Molly's war effort Part 2

Part 2

Mobilisation

With a battered suitcase filled with as many cloths as could be got together Lil and Molly trundled off to the Territorial Hall where the squad was mobilising. “Coo! Wonder where we’ll end up Lil”. They were mustered on parade to be given their orders. The men on one side of the hall, women on the other. The whole unit was being split into four sections and going too different (areas destinations). The first thing the army did was to part Molly and Lil. They reluctantly bade each other farewell, with the hopes of meeting in the near future. They climb aboard their allotted lorry and suddenly they were off. This is it thought Molly. She had always wanted to travel, now the time had come. Not in the way she would have wished of course but nevertheless recalling Ma Coxon’s words she would be performing a great service to her country.
To an onlooker they must have been an ill-assorted crowd. The females dressed in their uniforms looked smart. Molly’s coat was dark brown wool mixture. It was not yet paid for her mum had bought it on the never never. Molly had promised to do her best and send some money whenever she could out of her army pay to help out. Her hat was of brown felt. The brim turned up at the back then dipped over her right eye. As the lorry was of the open type she had great difficulty keeping it on. There was so much to see on route. No one knew where they were heading except the driver and he had a woman captain by his side. The signposts soon showed they were heading north. North, why north. The war was in Germany perhaps they were boarding a boat, Liverpool- Hull. As they sped in convoy through the villages and towns noting groups of people gossiping on the pavement, all of them looking up at the sound of approaching army vehicles the hub-bub of voices grew louder with speculation as to where? The scenery changed to green and golden fields farms and country pubs. Suddenly the first lorry in the convoy turned into a huge field, the others followed suit the last containing Moll (the females pulled in and came to a halt). The captain jumped from her seat beside the lorry driver and came around to the back of the vehicle. She spoke to the sergeant turned to the group of inquisitive faces and shouted “We’ve arrived gels, Captain X has just gone to find out where we are to bed down”. “What! we’re here, only this far, no more than a miserable seventy or so miles”. “Thought we’d have at leased crossed the channel”.
Molly looked around listening to the various accents voicing opinions from the occupants seated in the lorry, some on makeshift seats, some crouched upon the floor.
The sergeant (the one who had been chosen for sergeant) undoubtedly because of her age, background and clerical administration was a plump jolly faced woman in her thirties. She later proved to be a delightful person who took her twelve charges under her wing like a broody old hen. She was far too plump for her uniform to be smart but she had warmth in her tone that inspired confidence in the younger members. She shouted, “Come along gels, jump down line up and look smart”. The corporal with her two stripes on her arm was a most attractive brunette. Her uniform fitted her tall slim figure to perfection, her large brown eyes beneath mascarad eye lashes were framed by the peak of her cap. The lance corporal was an elfin like creature small in stature very petite with a cheeky grin.
The last one to have received her uniform was a tall well-spoken girl who made references to her Mama and Papa. Her Papa who later turned out to be a professor of English language must have been very generous apart from being wealthy. The first Christmas the battalion celebrated together in the village hall was informed the cigarettes and sugar upon the tables were a gift to all from Professor Gilbert. No wonder Drusilla clipped all the words ending with ing so precisely. Wonder what mum would have thought of this lot mused Moll as she looked around her. Not much she was sure because the sound of anyone with a plum in the mouth voice sounding their aitches was like holding a red rage to a bull. Strangely enough her mother admired anyone who made the best of themselves, but she was always on the defensive as soon as she heard a voice with a posh accent and never trusted them. Molly was different. She loved her mother and would have done anything but she often wished she would not be quite so vulgar and not drop her aitches so.
She remembered the first time she put on a little make up, her sister had previously peroxided her mousy hair. “Cor!” said Jess “What a difference, you’ll have no trouble in getting a fella now”. Go to old Freeholes and get me two pennorth of atallastic luv, I bet he’ll be knocked over when he sees you with your alo at on. Molly duly went to the corner shop and asked for the article her mother wanted, she’d never heard of it but mum might of being doing a bit of cleaning or summit.
“Two pennorth of atalastic please”, “Two pennorth of what?” Exclaimed Mr Freeman from behind the counter. Molly repeated her order. After several minutes he drew himself up to his full height towering over Molly. “You mean, two pennorth of Hat elastic lass” you cannot go around looking as nice as you do and dropping your aitches doesn’t your mother tell you. Molly repeated the episode tp her mother whose only comment was “Ah don’t take any notice of the silly old sod, anyway I knew you were to shy to ask for knicker elastic and I only wanted it thin like for me draws”. Thereupon she burst out laughing and said “ He was jealous of how you look in your ‘als ‘at luv. I went into his shop the other day for some pickles and his daughter was home from university. Old freeholes was so proud of her, my she’s that plain and all with straight mousy hair, nice gel though. I asked her how many? (and here Jess quoted an almost impossible sum for her to multiply) did come to , and do you know what, she didn’t know”. Molly thought later that it never occurred to Jess had the daughter or old freeholes asked her for the answer she wouldn’t have known anyway. Jess just took it for granted when one was intelligent enough for university they immediately knew all the answers, about any subject.
“Squad, pay attention” a silence fell over the group of women whilst the sergeant explained that the men were going to sleep under canvas but it had been arranged for the feminine members of the unit to go to the nearest village and be housed. Therefore, they were told to board the lorry again which would deliver them to their house.
“What! Leaving us a’ready” shouted a cockney voice. They looked over to see a group of terriers standing waiting for their orders presumably. The one who had shouted the comment stood waving his hand, he was cheekily grinning from ear to ear. The others around him broke into laughter. It had dispelled a little of the nervous apprehensions, which had crept into one and all, the anticipation of the unknown.
