The Uncertain Years

by Beryl Matthews

  She gave a resigned sigh and clasped the proffered hand, allowing him to help her out of the car. ‘I can see you’ve been trained well in the art of being a gentleman. What school did you go to?’

  ‘Eton.’ He tucked her hand through his arm.

  ‘I might have guessed,’ she muttered, and wiggled her fingers over the fine material of his sleeve. This certainly wasn’t a ready-made suit.

  ‘Thank you, Corporal,’ the colonel said to his driver. ‘Come back for us in three hours.’

  ‘Begging your pardon, sir, but isn’t that leaving it a bit tight? We’ve got a way to go and you mustn’t be late.’

  ‘Of course you’re right,’ he said on a regretful sigh. ‘Collect us in two hours.’

  ‘Yes, sir.’

  ‘Come on, Rebecca, let’s eat, I’m hungry.’

  The head waiter greeted them as they entered, all smiles, and led them over to a secluded table in the corner of the most sumptuous room Becky had ever seen. It was all gold and royal blue with subdued lighting. She felt completely out of her depth, and wondered if he’d done this to intimidate her. Another glance at his superb suit was enough to wipe that idea from her mind. No, they were here because this is what he’s used to.

  A menu was placed in her hands and she found herself looking at a lot of meaningless words.

  ‘What do you fancy, Rebecca?’

  Not prepared to show her ignorance, she closed the menu and placed it on the table. ‘I’ll eat anything. You choose for me, please.’

  While he was ordering their meal she studied her dinner companion. He was a very attractive man of around thirty, she guessed, and this was the first time she’d seen him in civilian clothes. He looked marvellous.

  ‘I’ve ordered a dry white wine to go with our meal. Will that be all right for you, Rebecca, or would you prefer something else?’

  ‘I’ve never had wine with a meal before, but I’m sure it will be all right.’ She smiled, for there was no point pretending she was something she wasn’t. ‘I don’t know what I’m doing here. It’s ridiculous. I don’t even know your name.’

  ‘David Hammond.’

  ‘Everyone calls me Becky.’ Why hadn’t she noticed before that he had the clearest blue eyes she’d ever seen?

  ‘I prefer Rebecca.’ He sat back. ‘Now is your chance to tell me what you think about that little stunt I pulled on you.’

  ‘I can’t do that in here. Anyway, I’m not angry now, but I would like to know why you did it.’

  ‘I’ve been away, and when I arrived home on leave I enquired about you. Your basic training is almost over, so I decided to see if I could help you get the posting you told me you wanted. But before I put in the recommendation for you, I wanted to find out if you really did know anything about engines. I was intrigued when you came to the recruitment office. You were the only one who showed an interest in anything mechanical.’ He lifted his hands in apology. ‘It was a poor test, but I wanted to see how long it would take you to see through the deception. It was only a matter of seconds, and I was impressed.’

  ‘Did you think I’d lied to you about my interest in engines?’

  ‘I thought you might have exaggerated. Many do to get what they want. I needed to be sure of my facts before putting my recommendation in writing. I wrote the letter before coming here.’

  This was too much to take in. Officers didn’t go out of their way to help recruits like her – unless they wanted something, of course. She eyed him with suspicion. ‘Why on earth are you doing this for me?’

  ‘It’s my way of apologising for such an ill-advised test. I should simply have asked you to look at an engine for me, but fun has been sadly lacking in my life for a while, and I couldn’t resist.’ He studied her expression and gave a wry smile. ‘Don’t worry, Rebecca, I’m not trying to seduce you. Not that I wouldn’t like to, but I haven’t got the time. I’m trying to help you because I was intrigued when I met you. I want to do this. Do you object?’

  ‘No, no, of course not. I’m very grateful.’ She breathed out a silent sigh of relief. She was too inexperienced to handle a man like this. ‘Thank you so much.’

  ‘Don’t thank me yet. The decision isn’t up to me, and you still may not get the posting you want.’

  ‘I know, but I’ll have a better chance now, won’t I?’ She gave him an impish grin. ‘A recommendation from a colonel must carry some weight.’

