A New Dawn
Chapter 1
"But Mum I wanna go" stated Molly "They need me out there and I'll be with Jacqui"
"Come on Belinda, this is 1940 she's got opportunities let her take 'em" said her Nan
"But Singapore Mum" Belinda shook her head "Where the bleedin' hell is that"
"It's in the Far East" pleaded Molly "I may never get to see a place like that if the Army didn't want some of us nurses out there" she held her mother's hand "They asked for us, sent a letter and that saying we were needed"
"Well we'll have to see what your Dad says when he gets home" persisted Belinda "Who's going to help me with the little bleeders if you go swanning off"
"Now come on Belinda, I'm not that decrepit I can help out while you're at the munitions factory" said Nan brusquely "the older ones can walk with the younger ones to school and make sure they take their gas masks with em"
"That bloody sirens going off again" she said just as it went letting them know they were in for yet another night of bombing. "I don't know how your Uncle sits up on the roof of Canning Town Library and watches them sods come over"
"Brave or stupid" chortled Nan "Sights he must have seen from up there" and she shook her head in distress "Mind I'll do for him if tells me one more time about shutting the bleedin curtains there's a light"
They all took their coats and shoes, gathered up the little ones and went to the bottom of the garden to their Anderson Shelter. Six kids, her Nan and her Mum all crammed into this tiny shelter. Her Dad hadn't got back from work over in Streatham at the brewery and would probably shelter in one of the tube stations until it was over.
"Look Belinda it wasn't that long ago you and I weren't even allowed to vote and look where we are now, our Molls a nurse and an opportunity to travel that she may never get again. She'll be safe there, better than 'ere"
"I suppose you're right Mum, she would be away from London and this bloody war" again shaking her head "But gawd knows what the toffs are gonna be like at letting in the riff raff"
She didn't get to talk with her dad until the following day. They sat on the steps looking out on their little garden and she talked of the opportunities she had been given her eyes lighting up with the excitement of it.
"Darlin, you have to go, it might be safer there than 'ere you can see the bombing is getting worse" he looked down at his tea "It might be time that I started to talk with your mum to get her and the bleeders out of London, somewhere safe"
"She won't go Dad not if you are here and what about Uncle John he won't go what with him being ARP."
"Well the chairman had us all join the Territorials didn't he" started Dave "I know I am a reserved occupation being an Engineer at the Brewery not to mention me age. Well so are all you uncles either at the docks or in the brewery with me, but I have a bad feeling about this darlin" he turned with a small smile and stroked her cheek "you go and be safe"
-OG-
Captain Charles James strode into the Long Bar at Raffles and ordered a whiskey. It had been a long hot day, his uniform sticking to him and his hair forming curls from the humidity. He was meeting with Lt Colonel Beck whom he already saw seated at one of the tables.
"Ah! James good of you to join me" said Beck and Captain James sat and took a sip from his whiskey and felt the familiar burn
"You asked to see me sir"
"Come on Charles we don't need to be this formal when we are seated here, I've been a family friend of your parents all your life" he chortled "after all you will be joining me and the wife for the New Year's Eve celebrations here next week, won't you"
Charles grinned "Yes Roger, am looking forward to it"
Roger Beck coughed and looked around to make sure that no one was sitting near to them before leaning forward to continue his conversation.
"The reason I called you here is that there are a couple of ships coming in the first will be here on 20th January from Southampton" he looked around again, "will have about 25 nurses and Doctors for the Alexandra Hospital along with 300 men to top up the troops here."
"Are we expecting trouble?"
"Who knows what with France fallen since June? Apparently the Japanese are looking to tie in with the Germans and as we know are already moving down through China" he continued "The second ship is coming across from Australia and will be here the week after again some nurses and doctors but also a couple of battalions of soldiers"
Charles nodded his head "another drink Roger" and he attracted the attention of the waiter to get them another whiskey each.
"Thing is Charles, Britain seems to be on its own at the moment, haven't got the Yanks to join the party and it looks like the Japanese are about to join the conflict with Germany"
"I don't think we will get much more help from home but the Australians and Canadians are our allies and sending more troops here and to Hong Kong and a Battalion of Indian soldiers are coming down through Burma to Malaya. Not that I think we need them this is a Fortress Island and had thousands spent on improving defences"
-OG-
It was six weeks on the ship out of Southampton and Jacqui and Molly were amazed at the food and their quarters. The ship was like nothing they had seen before and as they sailed to Freetown then round South Africa and docked in Cape Town, the mountain was unusual with its flat top. They were told it was called Table Mountain and it was covered in mist but on the second day they got to see it. They all got a signed document from the Captain of the ship that they had crossed the Equator and Molly put hers in a safe place so she could look at it whenever she wanted to remember this adventure. They docked for a day at Colombo in Ceylon the girls were fascinated by the colours and the smell of the spices. It was nothing like they had ever seen before.
Yes, they were both London girls with family working in the docks and had seen some of the exotic people and clothes, but this just looked so much more real. The temples, the monkeys leaping about everywhere, they had never seen anything so beautiful as the elephants, they seemed to gentle, so huge.
Jacqui and Molly had known each other all their lives and lived opposite each other in Plaistow and when they left school they had both wanted to be nurses so applied to the London Hospital and did their training there.
Although they were both only 22, Jacqui had met her husband Brian Wiggerty who was also on board as a Corporal in the Royal Artillery. They hadn't been married long only 3 months but this was part of the reason that Jacqui wanted to go to Singapore so she could be near him as it was unlikely he would be coming home that quickly with a war on, but both girls were just looking at the adventure this opportunity was giving them.
