'Father, I really feel it would be best to remove to Kellynch. Bath is under threat. We may be bombed at any time,' Anne urgently told her father.

But Walter Elliot - Sir Walter Elliot, as he liked to remind all and sundry - had no desire to stay as a guest in his own home, which was presently leased to another family. 'Mrs. Wentworth,' he huffed, 'I am sure you must do as is best for your own family. I shall thank you for giving me the same consideration. Elizabeth and I are quite settled here and we shall remain. You may do as you please.'

Anne looked at her father sadly. 'Very well,' she said. 'This is goodbye then. I hope I may see you again father. Please be safe.'

'Yes, yes,' her father waved her away. 'Do not worry about us, we shall have a grand time here.' Anne left, shaking her head at her father's willful blindness.

On the morning of the 23rd of March, 1942, Anne and her friend Betsy Smith, née Hamilton, took the bus leaving Bath. Several bus transfers, many hours on the road and even more hours of waiting finally brought the ladies into Taunton, where Sophia Croft, Anne's sister-in-law, was waiting for them. Because Sophia almost singlehandedly ran the American camp infirmary - caring for injured soldiers and procuring necessary medical supplies - the Americans had made a car available to her, as a courtesy gesture.

'Hurry,' she said, 'else we will not make it to Kellynch before black out.'

As it turned out, they did not manage to return in time, so Sophia switched off her headlights and carefully picked her way on the narrow country lanes. They were still about three miles from Kellynch Hall when they heard the unmistakable hum of airplane engines in the distance. Sophia killed the engine and they all listened, hearts beating.

'They're approaching from the sea,' whispered Sophia, 'probably off the coast of Lyme Regis.'

'Not English then,' replied Anne in a whisper.

They sat in silence, heard the planes move some distance to the southwest of them. When the ladies could no longer hear that distinct humming sound, Sophia restarted the engine and they continued on to Kellynch Hall, each lost in her own thoughts.

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The following morning found all three ladies huddled around a small radio, devastated to hear about the bombing of Exeter last night. 'It's the Blitz all over again,' shuddered Sophia.

'At least they didn't do much damage this time,' mused Betsy. 'Do you suppose they will try again?'

'Yes, undoubtedly,' replied Sophia, whose husband, Samuel Croft, who was jokingly called 'Admiral' because of his fondness for wearing a skipper's jersey, was now involved in the Government Code and Cypher School and routinely intercepted radio messages from the enemy. 'The bulletins suggest they will aim for British cities of 'cultural importance', which is why you came here after all. I am happy they didn't target Bath, but I am not at all sure they never will.'

Sophia and Anne spent the remainder of the day at Taunton, tending to injured American soldiers in the camp infirmary. The local hospital was authorized to be - but was not yet - in use by the US Army. The hospital was in the process of being expanded, but for the time being all wounded were cared for on base. Betsy, who was not in good health herself, would stay at Kellynch, keep an ear on the radio and an eye on the papers, and make sure there was enough food and other necessities for the three to stay there for quite some time. Betsy also assisted with printing pamphlets, which would be dropped over the continent by RAF bombers on their way to Germany. That evening, they again heard the distant hum of airplanes, and they knew that in some unfortunate place, bombs would fall tonight. Each prayed for their loved ones.

In the morning, they were all prepared for the news, and when they found the correct wavelength, they listened in silence. The news was grave; over 80 casualties and numerous houses demolished. A subdued Anne and Sophia drove out to Taunton that day. The 'blitz' was the talk of the town in Taunton, and once in the American camp, the ladies heard much cursing and swearing, and much calling for revenge. Betsy meanwhile, listened to the shipping bulletin, pen and paper at the ready. Suddenly, there it was. RMS Laconia, Celtic Sea, one day out of Portsmouth. One day! Anne would have to travel to Portsmouth and be there on time, before her husband could depart for Bath. Captain Wentworth would wish to see his wife without delay. He absolutely could not be allowed to travel to Bath.

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Aboard the troop ship RMS Laconia, currently stuffed to the brim with prisoners of war apprehended on the African continent and in the Middle East, Captain Wentworth was eagerly looking forward to seeing his homeland again. He had been appointed Captain of this ship after his training for submarine Captain was completed. There were no positions on subs at the moment, so he had accepted command of this merchant-ship-turned-troop-carrier for the moment. Better to do something than nothing for this blasted war. Despite the darkness of night, he knew himself to be close to St Agnes, even if he could not see it. Far in the distance, he saw flashes of light which suggested an air raid was happening, and brighter flashes which suggested a plane or two had been taken down. 'Annie, be safe, please be safe,' he prayed for his wife.

He watched until he saw no more action, the air raid apparently having ended. There was no sound other than the engines roaring. They were very close to safety, but still had to engage in evasive steering, to prevent becoming a target for one of those silent killers, the German U- boats. This was his first thought when somebody urgently knocked on the door to his cabin before dawn had broken. Had a U-boat been spotted? But the news was worse, so much worse. It was Bath that had been hit twice last night. Over 400 dead, over 1000 homes and buildings damaged beyond repair and the worst of it: Anne, his Anne, somewhere in the thick of it all. Was she alive? Was she hurt?