  ‘Let’s hope so,’ he said laughing.

  Their first course arrived. The soup was delicious, though Becky had no idea what it was. The wine wasn’t bad, either.

  ‘Do you like it?’ he asked when she’d taken a sip from her glass.

  ‘It’s quite nice,’ she grinned. ‘But I’d better not drink too much of it. I’m not used to drinking.’

  They were enjoying their main course when he asked, ‘Will you write and let me know how you’re getting on? My leave is up and I won’t be around for a while.’

  ‘Of course I’ll write. Where are you going to be stationed?’

  Without answering her question, he handed her a sheet of paper with an address on it. ‘That will find me.’

  The address told her nothing. Mail went to a central depot and was then forwarded on to the troops wherever they were.

  They enjoyed the rest of the meal, talking about anything but the army and the war. Becky had relaxed and was really enjoying herself, and was disappointed when it was time to leave.

  The driver was outside and drove them back to the camp. David opened the car door for her, and she shivered when she got out.

  ‘Wrap up warm,’ she told him, ‘wherever you’re going.’

  ‘I will. Thank you for your company, Rebecca. It has been a lovely way to spend my last evening before returning to duty.’ He kissed her gently on the cheek. ‘I expect the Channel will be quite choppy this time of the year. Goodbye, and good luck.’

  ‘You too.’ She watched him get back in the car and drive away, feeling incredibly sad. He’d just told her where he was going: France.

  Chapter Five

  Jim Prentiss leant his head back and closed his eyes, wondering how on earth he’d ended up on this plane waiting to throw himself out into thin air. He wanted tanks or even the Royal Engineers, but he’d been transferred to the paratroopers. It had all happened so quickly he couldn’t be sure how it had come about. One minute he’d been tackling a tough assault course and thoroughly enjoying the challenge, and before he’d got his breath back he’d been practising a parachute landing.

  He opened his eyes and glanced along the row of men. The noise from the engines made it impossible to hold a conversation, but the expressions on the faces told him a great deal. Some were white as sheets; others had adopted an air of nonchalance in an effort to kid the rest of the men that they weren’t scared. But they all were. Soon the order would be given and they would have to throw themselves out of the plane and rely on a thin piece of material to keep them alive.

  Jim’s stomach did an unpleasant lurch. Control your nerves, he told himself firmly. Run over the routine and concentrate only on that.

  The man next to him, Stan, gave him a nudge and mouthed, ‘Not long now. You all right?’

  He replied with thumbs up, and they grinned at each other. Jim mimed floating down, rolling up the parachute, and then downing a large drink.

  ‘You’re on,’ Stan shouted in his ear. ‘The first drink is on you.’

  A couple of the officers were jumping with them. They were old hands at this, having jumped many times. Just having them there helped to bolster the first-timers’ courage.

  The door was opened and the cold air rushed in. They all stood up on the signal, and the sergeant moved along the line to check that no one had made any mistakes.

  The men began to disappear, and then it was Jim’s turn. He took a deep breath, and as soon as he felt the tap on his shoulder he stepped out.

  It seemed an age before his parachute opened, but of course it wasn’t
. Those first few seconds had been terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. As he floated down he relaxed enough to look around. It was cold, but the morning was bright with clear skies, and the view was incredible. Below the landscape stretched like a patchwork quilt of many shades.

  Suddenly the ground was rushing towards him and he turned his whole attention to landing safely. The last thing he wanted to do was break something, because he would like to do this again. Oh, boy, did he want to do this again! Perhaps that officer had been right when he’d told Jim that he was just the type they wanted in the paratroopers. He landed heavily, but safely, with Stan not far from him, grinning in triumph.

  They gathered in the barracks afterwards, all smiles and jokes now the first jump from a plane was over. The officers marched in and they snapped to attention.

  ‘At ease.’ Captain James swept his gaze over the assembled men. ‘I can see you’re all feeling pleased with yourselves, and no doubt planning a bit of a celebration this evening. But I’m about to spoil your fun. The booze-up will have to wait, because you’re going to do it all again tomorrow morning.’

