Norma Rogers Ch. 05

The wartime story of Norma and James Rogers and their twin babies continues as they struggle to remain a family, even though Norma and James are thousands of miles apart. Their only communication was heavily censored letters that took five or six weeks at a minimum to travel between the writer and the reader, ensuring that they had to make what could be far reaching decisions for the family without being able to consult each other.

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After the birth of the twins, I stayed with my mother for three months, and her help was invaluable in my adjustment to the demands of two babies. Luckily for me, both John and Angela were happy, healthy babies who slept a lot and had sunny dispositions, so once they were four months old I was ready to move back to London to the house I now shared with Nancy, and to the job that had been offered me as Deputy Station Officer. Jim was delighted with the births and his letters, while infrequent, showed just how proud a father he was. Nancy was delighted that her share of the rent would go down once I started working again as I wanted to. This war was far from over, and I felt that I could still contribute.

After Germany attacked Russia in May 1941, the bombing of Britain steadily decreased, as the German aircraft were apparently needed in the Russian Campaign, but the work of the Ambulance service did not decrease a great deal. While some crews were kept on duty at night in case of occasional small raids, just as if Hitler were keeping us on our toes, the ambulances were busy in daytime for inter-hospital transfers of wounded aircrew from bases to major hospitals or convalescent hospitals, so the drivers were just as busy. Military training made for many accidents to soldiers, as did the Dieppe landings. Clean-up operations had also begun, razing blitzed areas, and on occasion recovering bodies or parts of bodies that had been missed during the hectic times of the blitz and were found when the wreckage was being cleared. Accidents were also frequent, so the ambulance service was still needed.

Catherine Wilson, the Station officer in the Ambulance Station, had been down to Bromley to see me several times, keeping me up to date on what was happening in the Service, and she was anxious for me to return to work as soon as I could as her assistant. That would mean that I was working all-day shifts from 8 in the morning until 5 in the evening. The local council, like many others, had started day nurseries for children so that mothers could be called on for war work. Production of weapons, ammunition, and aircraft was increasing, much of the work being done by women whose men were either training or away in North Africa and other parts of the world. Factories were not only in the major centres, but were also distributed throughout the country, many making small parts that were shipped to larger factories for assembly.

I was fortunate that the closest nursery was only about 50 yards away from the Ambulance station, so I could drop the twins off on my way to the station and pick them up on my way home. I could even get there during my lunch times and feed them and play with them, cutting down on the bottle feeding when I could. Catherine helped me get as much time with them as I could, and I was able to at least get as much time as today's working mothers do. Shortly after I returned to work, we listened with horror to the BBC news as the announcer gave details of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour and of attacks by Japanese forces on Singapore and the coast of Malaya. Next day, the 8^th of December 1941 we heard the recording of the speech by President Roosevelt announcing that the United States had entered the war against Japan and the Axis powers. Later that day Mr. Churchill announced that Britain had declared war on Japan.

My immediate concern was with Jim. Hopefully in India he would be safe, but I was still scared that the Japanese would attack India. It seemed a logical thing, and I was scared that they would inflame the anti-British feeling against the troops there that already existed in India. Of course Jim could not say much in his letters, other than reassure me that he loved me and the children, was looking forward to seeing us when he was home at last, and that he was staying healthy.

It seemed just a few days later that I got home to a sight that I could hardly believe. I was pushing the twin pram up the street, wishing for a hot cup of tea but realizing that my two hungry charges would have to be fed first. I saw a huddle of people by our front door. As I got closer I could see that it was Jenny and her family. She was sitting on my step with the baby on her knee, rocking from side to side and crying at the same time. Her three other children were sitting alongside her, she looked up at me and cried, "It was on the BBC News, Repulse has been sunk, that's Bert's ship. I don't know if he is alive or dead. Some were picked up but they don't know who." She burst into tears again, crying louder and her children followed her example. She burst out "I don't know what I am going to do without him. I can handle everything knowing that one day he'll turn up, walking up the street in his uniform, all ready to take all the worries for me, but what happens if I don't have him there for me?"

I put a hand on her shoulder, "Jenny, hush now; don't torture yourself. Bert could be just fine. You won't know for sure until you get official notification. Your little ones need you to be strong, and the baby needs your milk. If you get too upset that could dry up. Come inside with me and put the kettle on while I feed the babies." She came in with me, and as she did what I said, I fed the babies and put them down. The children calmed down as she did those tasks just automatically. Not for nothing is the British remedy for disaster the brewing and drinking of tea. When the babies were down, I sat her at the kitchen table while we left the children to play in the living room where I kept some toys for when they visited. I put her tea on the table in front of her. "Now sit and tell me what happened."

She sniffed and dried her eyes "I was listening to the four o'clock news on the radio when the announcer said that HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of Wales had been sunk by Japanese bombers off Malaya, and that survivors had been picked up by other ships in the fleet. They were two big ships; it seems incredible that they are both gone. There were thousands of men on them. I have no idea if Bert was saved or not."

"Have you heard anything from the Admiralty yet?"

"No, not a thing. Of course, they probably won't know who was saved or died yet."