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At Kellynch, not much later, the same news was heard. Anne sat frozen in shock, then said 'I have to go there.'

'NO!' Sophia and Betsy said, simultaneously.

'Out of the question,' said Sophia. 'You must go to Portsmouth, we have talked about this. You must intercept Frederick.'

'Besides,' added Betsy, 'they might return tonight. They did so at Exeter.'

This was indisputably true, and they all agreed such a risk was not worth taking. Anne calmed down. She would see her husband today. And she had known, hadn't she, that she may never see her father or elder sister again in this life. She could do nothing for them now, if they were even alive. She hoped they had been smart enough to take cover, but she had lived in Bath long enough to know that the air raid alarms were often ignored. To her husband she must go. Anne started by packing rations for at least 48 hours to take with her. She would deliver Sophia to Taunton, where she would stay until somebody came for her. Betsy would stay at Kellynch and wait for them to return. Anne would travel from Taunton to Portsmouth and wait for Frederick there. If he had sufficient shore-leave, she would bring him here, otherwise she would stay with him as long as she could.

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The RMS Laconia had rounded the Isle of Wight and was now directly before Portsmouth. Steering his ship in between two of the Solent Forts, No Man's Land and Horse Sand, he barely spared them a glance. The hour was approaching four o'clock, so he had plenty of sunlight left. He would be in port and safely docked in one hour, he might finish debriefing before sunset, but he would likely not be in Bath until tomorrow afternoon. Too late! His wife could need him now. As it turned out, he was lucky. After the ship docked, Admiral Sir Charles Little came aboard with little fanfare. 'Wentworth, a company from the 17th Battalion will take charge of your prisoners of war. Post Captain Harville will oversee the transfer and be in command while you're in port. You've got two weeks leave, you'll need to carry several battalions to Egypt, but they haven't arrived yet. I've set your departure for two weeks from now, but do let me know where I can reach you in case of changes.'

'I do not yet know where I will be staying, sir, but I will inform you as soon as I do.'

Admiral Little nodded, said goodbye and left. Captain Wentworth grabbed his duffel and went to speak to his temporary replacement, Post Captain Harville. After that, he disembarked and walked towards the exit of the naval port. He spotted an American army Jeep coming towards him, but didn't take much notice until it pulled up right in front of him.

'Need a lift, sailor?' asked his wife in a husky voice.

He got into the Jeep, after Anne had explained how she and Betsy had moved to Kellynch mere days before the blitz. She told him how her father and sister had insisted they would remain in Bath, how the air raids at Exeter happened two nights in a row and how she feared Bath might be hit again tonight.

'You were right not to go there,' Frederick said. 'It will be unsafe to go there now as well.'

'I know,' said Anne, 'it is just so hard to have to decide that going there to find them is not in my best interest. I feel like I am this cruel, horrid being all of a sudden, because I rationally chose not to rush to their aid, even though they may need me.'

'If you want to help anybody at all,' replied Frederick, 'you will first have to keep yourself safe. You are of no use to anybody when you're injured or dead yourself.'

This assessment, the cool and rational position of a military man, did much to calm Anne down. If she wanted to help, to be of service, she had to keep herself safe and healthy, if at all possible. Bath was out of the question.

'We can see if the pattern holds,' said Frederick.

'What do you mean?' asked Anne.

'I mean,' replied her husband, 'you said they hit Exeter two nights in a row. They hit Bath twice last night. We should wait to see it they come back tonight, which I suspect they will, and whether they come back the next night, which they may not. If they hit elsewhere, we may safely go to Bath.' He thought for a while and then asked, 'Anne, how long did it take you to drive to Portsmouth today?'

'Over five hours,' replied Anne, then looked at him again.

'We should stay here,' he said. 'It will be dark well before we get there, and we may very well be directly under any German aircraft on its way to Bath.' When she nodded, he added, 'Come, we can get a place to stay through the Admiralty. I need to leave a forwarding address with them anyway.'

They were allowed a bedroom in the army barracks of the 17th (Portsmouth) Battalion and after having dinner together, the Captain and his Mrs. fell into bed and enjoyed each other, for the moment forgetting there was a war going on outside. As they lay entwined together, much later that night, Anne had a surprise for her husband. She took his hand and laid it on her belly.

'I am expecting,' she whispered. 'By the end of the year, you will be a father.' This brought tears to Fredericks eyes.

'Truly?' he asked. 'That is wonderful Anne!' He kissed her reverently. A child!

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In the early morning hours, well before dawn, they were woken up by the eerily familiar hum of airplanes, soon followed by the wailing of the air raid siren. As they got up and dressed rapidly, Frederick inquired where the air raid shelter was. They were running down Percy Road toward it when they encountered a young woman, holding three very young babies in her arms, sliding down the stairs on her bum, while a girl of about 12 years old, holding another child, held the door open.