  There were some quiet mutters, but the officer ignored them.

  ‘I want you to have your kitbags packed ready for you to collect after we’ve had another jump. Then we’re getting straight back on the plane and going for a little trip.’

  ‘Where would that be, sir?’ Stan asked.

  ‘You’ll find out when we get there. Now go and get some lunch. I expect some of you didn’t feel like eating breakfast.’

  There were a few sheepish grins, and the officer nodded. ‘You did well today, and your training is officially over. You’ve all been issued with your wings and are now part of the Parachute Regiment.’

  As soon as the officers had left the room, Stan grabbed Jim’s arm. ‘Come on, let’s get something to eat. I’m starving.’

  ‘Where do you think they’re sending us? And why by plane?’ Jim asked Stan as they headed for the mess.

  ‘No idea. I expect we’re being transferred to another part of the country and it’s quicker to get us there by plane. After all, this is just a training camp, and I expect they need to make room for the next batch. We’re paratroopers now, and have the badges to prove it.’

  Jim’s smile spread as they sat down with a welcome plate of sausages and mash. ‘I never dreamt I’d end up doing this, and enjoying it.’

  ‘Me neither.’ Stan tucked into his meal with gusto, speaking in between mouthfuls. ‘Though we mustn’t forget that it won’t be so much fun when we have to jump over enemy territory, and that’s what we’ve been trained to do.’

  ‘True, but we’ll face that when we have to. I hope we can stay together, Stan.’

  Stan nodded. ‘That would be great.’

  The clear weather held, and the jump the next day went smoothly. Afterwards they were flown to their permanent posting and, much to their delight, were greeted with friendliness by the regiment they had been assigned to. And that evening they were herded to the mess by the regulars so they could all get to know each other better.

  It turned out to be hilarious as they listened to the stories they were told, and they soon found out that many of them were on leave from Norway. Jim and Stan didn’t ask what had happened to the men they were replacing.

  ‘What’s it like out there?’ Jim asked a man called Frank Singleton who had just come up with drinks for them.

  ‘Cold, but it could turn out to be a hot spot quite soon.’ He downed the pint in one go and held up his empty glass. ‘Come on, you’re lagging behind. Drink up and have another one.’

  ‘I’ll get them.’ Jim and Stan stood up together.

  Jim pushed his friend down again. ‘These are on me.’

  By the time he got back with a tray of drinks, someone was playing the piano and they all joined in the singing.

  ‘Good Lord,’ Stan shouted in Jim’s ear after he’d handed round the drinks. ‘We’re never going to be able to keep up with this lot. I think they’ve got hollow legs.’

  ‘They certainly can drink, and they know how to enjoy themselves,’ said Jim with a laugh.

  ‘And I bet they know how to fight.’ Stan was suddenly serious. ‘They haven’t said what they’ve been up to, but I’ve got a strong impression they’ve been in the front line somewhere. They’re just letting off steam tonight. We’ve got a lot to learn from them.’

  ‘And we will.’ Jim slapped his friend on the back and raised his glass. ‘You know I didn’t want to be a paratrooper, but I’m glad it’s turned out this way now.’

  ‘So am I.’ Stan chuckled. ‘And I volunteered for this lot.’

  ‘You did? Good Lord, you’re a brave man.’ They grinned at each other and settled back to enjoy a riotous evening, feeling quite at home already.

  The next morning they didn’t have time to worry about a hangover, as they climbed into a plane and flew to Scotland.

  For the next week they climbed mountains in freezing conditions, and ploughed through the snow in mock battles, until they were exhausted.

  Stan slithered over to Jim’s position on his stomach. ‘Captain says there’s a gun emplacement on that ridge, and he wants us to put it out of action.’

  ‘Just us?’

  ‘Yep.’ Stan grinned. ‘But he said not to worry because they’ll be right behind us as back-up. They’re toughening us up. Do you feel tough?’

