The time was almost 11.00 p.m. and the last waltz was called. The lights were dimmed and the multi-coloured glass globe hanging from the ceiling spun around, casting its colours around the hall. Jimmy and Tim, his mate, were both dancing cheek-to-cheek with Mablethorpe girls while some of the Mablethorpe young men had to stand and watch. As the last bars of the dance were played, they headed out of the door without waiting for the national anthem. The national anthem over, people were leaving the hall. Andy and his two mates were saying goodnight to Yvonne when the sounds of a fight came from outside. They hurried out to see Jimmy and Tim being set on by the Mablethorpe young men. The local men were still in the hall helping to pack things up. The odds were three to one. Andy looked at Lance and got a nod. They moved in and started to pull the Mablethorpe men away from Jimmy and Tim. One of the men took a swing at Lance, who blocked the blow and sank his right fist into the man’s solar plexus. Another hit Tim over the head with a bottle. It broke with the impact and glass flew in different directions. One piece hit one of the young women in the face, cutting her cheek open. She let out a scream of pain. Tim went down with a bleeding head. Andy grabbed the man and pulled him away from Tim. The man jerked himself free and swung round on Andy. He threatened Andy with the broken bottle. Andy moved back on the balls of his feet. As the man jabbed at Andy’s face Andy moved sideways from the jab, grabbed the man’s wrist with his right hand and chopped the inside of the man’s elbow. The arm folded in and the bottle cut into the man’s jacket and through his shirt into his chest. There was a look of surprise on his face as he felt the pain in his chest and he let go of the broken bottle. Andy let go of the man’s wrist and stepped back. One of the man’s mates jumped on Andy’s back and tried to make Andy fall. Andy bent forward and then threw himself backwards in a break fall and the two of them fell. As the man hit the ground with Andy’s weight on him, he let go of Andy who brought his hands down, palms flat onto the ground, and then pushed himself upwards and landed on his feet in a typical judo recovery. Meanwhile Dan, Lance and Jimmy had dealt with the other three attackers. One of the attackers was on his hands and knees retching, another was sitting on the ground nursing a bruised cheek and a third was cowered back holding his hands up in front of himself as if to say, ‘no more!’. A crowd had gathered round the group of struggling young men with several of the fishermen, including Walmar, standing ready to intervene if necessary. There was no resident policeman in the village and the locals tended to take care of things and call the police if they thought it necessary. Yvonne had brought out a first aid kit and was tending to the young woman with the cut cheek. Tim was sitting against the wall holding a cloth to the cut in his scalp. His mother was telling him that he needed to get stitches in the wound. Jimmy turned to Andy, Lance and Dan and thanked them for coming in to help him. Walmar and the other fisherman herded the six young Mablethorpe men together. Jimmy Anderson was the acknowledged leader and also chairman of the co-operative. He took the names of the young men and then asked the injured lady if she wanted to press charges of assault. She said that she didn’t and Anderson said he would make a report to the police on the morrow. He nodded to the bus driver, “Better get these foolish young men on the bus with everyone else. If you have any trouble on the way back, go to the nearest police station or come back here with them.” The bus driver nodded his agreement and all the Mablethorpe folk headed for the bus. Anderson turned to the three airmen and thanked them for going to the aid of Tim and Jimmy.
“Glad to help,” replied Andy. As they walked back to the car, Dan said, “We seem to be making a habit of this.”
They all chuckled at that and Andy said, “I hope not” but he couldn’t help wondering about all the action he had been in over the last few weeks.
***
Sunday morning (23rd) and Andy telephoned Alice before she went to church. She asked him about the dance and he said it was pretty boring without her. Andy said he and the others went at Yvonne’s request to support the locals. He then said that he would telephone her that evening from RAF Stanmore Park where he was billeted.
After speaking to Alice, Andy packed his car with his gear and told Lance and Dan that he would see them on the Friday afternoon. Corporal Hill then drove out of the gates of RAF West Sanby and headed for London. His route took him through Boston and he joined the A1 at Peterborough. Travelling south, Andy left the A1 near Barnet and took the old Uxbridge Road that passed through Stanmore. With the map he had been given, Andy found RAF Stanmore Park and pulled up at the gate.