'Hurry mum, hurry!' the girl yelled.

'Let me help,' said Frederick, taking one of the babies out of the mother's arms and giving it to Anne. Then he took another baby from the mother and held it, while helping her up with his other hand.

'Let's hurry,' he urged and together, the group ran to the shelter further down the road. Once safely inside, they learnt that the children's mother was named Daisy Hooper, her eldest was Joannie, her second eldest John and the three-month-old triplets were Rick, Lizzy and Rose.

Anne offered to bring Daisy and her children to Kellynch for safety, but the mother absolutely refused to have her family evacuated. Her husband was here, her home was here and she would stay here. Anne was unsure whether this was brave or just plain foolish; still she came away from the conversation with a grudging respect for the tenacity of this young mother. Unlike Anne's father, Daisy had no illusions about their safety. She knew well she lived in a town that was home to both an important naval base and, because said naval base needed protection, a large army base, with several additional defense structures located throughout the area. Portsmouth could become a target at any day.

'But so could anyplace else,' argued Daisy. 'At least here, we can fight back and make 'em pay.'

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After a few hours, as the sun rose and the airplanes had presumably returned to where they came from, the Wentworths said their goodbyes to the Hooper family and went on their way. Once back at the base they would learn that Bath had indeed been targeted again early this morning. It was going to take almost all day to drive up to Taunton to find Sophia, and then continue on from there to Kellynch Hall. This meant they would have to wait at least another night to have a reasonable idea as to whether they could travel to Bath or not.

When they arrived at Taunton Barracks, they found Sophia had already been picked up by her husband, so they immediately departed for Kellynch Hall. Once there, Samuel stood outside smoking and greeted them first. He shook Frederick's hand and held Anne close to him in a bear hug. Of Jewish ancestry, Samuel knew better than most just how quickly one could lose all they held dear, and seeing his family by marriage almost complete touched him deeply. In conversation about the 'Baedeker Blitz', as Samuel called the air raids, it became clear to Frederick that his wife had removed from Bath after receiving her brother-in-law's urgent warning. Wordlessly, he embraced Samuel. Now he knew just how close he had come to losing Anne.

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The following day, the four brothers and sisters drove out to Bath. Betsy very much wanted to come with them, but her poor health and her anxiety over what they would find in Bath prevented her from going. Anne and Frederick sat in the backseat, Anne holding tightly to his hand. Now that the moment of truth was upon them, she was very afraid of what they would find. Bath was a few hours' drive away from Kellynch, so they had left at first light.

Standing on the hilltop near Monkton Combe, they had their first view of the true scale of the devastation. Anne gasped and Frederick squeezed her hand.

'Shall we proceed?' asked Samuel, after saying his own prayers. Silently, they got back in the car and drove on. They went eastward, trying to find a way around the city to approach from the northeast. They got as far as Berkeley Place before there was too much rubble to drive on. Still, Anne felt hopeful the apartment at Camden Place might still be there. As they rounded the corner, they could see the building was severely damaged, but it seemed at least part of it might still be there. Before they reached the door, they were hailed by Mrs. Wallis, who came toward them. Her eyes were puffed up and red, and with a wail she fell into Anne's arms.

'Oh Anne, how terrible it all was!' Anne patted her back, but Mrs. Wallis was insensible to the world. 'Oh, and my colonel was in town only for two nights, and now he is gone!'

She keened and wailed, all the while holding on to Anne. Eventually, Frederick helped disentangle his wife from the very distraught Mrs. Wallis, who finally imparted the news they had come to hear.

'And my colonel had come to town with his friend Mr. Elliot. So they went to the Assembly Rooms, with your father and your sister and Mrs. Clay too!' Now holding on to Frederick instead, she hiccupped, 'They never came back.'

Sobbing for a few minutes more, Mrs. Wallis finally recollected herself. 'I must go in,' she said. 'I must find my sister. Everything is broken. Everybody is dead. What shall I do?'

At this point, a man came out of a doorway of the building adjacent to the apartments at Camden Place, and ushered Mrs. Wallis in. He nodded to the four of them, then closed the door behind him.

'We should move on,' said Samuel, and Anne nodded.

'Do we need to see the Assembly Rooms?' she inquired. 'The dispatch said they had been destroyed completely. Is there anything we can do at this point?'

'We should make sure,' Frederick answered. 'There will be survivors among the injured. We must check.'

Anne nodded, so they turned on to Morford Street, and from there to Russell Street. Where once the Assembly Rooms had stood, nothing but debris was left. It seemed unlikely that anybody who had been here, could have survived. They learnt an emergency hospital had sprung up at the Queensbury Hotel, which they had passed on Russell Street. They retraced their steps to the door. Anne took a dep breath before going in, followed by her family.

'We are looking for my father and sister,' she explained to the nurse. 'They were most likely at the Assembly Rooms.'

The nurse shook her head. 'Only three people were pulled from the Assembly Rooms. Two elderly ladies and one young man.'