-O-
It was now January 1941 and they had never seen a dock so large, it made the docks in London look tiny by comparison. Molly's eyes were huge as she tried to take it all in as they disembarked barely looking where she was going. Jacqui wasn't much better as she was searching the gang planks looking for Brian who was in uniform with the rest of the soldiers and she really couldn't see him in the crowds.
Suddenly Molly walked into a wall of muscle "Sorry mate" she said smiling and looking up and into the dark brown eyes of the most handsome man she thinks she has ever seen his peeked cap shielding his eyes from the bright sunlight
"Wasn't looking were we're going; she's trying to find her pot" smiled Molly and pointing at Jacqui who was still searching the crowds for Brian
"Her what?"
"Her Pot and Pan – her old man" her face broke out into a wide grin, these toffs were gonna have a field day with her, Jacqui and Brian if they couldn't understand English.
He looked down into her green eyes, he didn't think he had seen eyes look so bright with excitement and enthusiasm. He could see that they were nurses from the uniform and he would have to load them into the correct trucks for Alexandra Hospital. He shook his head, they looked so young but her smile was infectious and he grinned back at her.
"I'm sure they will find each other when they have been assigned their trucks, correct billets and settled in"
"Hope so mate" she grinned back "bleedin hot ain't it"
"Indeed"
Jacqui turned in time to see Molly staring and chatting to a Captain who she had to admit was a bit of all right.
"Come on Moll" she said "We better find out where we gotta go"
"The trucks for the hospital are to the left, your husband will be on the trucks to the right going to Woodlands"
"Cor that sounds nice don't its Molls – Woodlands"
He had to smile at these young ladies, it's probably the first time they have set foot outside London and he had to admit that the short dark haired girl with the amazing eyes was rather captivating.
"I don't suppose you could tell Corporal Wiggerty where we are off to could you" Jacqui asked what she thought looked like a rather straight laced army officer.
"We don't really provide a messenger service for the troops, now if you hurry along ladies we can be on our way" He tipped his cap and strode away
They were taken to the Alexandra Hospital in the Queenstown area and not that far from the harbour. Talking with the soldier driving them Jacqui was able to find out that the Woodlands Barracks were on the other side of Singapore near the Causeway to Malaya.
"I'll never get to see him way over there" she bleated the soldier laughed
"They do get leave passes and it won't take that long to get here, it's not that far" he rolled his eyes "Singapore isn't a very big island"
They were met by army doctors and a couple of nursing sisters and matron. They got out of the trucks with their belongings and were shown to the dormitories.
"Would we be able to live out" asked Molly
"Of course, if you wish so long as you can get here in time for your shifts, although you are assigned to a military hospital you are not in the army medical corp just aligned to us as we have more troops arriving" stated the sister guiding them round the hospital.
The girls loved the country and the people, they quickly settled into their routines. Most of their patients were soldiers who had either contracted malaria or minor wounds or injuries out in the field.
They didn't really like living in the dorms as it lacked privacy and Jacqui was hopeful that there would be some leave for Brian from time to time allowing them meet up and spend time together. They found a lovely little two bedroom bungalow not far from the hospital and were able to walk there and back. Apparently it had been owned by an Australian nurse who had now decided to go back home. She didn't want to take all her furniture so they were able to rent the house fully furnished. Both bedrooms had a ceiling fan and in this humidity it was a relief at night to get that gentle breeze.
-O-
It was now March 1941 and Brian had a 3 day pass and was in their home so Molly agreed to cover nights to give them some privacy as it had been three months since they had seen each other.
"Nurse Dawes" called the sister "Can you come here please". Molly left the patient she had been dealing with "Yes Sister" she replied
"We have a new admission, with a fever" and started walking across to the recently filled bed "If you could look after him, the orderlies have already removed his uniform and put him in nightwear but if you could do regular checks on his temperature and try to keep him cool till the Doctor does his rounds again in the morning that would be helpful"
"Yes Sister" replied Molly as she looked at the sleeping soldier. She knew she had seen him before and remembered him as the good looking Captain she had met when they docked three months ago.
His hair was stuck to his head with sweat and he looked deadly pale
"Hello Mate" she smiled although he had his eyes shut "You look like you're in the wars"
She got her bowl of cool water and flannels and placed one on his forehead, gently stroking his hair away from his face. With her second flannel she wiped his face, chest and arms hoping that it would cool him down a bit. He opened his eyes briefly and looked straight into hers so she smiled and asked "Would you like some water" he nodded in response. She poured a small amount of water from the jug into a cup, lifting his head gently to help him drink
"Is that better mate" he smiled, nodded and was asleep again.
The following morning, he was looking no better when the Doctor did his rounds.
"What's he got Doc?" asked Molly
"Well I don't believe it to be Malaria, could be Dengue Fever" he said "Or then again it could just be anyone of a number of fevers that last a few days in the tropics"
"Obviously keep giving him the Quinine" he smiled down at her "and keep trying to keep him cool just as you have been nurse" The Doctor moved on to his next patient leaving Molly with the sleeping Captain
"Well mate" she lent down whispering to him "it's the end of me shift and I'm ready for me pit. I think I'll be asleep before the springs hit the floor" he opened his eyes again and smiled at her. She returned his smile "See you tonight then" and stroked his forehead to push his hair back.
He knew he knew the voice that was talking to him, when he opened his eyes straight into a pair of green ones. He had met this girl on the dock, he just wished he understood what she was talking about.