"So you won't know until they tell you?"

"No, I won't, and then I'll have to tell his Mum and Dad. I can't face that, I always felt that they thought he married beneath himself when we wed. They didn't seem to welcome me into the family."

"Well first, just for the children's sake, why not try and stay cheerful and believe that Bert is safe until you get a telegram telling you different. In the meantime try and get your Mum to come up and stay with you for a bit. I'll tell you what - tomorrow I'll call the Brighton Police and have them tell her to call me at the station, and I can explain things."

"It's alright, she has a phone. I can go to the phone box and call her."

"Well, why not do it now? I'll look after the children till you get back."

Jenny left, saying she would be back shortly, and I busied myself getting a simple meal ready for the children, breaking up some bread into dishes and warming milk to pour over it. It was not a very elaborate meal, but with a little sprinkling of sugar, it made a tasty filler for young bellies, and sometimes for older bellies too when there wasn't anything else to be had. It was something like a bread pudding, but without the cooking. When I was done breast feeding the twins, I recalled that I had some dried milk from the health ministry for emergencies, so I could make a bottle up for Jenny's baby. Just as I finished feeding him, a much more relaxed Jenny got back from the phone, actually smiling a little, and she gave a big sigh of relief. "Mum heard a later news broadcast, and they think they got most of the crew of Repulse off the ship safely, and they were being picked up from the water. I feel a little better now; anyway, she will be up tomorrow and stay with me at least until we find out for sure, though when that will be I have no idea."

"Well, you look a whole lot better than you did a couple of hours ago. Now go up and get that face washed and your hair combed so you will look like your normal self for the children. Nancy is away at her parents right now, so if you want, you and the children can share her room for the night so you aren't on your own."

"I'll just nip down to the house and pick up their pyjamas then. I must admit, I don't want to be on my own right now, and if Bert doesn't make it, things will be rough. I'll be alone with four little kids to raise, and the last thing I want right now is to be alone."

"Jenny, if the worst does happen, you won't be on your own. You know your Mum will be there for you. She has said that already, in fact she has already told you that if the worst happens, she will stay with you. Don't forget, this isn't the first war that she has gone through."

"No, it isn't, and how she went through the first one with Dad in the trenches I'll never know, but they made it through. Anyway, I have to believe he will make it, you know Bert, just like the bad penny, he'll always turn up. He doesn't know the meaning of the words 'give up', and if he was on the radio when the ship was hit, he was above the main deck anyway."

Jenny went off to her house to get their clothes, and we made a big game of putting then all into the tub starting with my twins and working up to the biggest, By the time we finished I don't know who was wettest, the children or Jenny and I. Then we got them down to sleep, both of us praying that there wouldn't be a raid that night to disturb us. We would be hard pushed to get 6 children together and remember the tin of valuable papers as well as blankets for the shelter. The night passed quietly, though, and the next morning, as I took the twins off to the nursery, Jenny marched her brood down the street to their house to await the arrival of Grandma. In a way I couldn't do anything but admire her. Apart from the first little while after the news announcement, she had carried herself well - even with the torment of not knowing whether her husband and the father of her children was alive or dead. I didn't think that I could be that calm if I heard that Jim's unit had been attacked.

It wasn't until about a week later that she got a telegram from the Admiralty. I was off that day, and she came to the house with the children. "Norma, I need your help, this came an hour ago." She held up the telegram unopened. "I can't bear to open it and Mum is away at the shops; please open it and tell me what it says." I took it from her, opened it up and read it 'The Lords of the Admiralty wish to advise you that Chief Petty Officer Albert Morris of HMS Repulse was rescued and is alive and well.' That was all that was said, but Jenny saw the smile start across my face, snatched the telegram and read it herself. "I told yer he was bound to turn up, didn't I!" She started dancing around the kitchen and we hugged each other with relief. This time she had been lucky, but we knew that as long as this war went on, we would both be on edge, wondering if that telegram telling us that our men had been killed was going to be a part of our lives. That time was the worst for us women. Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaya and Burma had fallen like dominoes. The Japanese seemed invincible wherever they fought, doing things that had been thought impossible. I was glad that I had a job that took a lot of concentration and didn't let me have a lot of time to worry.

Several months after I returned to work, Catherine sent me to a meeting at the Ministry of Health in her stead, as I was taking over her duties for a time. She was going to be on leave, spending time with her husband who was commanding a Royal Navy frigate on patrol duties in the English Channel. It was going to be laid up at the Naval Dockyard in Chatham for modifications, and he could live ashore while it was being done. I had been asked to arrive an hour before the meeting to talk with a Mr. Henry, then attend the meeting as our Station representative.

Mr. Henry asked me to join him in a ground floor office, then pointing to a chair in front of his desk, asked me to sit down.

He smiled at me and said, "I suppose you are wondering why you were asked to come and see me?"

I replied with a tired smile, "There is a war on, many things are happening each day, so I'm not really wondering much as I'm sure you are going to explain what it is you need."