'The young man might be Colonel Wallis or Mr. Elliot,' said Frederick. 'May we see him?'

When they approached the young man, whose face was largely bandaged, he was unrecognizable. It wasn't until he started screaming that they all realized he could not be Colonel Wallis, nor Mr. Elliot.

'Could they still have been outside?' Sophia inquired.

'I don't know,' replied Anne. 'It is possible, I suppose, although normally they would have arrived before eleven o'clock. Still, we are here and should see everybody, just in case they were out of doors.'

Frederick nodded and the nurse took them to see every man who was assumed to be over 40 years of age, and every woman who was thought to be under 40 years of age. They were thoroughly shaken by the suffering they witnessed at the Queensbury even though none of the wounded they visited were known to them.

'I am sorry Anne,' whispered Frederick as they stepped out onto the street. He held her while she cried, thanking the stars in his private thoughts that at least she had been spared.

It was late afternoon, and none of them wished to remain in Bath any longer than necessary. Still, they went back to Camden Place, where the Elliots had stayed.

'We should salvage what we can,' Samuel stated. 'We may never return here after all.' They agreed and hurried back.

Once inside the apartment, they found that Elizabeth's bedroom had been partly torn away and the rest had burned out. Walter's rooms had also caught fire and most of his clothing had been destroyed. What was saved, however, was his strongbox, which held some cash, a signet ring and his watch, as well as a precious photograph of Anne's late mother. On the bedside table his favourite book was still open. In the living room two of Elizabeth's bracelets, as well as her make-up, were found.

'We need to make a decision soon,' began Samuel. 'We will not be able to return to Kellynch today, but if we want to leave Bath, we should do so soon. Where can we spend the night?'

'I know a cabin in the Mendip Hills,' replied Frederick. 'If we want to get there, we should leave here soon.' He turned to his wife. 'Are you ready Annie? Is there anything else you need to do?'

'No,' said Anne, 'I have taken everything that is worth taking from here.'

'I have packed up all usable food and drink,' added Sophia, walking in from the kitchen.

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'Let's go,' said Samuel and they walked out of Camden Place for the last time, leaving the front door open. They turned the car around and left Bath, heading towards Bristol where they could get extra fuel. After refueling and filling up two jerry cans, they headed towards the southeast. Anne was held closely by her husband, and every once in a while she sobbed, while at other times she slept. Samuel drove, Frederick giving him directions when necessary. Past West Harptree, they turned off the main road. They left the car near Wraxall and walked the last mile and a half on a narrow trail, in the fading light of the sunset.

'There it is,' said Frederick and from the tree line, they observed a cabin in the middle of a small clearing.

'All clear,' whispered Samuel and they carefully moved forward. The cabin was locked, but with a hairpin Anne successfully opened the lock. Anne and Sophia quickly prepared some food, and then everybody went to sleep. Anne and Frederick shared one bed, Samuel and Sophia the other. Their night was undisturbed, even though both Frederick and Samuel remained alert all night for any possible danger. The next morning, everybody woke when sunlight hit the window. They quickly ate their breakfast, and cleared away all traces of their having been there. Frederick went to have a look outside, and came back twenty minutes later, declaring it all clear. Once in the car, Sophia drove while Samuel rested. Anne and Frederick cuddled together, thankful just to be together.

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After they had rested, Anne and Frederick went to Uppercross, where Anne's younger sister Mary lived with her family. When informed of the probable death of her father and eldest sister, Mary replied to Anne, 'I suppose Kellynch is lost to us then. Why don't you come live here with us? We have space for you, and you could help me with the boys.'

Anne refused, explaining, 'I had not thought about Kellynch but we should probably worry about that later. For now we should organize a memorial service for father and Elizabeth.' What she did not say, was that her time was spent in a much more useful way caring for injured soldiers, than it would be caring for her two nephews.

A memorial service was quickly agreed on with the curate of the Church of St Mary Magdalene, and after receiving condolences from all, the sisters parted again. Samuel returned to Bletchley Park, where the codebreakers worked. Frederick had one week of leave left, which he spent mostly loving his wife, or rummaging through Kellynch's attics, looking for baby clothes, cots and other supplies that might be useful for Anne later in her pregnancy. Anne was at least 2 months pregnant now, and when he laid his hand on her belly, he fancied he could feel her womb, holding his child.

When his two weeks of leave were up, Anne returned Frederick to Portsmouth. She brought food and blankets for the Hooper family as well, supposing that with three babies instead of one, anything would be welcome. After Frederick entered the dockyard and she could no longer see him, she went to find Daisy Hooper. The two women hugged and Daisy gratefully accepted both food and the thick woolen blankets.

Anne asked her about pregnancy and giving birth and Daisy replied, 'My first labour with Joan was probably the hardest. She took a long time in coming out. The triplets were so much smaller than either Joan or John, they seemed to be born comparatively easily, even though three in a row very nearly killed me.' She looked at Anne fondly. 'Do not worry lass, you have broad hips. Me mum always said about a figure like yours, that the woman had 'childbearing hips'. You will do well.'

