‘I’m glad everyone that worked here has found something to do. Jack’s staying at the farm for the moment but will join the RAF eventually.’
Jack was in the office sorting out the necessary papers to transfer ownership of the two Tiger Moths so wasn’t part of the conversation. In fact, he’d been in there most of the morning making calls and she supposed that one of them was about the list of names.
Just after one o’clock everything was done. Jack checked the hangar was secure and she did the same for the office. He solemnly handed her the keys. ‘This is all yours now, Ellie. Something to look forward to.’
She was too upset to answer, just nodded and scrambled into the car blinking back tears. He left her to sniffle and didn’t speak until they pulled into the yard.
‘It took a while but eventually I was connected to someone in intelligence. I had to go through everything that happened again. Then all I had to do was read out the list of names. They said as far as we’re concerned the matter is over.’
She blew her nose loudly. ‘Today’s been the end of everything I love. I’ve lived for blue skies and Tiger Moths since I was a child and now it’s all over. Mum has gone, the airfield has gone – from now on I’m just a farm girl.’
‘Don’t feel so sorry for yourself. You’re young, healthy, have got plenty of money in the bank and whatever happens next, Glebe Farm is going to carry on as usual. When the bombing starts, I doubt anything will drop here.’
She glared at him. ‘I’m not stupid, Jack, I know that. But, unlike you, Greg and my brothers will be in grave danger. Farming is a reserved occupation so you can hide away here for the duration of the war.’
Again, his reaction surprised her. Instead of being angry he laughed. ‘I’ll do my bit – don’t worry about that. But I’m more use working here now than I would be hanging around at a base with a lot of snooty public-school boys.’
Twenty-one
Now that petrol was rationed, visiting by car became almost impossible. There was still fuel for the tractors but not enough for pleasure jaunts. Ellie met Greg most weekends in Ipswich, which she could reach by train quite easily.
Then the weather worsened and travelling anywhere became more difficult. At the end of November, after a particularly unpleasant journey on the train, Ellie had decided to tell Greg she wasn’t coming again until the spring. He had abandoned his sports car in favour of the train himself.
The cinemas had initially been closed but the government had now reopened them as they believed the morale of the population was important. When they came out of the picture house after seeing Wizard of Oz they headed for the usual teashop.
They burst into the cafe bringing a gust of icy air behind them. The half a dozen customers glared at them and Greg hastily pulled the door shut.
‘I think it’s going to snow, it’s certainly cold enough,’ Ellie said as she removed her outdoor garments. ‘It’s horrible on the train. There’s no heating and I never get a seat. The carriages are always crammed with men in uniform carrying bags.’
‘Don’t a lot of them get off at Colchester?’
‘The soldiers do, but the airmen get off at Ipswich or stay on the train. There must be loads of bases in East Anglia.’
‘Not that many, they’re mostly in Lincolnshire. But freshly trained ground and air crew are arriving all the time. Although nothing much is happening, we all know it’s coming. Don’t forget we’re sending our lot all over the Commonwealth to train and some overseas pilots have started to arrive in England.’
The waitress didn’t need to ask for their order as they always had the same thing – scones, sandwiches and cakes plus at least two pots of tea. Ellie wondered how much longer these delicious treats would be available.
‘Jack is leaving next week; did I tell you?’
‘You mentioned he’d been for an interview at Lord’s cricket ground and I can’t see why they wouldn’t be pleased to have such an experienced flyer.’
‘He doesn’t have to do the basic training so won’t be sent abroad. Do you think it will take as long for him to be active as it did for you and my brothers?’
‘I shouldn’t think so – he’s already got more hours in his log book than most of us. As he’s done acrobatics he’ll be ideal as a fighter pilot. I seem to remember him telling me he’s got instrument training too.’
‘He has. He’s also qualified as a flight and ground engineer. He doesn’t seem to mind what he does as long as it’s aircrew.’
‘Is something bothering you, sweetheart, you seem a bit quiet today?’
‘I’ve decided I’m not coming to Ipswich again until the spring. I’m needed on the farm and can’t really take a whole day off anymore.’
He reached across the table and took both her hands. ‘I’m surprised you’ve come as often as you have, Ellie. I can still ring a couple of times a week and you can write to me. I’ve got Christmas free and was rather hoping I could spend it with you.’
‘Of course you can, but don’t you want to be with your family?’ He rarely mentioned his parents or his older sisters and she didn’t think he was particularly close to any of them.
‘I haven’t seen them since the summer. Ma has pushed off to America and Pa is doing something at the Home Office. Both my sisters have retreated to the country with their families so seeing them isn’t an option even if I wanted to.’
‘If your father is going to be on his own…’
‘He’ll be with his mistress. The last person he’d want to spend time with is his son.’ Greg didn’t sound particularly unhappy about this.
‘Mrs B is
