wonderful picture of innocence.

  Jake leads her sister the chaperone away to the other ambulance on some pretext I hesitate for a moment unsure of my ground. This is my first experience of being close to a woman I desire, I want her so much my
loins ache. She casts aside the muffler and reaches towards me. I grasp her tiny hands and pull her to me and give her a feverish, passionate, inexperienced first kiss. Oh! Joy, I am in heaven. I have not experienced such feelings surging through my body before that wonderful, magic, virginal kiss.

  Her lips are as sweet as the sweetest honey, her fiery tongue probing my mouth nearly has me collapsing with ecstasy, a discreet cough from her Sister breaks us apart.

  “Attention Denise, Grande Pere.”

  Her Sister points towards the Chateau. She faces me with a smile on her face and says.

  “Sorry Tommy we must go, I must take my Sister away from you now.” Denise grips my hand and whispers “What is your real name Cheri?”

  I answer quietly as I don’t want Jake to hear I’m shy about using my real name. As a child the other kids made fun of it because of the biblical connection.

  “Adam.” She repeats the name. “Adam.”

  From her lips the name I have hated from childhood sounds acceptable, musical, and wonderful.

  “I will see you tonight in the chapel for midnight mass Adam.”

  With that invitation lingering in my ears she leaves with her sister.

  Jake laughs when she is out of earshot, he knows my views on religion I often espouse.

  “True love never runs smooth Adam, er I mean Scouse.”

  I lob a snow ball at him. The dilemma I find myself in regarding the church attendance is resolved by the return of the Sergeant.

  “Sorry lads, holidays over. The main road to the front is clear, we can’t use the other road we came in on, it’s blocked solid. Let’s get the vehicles ready, I reckon we have a long cold ride ahead of us on this Christmas Eve. I would like to see the Colonel before we leave if possible but the priority is to get the engines running. The fuel dump is by the main gate enabling us to top up on the way out.”