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When Frederick reported for duty, a sailor directed him to Admiral Little, the commander of the base. 'Ah Wentworth,' he said, 'good to have you back. I just wanted to inform you, new submarines are being built in Barrow. One of them will be yours. Should take no more than six months.'

'Thank you, Sir,' said Frederick, well pleased. 'What will I do in the meantime?'

'You stay with the Laconia for the time being,' replied Admiral Little. 'Carrying troops is a critical mission. You have an excellent reputation for steering away from trouble and keeping yer ship in one piece. Carry on. Dismissed.'

Frederick left for the Laconia, where he was briefed by Post Captain Harville. Several regiments, massive amounts of ammunition and vehicles were loaded, as well as the necessary food and drink supplies. The Laconia sailed the next day, on a course to Freetown. Sometimes they continued on to Cape Town, sometimes they returned from Freetown to one of the British ports. While Captain Frederick Wentworth made sure to never set a predictable course for his ship, they largely held to their routine for another four months, doing supply trips to the African Continent, returning with either prisoners of war or loot, or both. They usually docked at Portsmouth, which allowed Frederick to spend one or sometimes two nights with his wife every seven or eight weeks.

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The residents of Kellynch likewise established a routine, with Anne and Sophia running the infirmary at the American Base, and Betsy keeping the larder stocked, following the news, and assisting wherever else she could. During the summer, Anne's belly grew. Sometimes she was sorry that Frederick wasn't here to see it, but she at least got to see him every several weeks. She was luckier than some in that respect. The Americans were busy expanding the local hospital before taking possession, and both Anne and Sophia assisted in getting local supplies in, and getting local staff hired. The hospital would be run by the US Army Medical Corps, but the two ladies had gained an important position of trust with the base's command and would continue their duties in the Musgrove Park Hospital as well.

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The first break in this routine came on August 1st, when the Admiralty radioed the Laconia for a change of orders. They were to dock at Gibraltar instead of Freetown. It wasn't until Frederick reported to the Admiral on base that he was given new, classified orders and asked to immediately release command of the Laconia. Frederick would have to find some way or other to return to Britain and so, on the 12th of August, he transferred command of the Laconia to Captain Rupert Sharp. Within a few days, Captain Frederick Wentworth boarded HMS Zetland and sailed to Great Britain as part of a convoy, departing Gibraltar on the 16th.

Frederick had written a letter to Anne, but imagined the letter could be on the same convoy, or might even arrive home after he himself did. On the third day, a distress call was picked up from a damaged armed merchant cruiser, HMS Cheshire. The Cheshire had been hit by a torpedo from a German U-boat the day before, but was still afloat. HMS Zetland responded and broke off from the convoy.

Frederick, who was essentially a passenger, offered to transfer to the HMS Cheshire to see what he could do to help. Permission was granted and he joined Captain Hopper on the Cheshire as part of the boarding party. He knew Hopper and they worked well together; soon they had set sail again. With the Cheshire damaged, Wentworth's evasive movements became even more important and slowly the ship, accompanied by HMS Zetland, limped its way back to safe harbour. There was no radio communication, to avoid alerting any listening U-boats to their present state. This meant Frederick could not inform anybody of his whereabouts, nor his destination. While he hoped for Plymouth or one of the Southern ports as their destination, he was well aware that HMS Cheshire needed extensive repairs and could well be headed to Scapa Flow in the Orkneys instead. That would put him as far away from Anne as he could be, while still being in the same country.

It wasn't Scapa Flow where they docked after all and, instead, Frederick stood on dry land again on August 30th at the Liverpool docks. Hoping for at least a few days shore leave, he reported to HMS Eaglet, commanded by Admiral Sir Percy Noble, where a large division of the Royal Navy Headquarters was stationed. Shore leave was denied, because he was eight days late in arriving, according to the Admiral's staff. He had been expected in Scapa Flow on the 22nd with the original convoy. Since he had arrived today, he would be sent to Barrow immediately, to see his ship and meet his crew. His ship would launch on the 5th of September, according to schedule, so he had little time to lose. A few hours later, he was bundled up in a supplies boat and on his way to Barrow. He had a letter for Anne, but was unable to mail it before leaving Liverpool.

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In Taunton, the US Army Medical Corps was ready to start operating Musgrove Park Hospital and operations were being handed over. By the 1st of September, patients would start transferring from the base to the hospital. Both Sophia and Anne were at the hospital, ready to receive the incoming patients and direct them to the correct beds. Even Betsy had come to the hospital today. Since everyone would likely be run ragged all day, Betsy would bring tea, coffee and sandwiches around. She was glad to be a part of the operation and share this with her two friends.

Anne was now 6 months pregnant and sported a prominent baby belly. She enjoyed the feeling of her child moving inside her, kicking around. 'Just the two of us together,' she thought happily whenever she felt her baby move. The baby had grown strong enough to be felt kicking from the outside as well, and both Sophia and Betsy had enjoyed having their hands kicked. 'I cannot wait for Frederick to feel this too, he will love it,' thought Anne. She expected him back some time in the second half of September and she longed for his presence.