“Be back soon” Molly looked to see who’d responded. It was a grey haired woman. Molly was to learn later her son was in the unit on the field somewhere. Odd assorted lot they were. The regular soldiers who had taken up the army as a career were no doubt well trained and disciplined. However, Britain had not been wholly prepared for war and the Territorials were glad to accept or keep all kinds of willing volunteers old and young. Some oldies were round shouldered others walked with a limp. Mrs Stewart the lady with the grey hair had been with the Fannies during the First World War. Molly’s mother who laughed and joked showed a different character to the one she really had. Molly came to the conclusion afterwards it must have been an exaggerated defence against the inferiority feeling she must have had being a common law wife bearing children with another mans name on their birth certificate. She wanted to show the world she didn’t really care. When Molly told her about Mrs Stewart she remembered her mothers words warning her not to let any soldiers take advantage of her “keep yourself clean gel, for your one and only, he’ll respect you all the more and you can pick and choose”. The lorry left the field through an open 5-bar gate and they descended a hill into the village. They pulled up outside a double fronted house called the Oak’s. At the side of the house there were two wooden gates set in a brick wall pulled back to reveal a cobblestoned courtyard. Reaching from one end of the yard to the other at the bottom end were stables, which, as the sergeant revealed/related later to her newly formed family, used to house Edward VII horses. Through the middle of the stables was an opening leading to a staircase which led up to the grooms quarters which were over the stables.
The front door of the house was opened to reveal large entrance hall with a flooring of black and white tiles. This was to be their quarters then the girls enquired? Lovely large rooms on two floors. Huge kitchen containing a massive black leaded kitchen range. Along one wall a kitchen dresser. The house was devoid of all furniture and fittings. “Now girls come up these stairs and I will show you your allotted rooms, I am afraid they are all the old servants quarters. Later on the men are having their headquarters here below”. Up the narrow staircase the girls trooped. They were in the loft. The windows were in the roof. Thick grime covered the walls and floor. “Bet this old house could tell some ripe old stories observed Mrs Stewart. They looked around in dismay, their hand luggage and bags piled in the corner. “Well I know everything is chaotic at the moment” said Stevie, “but I’m going to look into this, meantime all you can do is your best to clean it up yourselves”. She reappeared minutes later with a male orderly who carried some buckets in his arm, inside the buckets were soap, floorcloths and brushes in his hands he clutched a couple of brooms. “Right girls, set to and see how nice and clean we can make our living quarters”. There were meaningful glances exchanged between all members. They had volunteered ready to do come what may, but scrubbing! Cold water too. As they were going to be here then there was nothing to do but get down to it. The sooner the better, the beds would be delivered soon. They were all exhausted and the rooms were beginning to smell fresher the grimy boards had lost their sooty look when they heard footsteps coming up the wooden staircase. A red-faced sergeant proceeded a medical officer. Stevie had explained the situation to him and he had to come to see for himself. The grubby dozen stood to attention awaiting his decision, goodness knows they’d put all the energy they had into it. “ Well done you lot, but you cannot possibly sleep here. There are no beds available as yet and blankets are no good on a wet floor, you’ll all be ill. Besides it would mean not enough space between your beds anyway for health’s sake”.
What a cock up thought Molly, good job her ma wasn’t anywhere around. They were told they would be temporarily billeted in the village until a permanent place was fixed up for them. They were to go back to the field for a meal and await orders.
When they arrived back at the field there were marquees and tents everywhere. Uniformed figures were batting down tent pegs, activity reigned everywhere. They were assembled and informed a meal would be available in the number two mess as soon as possible. Molly imagined what her ma would have to say about that, number two mess. However, she cared not a jot for as her mother would have put it she could have made a meal from a horse with a sore behind she was so hungry. What seemed hours later they were told it was their turn to have something to eat. They queued up to pick up a tin plate knife fork and spoon and metal mug. They sat down to cold meat, cheese, bread and jam and a mugful of hot liquid called tea. “Fraid we are rushing to get organised gels. The cook will have something hot tomorrow”.
Chubby Stevie was most apologetic, but of course this was the beginning of a war and no one quite knew was about to happen next.
Darkness fell and the ATS squad were told to board a lorry and they would be taken to their temporary billets. The lorry pulled up outside a row of little cottages and some of the girls got off to enter the wooden gates leading to the cottage number allocated to them. The next stop was some way away from the village. It was a moonlit night, which proved useful to the lorry driver traversing unknown roads and finding his way about. He halted when his ATS navigator gave the command to do so at a crossroad signpost. “Turn right,” said Stevie. The lorry turned right and went down a country lane.
They were told to look around the area but report back to headquarters tent by (8 o’clock)? Darkness had fallen by now and when Molly and her two friends she had been looking around with reported back they found that some of the ATS had already left to be taken to their billets. However, transport was found for them and they were soon on their way to their allotted billets? with the rest of the squad.
“Ah here’s the farm said Stevie “This is your billet Mary R” a tall girl picked up her kitbag and jumped from the lorry and, made here way towards what looked like a huge barn. In a voice which Moll could only describe as an Oxford accent which in those days was associated with anyone well bred enough to have attended a University she assured Stevie she’d find her way to the entrance because she had a torch.

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