He laughed, "Mrs. Rogers, I was warned that you are pretty direct, so let's not beat around the bush. The London Volunteer Ambulance has done a tremendous job with minimal equipment in looking after the people of London during the blitz and since. You know that very well and have been decorated along with others for the part you have played. Now as you know, our American allies are arriving daily, and contrary to the ideas of many of them, are not going to take everything over and win this war for us. A lot of them need to be trained in techniques that they have not encountered previously, and we need military officers to work side by side with our allies on a daily basis rather than civilians. In order to do that we are recruiting a number of members of the London Volunteer Ambulance Service as officers in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. I'm offering you the opportunity to transfer to the ATS with the rank of Subaltern. Your duties would be much the same as you are doing now, as well as running training teams. Are you interested?"

I was flabbergasted at what he said. "What about my babies? I'm the mother of two very young children; what would I be expected to do with them?"

"The same as you are doing now. You would be posted at your present station in London, you would continue to normally go home each day, and we can arrange care for them when you are required to travel. Your pay would be higher and you would get the same number of days leave as the regular forces, which is more than you get now."

"What would the term of service be?"

"Hostilities only, so when the war is over you would return to civilian life. If it makes your decision any easier, I can tell you in confidence that within months most young married women will be subject to call up for war work, including service with the ATS, WRNS and WAAF arms of the forces for those without children. There will be some exemptions, but where nursery care is available, war work will be compulsory."

"In that case, I'll do it."

"Since we had it on the highest authority that you likely would, we have taken the liberty of preparing your new identification, and we are prepared to swear you in as a member of the ATS today."

With that I took the oath, and a sergeant of the ATS came in and measured me for new uniforms that would be delivered to my Station. An appointment was made for me to see my new commanding officer the next day. In a daze, I went on to my next meeting. The mention of the highest authority made me wonder if the Queen had made some recommendations. I could feel meddling somewhere, and the friendship between my mother in law and the Queen could explain many things.

I entered the meeting room and was surprised to see not only Health Ministry and Ambulance personnel, but also a number of American officers of different ranks. The ministry types were obvious with their pin striped suits, and I was willing to bet that they all wore bowler hats and carried umbrellas to and from work. The ambulance personnel were in uniform, of course, as were the American officers. There were name cards on several tables where we were to be seated, and I found myself seated next to a Lieutenant in the US Army.

He turned to me, reached out to shake hands and said "Hi, I'm Hank Edwards; I believe that I'm to be working out of your station."

"It is nice to meet you, though I fear you know more than I do. This is all new to me."

Just then the senior civil servant spoke and brought the meeting to order. He continued speaking and outlined the government's latest plans. As we were now getting a considerable number of American personnel in London, both on leave and being stationed in the city, American officers would be assigned to the main ambulance stations, and all American casualties would be reported to them. Those officers would then notify the injured persons' units and ensure their locations were known to the authorities. Hank Edwards was the officer assigned to my station.

This idea caused some friction in the meeting, and several ambulance officers pointed out that our system had been functioning pretty well, even at the height of the blitz, and that we had done well in victim identification and requisite notification to the police and local authorities of where people were taken and their condition. The criticism was taken note of, and Lieutenant Edwards spoke up.

"Look, we aren't coming to take over what you have been doing; we will only be taking responsibility for our own service personnel. We aren't going to take any of your authority. In most cases you will still be handling the casualties; it will just be up to the US liaisons to report to the US command. Speaking for myself, I'm hoping to learn a lot from you on methods of victim recovery, as I figure, once we invade Europe, we will need the knowledge that you have and we don't. Right now I can't think of a single city in the States where the authorities would be anything even close to being prepared to do what you have accomplished over here during the bombing. Obviously you had to learn as you went along, and if we can take that knowledge and use it once the invasion starts, it could mean a lot less deaths and compounded injuries."

After he spoke, the meeting was adjourned and he stood. He was about six feet tall and quite handsome, in a rugged kind of way. His face was tanned, with clean lines, and I could see that he would be quite in demand at parties and dances. Turning to me, he said, "Look, I have a jeep outside. Why don't we go for lunch and I'll take you back to the station?"

"I'm sorry," I replied, "I'm married, so I don't usually go out to lunch with other men, particularly those I don't know."

"Ma'am, You don't need to be the Ice Queen, I'm sorry if I was misunderstood. I meant a working lunch. I have a lot to learn, and who better to learn it from than someone who has been through it? The ribbon that you wear doesn't come with the laundry, so I expect to learn a whole lot from you. Also, believe me, my parents brought me up to respect marriage. I'm not looking for a date, I'm looking for knowledge, and you would be doing me and the US Army a favour by providing it."

A little shamefacedly, I then accepted, and soon found myself in the dining room at the Savoy where Hank was billeted until he found permanent quarters. Over soup and a plate of sandwiches, I got to know Hank a little. He seemed to have a million questions, and I hoped I was able to answer him well. When we finished, we went outside to the jeep and I directed him to the station where I introduced him to the staff and told them what he would be doing. When I introduced him to Nancy, I noticed a mutual spark of interest between the two of them, especially when I caught him looking at her left hand to see if there were any rings there. He saw that I had noted that, and he gave a half grin while his face coloured slightly.