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Frederick was at the docks in Barrow. His own submarine, HSM Truculent, was still in dry dock getting finished up. Truculent was a fully welded submarine, of the third group of the new T class submarines. Another of the same type, HMS Tabard, was already launched and presently used for training crew, so this is where Frederick and his 62 head crew boarded first. They travelled short missions back and forth to Scapa Flow, while remaining undetected. Once, they spotted a U-boat close by on their radar, and Frederick ordered everybody to stay quiet until the U-boat left. It would not do to give away the location of the builders at Barrow. It was over half an hour before the U-boat departed towards the Outer Hebrides and then further north.

'Well done everybody,' said Frederick to his crew, 'that was a close call. We shall have to report this sighting as soon as we can.' Overall, Frederick was happy with both his ship and his crew. He had started another letter to Anne, which he would fill until his last day in port, then mail it. He had not heard from her, which was a shame, because she could not come to this port because the dock's location was in fact classified.

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Anne was happy the big move was over. The hospital was much bigger and much better stocked than the army base infirmary, so she felt confident they could treat their patients better where they were now. As a result, more wounded were brought to them as well, so there was an ever-increasing need for skilled doctors and nurses. Sophia was liaising with the main supply officer and while both ladies received a decent salary for their efforts, the greatest boon of working with the US Army was access to luxury items such as coffee or chocolate, which both ladies regularly brought home.

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On Saturday the 12th of September at ten in the morning, HMS Truculent was launched and by noon, its crew was aboard and their first patrol was about to start. They were to sail by Naval Base Clyde, then the Orkneys and then Norway. From the Orkneys until Bergen and back, they would be submerged. Frederick was itching to get started, and his equally eager crew cheered when he gave the go ahead.

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On that same day, Anne was relaxing in bed. She had been on her feet for well over 12 hours yesterday and she had to rest more than usual because of her pregnancy. She did not have to go to the hospital today and so she rested, dreaming of her handsome husband, who would hopefully be in port again in less than two weeks. She had not heard from Frederick since his last departure and she missed him dreadfully.

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On Saturday the 12th of September at ten in the evening, disaster struck off the coast of Africa. RMS Laconia was hit by a torpedo, fired by the U-156, a German U-boat. RMS Laconia was carrying some 1800 prisoners of war, their Polish guards and the ship's own crew. When the Laconia sank, the U-boat surfaced, hoping to capture the officers. Instead, they were surprised by almost 2000 people in the water and in life boats. The commander of the U-boat initiated a rescue operation and called for help. Initially, several U-boats were diverted from a planned attack to assist in rescuing the people from the Laconia, however this command was reversed. Several ships were deployed to assist in the rescue, but U-156 needed more help.

The U-boat was loaded with 200 survivors and broadcast on an open channel in English—not in code—to all shipping in the area, giving their position, requesting assistance with the rescue effort, and promising not to attack. It read: 'If any ship will assist the shipwrecked Laconia crew I will not attack her, providing I am not being attacked by ship or air force. I picked up 193 men. 4-53" South, 11-26" West. – German submarine.' The British forces in Freetown picked up the message, but did not believe it and did not send help.

On the 15th of September, four submarines, three German and one Italian, had rescued as many people as they could. The were enroute to a French ship who could take all survivors on board. News of the sinking of the Laconia had by now reached US forces as well. On the 16th of September, four days after the sinking of the Laconia, the four submarines flying the Red Cross Flag had become separated from one another during the night.

Before noon, an American bomber spotted the U-156 and the U-boat sent requests for help, both in English and in Morse Code. One of the survivors on board, a British officer, also messaged the aircraft: 'RAF officer speaking from German submarine, Laconia survivors on board, soldiers, civilians, women, children.' The pilot did not respond to the U-boat, but instead asked for directions from his command at Ascension, a secret air force base. The orders he received were to 'Sink the sub' and so, one hour later, he attacked U-156, bombing the life boats that were being towed but failing to damage the submarine. As a result of this attack, the U-156 had to dive, and ordered all survivors on deck to abandon ship. It dove as slowly as possible, to allow people to get away in time. The U-156 escaped, but rescue missions by U-boats were disallowed after the Laconia Incident took place.

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In Britain, three women sat around a radio as they did every morning. On the morning of the 13th, no mention was made of the sinking of the Laconia. Nor on the 14th. Nor the 15th. It was the 16th of September that, while drinking her tea, Anne suddenly heard those horrible words 'RMS Laconia sunk by torpedo'.

With her hand shaking, she put down her cup. She felt as if she was suddenly frozen. The sounds from the radio seemed to come from impossibly far away; she saw Sophia move toward her, and then she fainted. Sophia managed to catch her before she fell on the floor, and with Betsy's help, laid her on the sofa. The two women looked at one another. While this had always been their greatest fear, Frederick had so far been lucky. Neither of them knew how Anne would deal with his loss.