  ‘All I feel is cold and hungry.’ Jim studied the terrain. ‘Let’s get this done. There’s more cover to the left, and we might have a better chance of getting up there without being seen.’

  ‘Good idea.’ His friend pursed his lips thoughtfully. ‘Mind you, they’ll be expecting an attack from that direction so why don’t we try to get behind them, then we might take them by surprise.’

  ‘Let’s give it a go and hope we don’t make fools of ourselves.’

  Much to their delight and relief, their plan worked. They were aware it had been a test, and both of them were desperate not to fail. If this had been a real situation then their lives would have been at risk, so they moved as if that was the case.

  With manoeuvres over for the day, they piled into the trucks and went back to camp. After a shower, change of clothes and a good meal inside them, their fatigue was forgotten.

  After drinking down a pint as if they hadn’t had a drink for weeks, Jim laughed. ‘We’re learning, Stan. Not only how to relax when we have a chance, but more importantly we’re finding out how to survive in harsh conditions.’

  ‘I’ve no doubt that’s something we’re going to be able to put to use quite soon.’ Stan didn’t look too disturbed about the prospect.

  Jim merely nodded, wondering just what was ahead of them and how Bob was getting on.

  The ship Bob boarded in Liverpool dock hadn’t looked as big as he’d expected, and it was even smaller inside as the crew found bunks and stowed their gear. Still, she was built for the job she had to do, and he was glad to have been assigned to the destroyer.

  ‘Hey, Bob.’ Reg pushed his way over. They’d been together since the first day and had become good friends. ‘She’s a bit cramped, isn’t she, but we won’t all be in here at the same time, thank goodness. Hope you’re a good sailor because this is going to roll about like mad once we get into the Atlantic.’

  ‘The only boat I’ve ever been on was on the Thames. What about you?’

  ‘Same here.’ Reg grinned. ‘As soon as we get under way we’ll find out if we’ve got the stomach for it.’

  At that moment the tannoy barked out orders, and there was a scramble to get fell in on deck.

  They were soon on their way to meet up with a convoy making its way from America. Their ship was to take the place of a destroyer sunk two days ago. They weren’t given details, and didn’t ask. It was a tense time for Bob and the new members of the crew.

  Once out and in open water the sea was very rough, but Bob was relieved to discover that the constant rolling and dipping of the ves
sel didn’t trouble him at all. That wasn’t the case for a few of the others, and even a couple of the experienced sailors were afflicted with seasickness. Evidently this was quite normal for them, and they soon recovered.

  It took them two days to reach the convoy, and it was great to see sailors waving to them as they skirted the edge of the merchant ships to check for stragglers.

  ‘Nice to know we’re welcome.’ Reg joined Bob on his watch. He had also been unaffected by the motion of the ship, and both men were feeling quite pleased with themselves.

  An officer joined them. ‘Keep your eyes peeled,’ he told Bob. ‘You know what to look for. The news is that there could still be submarines in the vicinity.’

  ‘Right, sir.’ Bob held the binoculars to his eyes and began to scan the surface of the sea for any sight of a periscope. He had been given this job because of his exceptional long sight.

  The journey back to England was uneventful, much to everyone’s relief. There was no time to relax though, as within three hours they were under way again, this time to rendezvous with a convoy making its way back to America. They were then to escort another one back to England.

  ‘Hope we get a chance to go ashore in New York,’ Bob said. ‘It’d be a shame to go all that way and not see something of the place.’

  ‘We might have to wait until the convoy is ready to sail. It would be nice to relax, because we’re going to find out what it’s really like to be at sea with an enemy trying to sink you all the time,’ Reg remarked as they relaxed on a short break from duty.

  ‘I tell you what, I’d rather be on this destroyer than one of the merchant ships.’ He gulped down his tea. ‘Especially the tankers.’

  Reg shuddered. ‘Damned brave men – all of them.’

  ‘I agree. At least we have the chance to fight back.’ Bob refilled his mug. ‘But these convoys are vital. Without them England wouldn’t survive.’

  Reg nodded. ‘Let’s hope we can help get the next one, and ourselves, back safely.’