letter to Pearl but the words weren’t coming easy. He’d written all sorts to start with. First just ‘Dear Pearl’, then rubbed it out and put ‘My darling’. When he’d reread it, he knew it wasn’t him and settled instead for ‘My dearest Pearl’. Now he’d exchanged that for something with a lighter touch, and begun, ‘Dear Pearly-girl, are you missing me? I’m missing you. The weather isn’t cold here and our digs are comfy and warm. Living with a bunch of blokes is all right, but I’d prefer to be with you. How’s your mum and dad and Ruby? How’s Mum? Tell her to keep her pecker up.’ And that was it, more or less. He wasn’t allowed to say where he was or anything about his training, or the fact that he now knew where he was headed.
He and Blackie had been issued their kit. Blackie had been sent to the armoury, whilst Jim was in engineering. Each day they learned more about the desert. Some were simple things, like survival; making meals of bully beef and dog biscuits, and using protective gear so you didn’t get sunstroke. But the other part, the exciting bit, was the mock-ups of the desert, the minefields, the boulders that had to be shifted to get the tanks through. This was Jim’s line of work, his niche; the hastily built camps, the roads, the drainage and water systems. There was so much to learn about North Africa.
Licking the end of his pencil he added a full stop and a comma to his letter, though unfortunately they didn’t take up much space. Perhaps he’d leave writing till tomorrow when he could think of something else to say.
Suddenly there was a shout and the commanding officer and their sergeant strode in. Everyone jumped off his bed and stood to attention. Jim felt his heart pound as the CO stood there, his eyes hidden under the peak of his cap.
‘Good evening, men. Stand at ease, will you?’
Everyone relaxed though Jim felt a high air of tension in the room.
‘Sergeant Docker is about to read a bulletin fresh from Headquarters. The information it contains will mean a great deal to all of us. It may, in fact, accelerate our plans and certainly changes the shape and dimension of the war.’ He paused. ‘Sergeant Docker?’
The tall, burly man with a walrus moustache stepped forward. Glancing at each man and then at the document he held, he began; ‘Today, December the seventh, nineteen forty-one, the Japanese have attacked the United States of America’s naval base at Hawaii, Pearl Harbor.’
There was an intake of breath from every recruit. Jim knew this meant only one thing. The Yanks would finally join the war.
‘The news so far,’ continued the sergeant, ‘is that the United States navy’s battleship force was taken by surprise and unable to mount an effective defence. The Japanese have now effectively removed any obstacle previously considered to be in their way of expanding their empire southwards. This catastrophic strike to America will end the long struggle of the United States to stay out of the war and Congress will shortly give President Roosevelt the authority to join Britain and pursue the conflict, all-out.’
Jim felt a wave of elation. America was now in the war, which meant the Allies would have a much better chance of winning it. Nothing could stop them now.
‘Mum, Dad, Pearl, come and listen!’ shrieked Ruby and they all ran to gather round the wireless.
Pearl sat beside her sister on the couch and Syd stood with his elbow on the mantel. Amy hurried to perch on the arm of the fireside chair. In a sombre voice the commentator described the attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor. Other US bases in the Philippines had been targeted too. There were many casualties to the American naval fleet, and troops and civilians. To make things worse, it had all happened whilst the Japanese envoy in America had been in peace talks with President Roosevelt.
‘The Americans were duped,’ said Syd in a low voice when the broadcast was over. ‘They fell
He and Blackie had been issued their kit. Blackie had been sent to the armoury, whilst Jim was in engineering. Each day they learned more about the desert. Some were simple things, like survival; making meals of bully beef and dog biscuits, and using protective gear so you didn’t get sunstroke. But the other part, the exciting bit, was the mock-ups of the desert, the minefields, the boulders that had to be shifted to get the tanks through. This was Jim’s line of work, his niche; the hastily built camps, the roads, the drainage and water systems. There was so much to learn about North Africa.
Licking the end of his pencil he added a full stop and a comma to his letter, though unfortunately they didn’t take up much space. Perhaps he’d leave writing till tomorrow when he could think of something else to say.
Suddenly there was a shout and the commanding officer and their sergeant strode in. Everyone jumped off his bed and stood to attention. Jim felt his heart pound as the CO stood there, his eyes hidden under the peak of his cap.
‘Good evening, men. Stand at ease, will you?’
Everyone relaxed though Jim felt a high air of tension in the room.
‘Sergeant Docker is about to read a bulletin fresh from Headquarters. The information it contains will mean a great deal to all of us. It may, in fact, accelerate our plans and certainly changes the shape and dimension of the war.’ He paused. ‘Sergeant Docker?’
The tall, burly man with a walrus moustache stepped forward. Glancing at each man and then at the document he held, he began; ‘Today, December the seventh, nineteen forty-one, the Japanese have attacked the United States of America’s naval base at Hawaii, Pearl Harbor.’
There was an intake of breath from every recruit. Jim knew this meant only one thing. The Yanks would finally join the war.
‘The news so far,’ continued the sergeant, ‘is that the United States navy’s battleship force was taken by surprise and unable to mount an effective defence. The Japanese have now effectively removed any obstacle previously considered to be in their way of expanding their empire southwards. This catastrophic strike to America will end the long struggle of the United States to stay out of the war and Congress will shortly give President Roosevelt the authority to join Britain and pursue the conflict, all-out.’
Jim felt a wave of elation. America was now in the war, which meant the Allies would have a much better chance of winning it. Nothing could stop them now.
‘Mum, Dad, Pearl, come and listen!’ shrieked Ruby and they all ran to gather round the wireless.
Pearl sat beside her sister on the couch and Syd stood with his elbow on the mantel. Amy hurried to perch on the arm of the fireside chair. In a sombre voice the commentator described the attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor. Other US bases in the Philippines had been targeted too. There were many casualties to the American naval fleet, and troops and civilians. To make things worse, it had all happened whilst the Japanese envoy in America had been in peace talks with President Roosevelt.
‘The Americans were duped,’ said Syd in a low voice when the broadcast was over. ‘They fell
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