When Anne came to, she stared at the ceiling, unwilling to believe. 'He cannot be gone,' she thought in bewilderment. 'I cannot have lost him! We've had so little time together!' At this, her tears started running. She was inconsolable. Sophia left for the hospital without Anne. When she told the supply officer, Sgt. Brunswick, about her brother's ship being torpedoed, he was all sympathy. He gave her extra chocolate to take to Anne and told her to request anything she needed for Anne. Sophia radioed a message to her husband, asking if anything more were known about survivors and details of the attack.

When Samuel appeared at Kellynch Hall the following morning, looking haggard and distraught, Sophia's heart broke for him. She ushered him inside and took him to their shared room.

'Tell me,' she said, bracing herself for the worst.

'I do not have all the details yet,' said Samuel, 'because there is much contradictory information out there. It may be worse than I originally thought, but it may also be better.'

'Better how?' urged Sophia.

'Better in the sense that it appears the Laconia was captained by a man named Sharp. Not Wentworth.'

Sophia gasped and just stood there, blinking, for a moment. 'Wait! Does that mean that Fred wasn't on board? Or if he was, what else does it mean? Had he been incapacitated? Hurt?' Her thoughts were running a mile a minute and Samuel put his arms around her.

'Calm down. I do not know the answers. I have my suppositions, but I wanted to speak with you first before I see Anne. How is she doing?'

'Anne is struck down with grief at the moment. I know she will rally, because she must and because she is strong, but right now she is not doing well. I think a ray of hope, any hope, should be shared with her.' Samuel nodded and went to see his sister-in-law. She was sat in front of the window, knees drawn up and arms protectively around her baby belly.

'Anne, dear,' he gently said, as he sat down next to her. Anne was staring out of the window, likely not seeing anything of the view. Samuel took her cold hand and started rubbing it. 'I have some news, dear. It may not answer all our questions, but believe me when I tell you all hope is not lost.'

She turned haunted eyes to him, not yet daring to believe. 'Truly?' she whispered.

'Truly,' Samuel answered. 'The Captain of the Laconia was reported to be a Captain Rupert Sharp. He went down with his ship.' Anne just stared at him uncomprehendingly.

'What happened to Frederick?' she asked and Samuel shrugged helplessly.

He answered, 'I do not know. This Captain Sharp was the commander when they reached Freetown and later Cape Town, as far as I can tell. If the Laconia was in a port anywhere else, it isn't widely known. If it wasn't, Frederick may have needed to be relieved of command, for whatever reasons, and may be at Freetown still.'

Anne thought about this for a while. 'He would be sick or injured then, wouldn't he?' she asked.

'I do not know,' answered Samuel. 'It is pointless to speculate. We do not know if he is in Freetown. He may have transferred off of ship at any time and anywhere before they reached Freetown as well. He may not have left the Laconia at all. We just do not know. But it is certain that he was not the Captain in command at the time the torpedo hit. He may not have been on board, or he may be among the survivors.'

Anne rested her chin on her knees and thought about this. While she knew nothing about where Frederick was at present, there was a chance, a slim chance, she might see him again. It was enough. For Frederick, and for their child, she would find the strength to carry on. 'This I promise,' she thought fervently and prayed that he might somehow sense it.

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Aboard HMS Truculent, the news of a U-boat being under attack while rescuing survivors was met with horror. They heard updates to the story every time they emerged from the depths once they reached Scapa Flow. While the Americans were their allies and the Germans their enemies, it was hard not to sympathize with the Captain and crew of U-156, who had done what they could for the survivors.

General opinion was not well inclined toward either the authorities in Freetown nor the Air Force commanders behind the attack. Captain Wentworth was, in addition to all this, truly shocked to know his former ship, with his former crew, had been torpedoed. Emotions ran high in the following days, as news trickled in bit by bit. After four patrols along the Norwegian coast, HMS Truculent had amassed sufficient data about the U-boat movements in the area, as well as enough data about the ship's own performance, to allow for a trip back to base. In this case, they were to return to Barrow, where the builders would inspect the submarine and find any areas which might have suffered disproportionate wear. It appeared the inspection would allow the crew a minimum of one week of shore leave. After that, they would engage in the fighting in the North Atlantic.

On the 18th of September, Frederick docked his submarine at the Barrow shipyard. After signing off on the reports for the shipyard, he picked up his duffel and headed to the railway. He could take a train first to Lancaster, then to Liverpool. From Liverpool he might be able to board a ship, if he could disembark at Plymouth. A supply or mail packet boat would be best, but none of those were to be had at Furness at present, and the submarine crew were 65 men in total. They would all be transported by train to Lancaster, from where each would have to find their own way. By virtue of wearing their uniform and carrying their muster cards, they could take any train without any fees. That night, they traveled no further than Lancaster and were referred to the barracks at the King's Own Royal Regiment's base to spend the night. The following day, Frederick took another train to Liverpool, along with about twenty of his men.

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On the 18th of September, Anne rallied and went to the hospital with Sophia. There were people who needed her, after all, and if Frederick was lying somewhere wounded, she hoped he too would be cared for. With this in mind, she set to work. Most of the wounded ending up at Taunton were Air Force, Navy or Marines. Through them, Anne learnt that the U-boat responsible for sinking the RMS Laconia had in turn been sunk by a US bomber days after the attack. Her stomach clenched uncomfortably.

Even if Frederick had somehow been rescued and brought aboard an enemy submarine, he may still have been killed, this time by those she called allies, sometimes even friends. It was a hard thing to stomach and it was noticeable to all that she was preoccupied, distracted and not smiling nearly as much as she usually did. But she would not burden any wounded soldier, no matter their loyalties, with tales of how their comrades may have accidentally killed her husband. That would never do, so she sucked it up for the time being. It wasn't until later that night, safely back at Kellynch, that she allowed her tears to fall.

'How can I face them, Sophia?' she asked. 'It's not as if any of those boys were involved in this incident, but given the chance, they would do the same.' Sophia nodded, not having any wise words at present. She too had struggled with her feelings of loyalty today.

Dinner was a paltry affair. Betsy had taken to growing vegetables behind the house, out of view from the road. This had kept their table reasonably filled, but now they had to ration for winter. Betsy had managed to trade her drawing skills to create pamphlets for a pregnant sow some months back, so after the piglets were born, they had meat enough to feed half the nearby village. They donated much of their meat to the church, in return for such goods as sugar or tea, which were hard to come by. Samuel sometimes managed to send them something, and Frederick usually procured fish, both fresh and cured, at whichever English port he was in. The three women sat together, savouring every bite.

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Frederick departed from Liverpool on a mail packet boat headed to Plymouth around four in the afternoon. They would round Anglesey by night and sometime the next day, Frederick would be put ashore in Minehead. From there, he would have to find transportation to Taunton and perhaps further. For the moment, he was happy in the knowledge that he would see Anne soon.

He spent the night on deck, listening and watching. They sailed without lights, not wishing to alert any airplanes or submarines to their presence. Frederick chuckled at the Captain taking on mail and dispatches for the army camps along his route, as well as less official cargo to be dropped at the beaches in between. He did not begrudge the Captain his smuggling business; instead he bought some soap and tobacco himself to take home. They departed their unofficial drop site near Porthcawl at dawn, and crossed the Bristol Channel towards Minehead. They made good time and, at eleven in the morning, Frederick was ashore again. He had to walk another half mile to Minehead railway station, from which he would be able to travel straight to Taunton. There wasn't a train scheduled to depart for hours though, so he bought a newspaper and set himself down for a long wait.

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That day, Anne and Sophia had returned to the hospital. In the end, it did not matter who had shot at the Laconia, or at the U-boat. It was wartime, people got hurt every day. People engaged in action every day, people died every day. Anne's spirits were buoyed by the notion that Frederick may not have been among the casualties. Survivors had been saved, although scant information was known about them. Still, she had to maintain hope. She may still see him again.

Later that day, an airplane approaching from the US crashed while landing at RAF Churchstanton, six miles out of Taunton. It was carrying troops and nursing staff, some of whom died on impact, and others were gravely injured. The injured were taken to Musgrove Park Hospital and needed immediate care. Anne had little time to speculate about her husband's fate during the rest of the day. She had to assist in multiple surgeries in quick succession and by the time the sun was starting to set, she staggered out of the hospital, almost dead on her feet. The view of her husband, her Frederick, sitting in the last rays of sunlight, his frame lit from behind, had her gasping for air. He almost looked like a specter, viewed against the light, and Anne's mind did not grasp what she was seeing.

'Have you,' she stuttered, 'have you come to say goodbye?' Her tears started falling, unbidden and she blinked them away, trying to keep Frederick's vision in her sight. He appeared nonplussed.

'Certainly not,' he said as he came forward. As the view of him solidified, suddenly Anne knew what she was seeing. Not a specter, but the breathing, living man that was her husband.

'Oh!' she cried. 'I thought I had lost you!' She grabbed hold of him, touching his face, his arms, then hugging him to her.

'You're here,' she said. 'You're really here.' He held her, his heart overflowing. They were reunited. At least for now.

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AN: Based on true events.

Baedeker raids: /history/what-were-the-baedeker-raids

The Laconia Incident . /local/liverpool/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_

Musgrove Park Hospital does exist and was run by the . /musgrove-park-hospital/

The Hooper family of Portsmouth was inspired by the Palmer family, who really lived there during WWII . /Hampshire/Portsmouth/PO6/Days-Gone-By/Nostalgia/214390-1942-Triplets-arrive-in-Portsmouth

Samuel Croft was inspired by Mr. Ivor John Croft (Cohen), an intelligence officer working on - among other things - on the Enigma code at Bletchley Park. https/jewish-personnel-at-bletchley-park-in-world-war-ii

All ships mentioned in this tale did exist, but I may have changed their exploits to fit my narrative. HMS Truculent

HMS Zetland

HMS Cheshire