Read Online Some Day I'll Find You by Richard Madeley - Free Book Online
Authors: Richard Madeley
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under Allied control. Perhaps all the squaring-up of the previous autumn had been a lot of bluster and Herr Hitler would see sense.
‘As Diana always says,’ Gwen said comfortably to her son over breakfast on his first morning home, ‘the French have a huge army and, anyway, our men are there with them too,
now. Look at this.’ She showed him the headline on the front page of the morning paper: HITLER’S MISSED THE BUS ! ‘It’s too bad, darling. I know you
wanted an adventure but your father and I think it’s all going to fizzle out.’
Mr Arnold looked up from his own newspaper. ‘Hey, I didn’t quite say that.’
His son smiled at him ruefully. ‘Mum’s probably right, Dad. And truly, I’ll be glad if you are, Mum, although I’ll also feel a bit let down, in a completely selfish sort
of way. We’ve all trained so hard and for so long – and it’s so exciting, in the most primitive sense, when you’re barrelling along through the air at three hundred miles an
hour and you flick open the firing-ring and press the button and eight machine-guns simultaneously burst into life . . . It’s pretty indescribable. The noise is
incredible,
I can
tell you. Like eight great canvas sails being violently ripped in half. The whole aircraft shudders and you feel like – I don’t know . . . like an avenging angel.’
His father stared at him. ‘My word. And what does the inestimable Flight Commander Blackwell make of it all?’
John shrugged. ‘He feels like I do. That it’d be a real shame to have done all these rehearsals and not put on at least one show.’
The breakfast-room door opened and Lucy came in. ‘Please, ma’am, it’s almost eight o’clock and I’ve put the wireless on. It should have warmed up by now.’
Listening to the first main BBC news of the day had become an institution at the Dower House since the war began. Lucy was allowed to stay and listen. She had a brother in France with the
British Expeditionary Force.
The four of them moved into the drawing room. The radio’s speaker issued a promising hiss, and then a deep voice boomed out. ‘
This is the BBC in London. Please stand by for an
important announcement
.’
‘Hello,’ said Mr Arnold, as John whistled. ‘This is new.’
More static. Oliver and Gwen stared at their son, who was pressing a forefinger against his lips. Gwen reached for her husband’s hand. The wireless seemed to briefly whisper something they
could not quite catch, and then the deep voice was back.
‘
This morning, powerful German forces invaded Denmark and Norway. It is understood that Denmark is seeking an immediate surrender, but that Norway is fighting on. The Prime Minister,
in a statement, said that
. . .’
‘This is it, everyone,’ Mr Arnold said, when the news bulletin was over. He jumped up and began to pace the room. ‘This is most definitely
IT
. A classic spring
offensive. Hitler is guarding his northern flank and grabbing some extra ports; then he’ll attack in the west.’ He turned to his son. ‘You’d better call your unit. I’d
imagine they’ll want to—’
He was interrupted by the telephone in the hall.
‘That’ll be them, pound to a penny. You take it, John.’
As their son strode from the room, followed by Lucy, Mr Arnold and his wife stared at each other. There were tears in Gwen’s eyes, and she took a deep, shuddering breath.
‘I didn’t expect it would feel quite like this, Oliver, when it came to it,’ she said.
‘What do you mean, dear?’
‘That I would feel – well, so enormously proud of him. I’m actually not afraid at all. I’m just proud.’
John rushed back into the room. ‘Yup, that was Upminster all right. Immediate recall, as of yesterday! I’m off. I’ll ring you as soon as I know what’s happening. Bye,
Mum. Bye, Dad.’
‘Goodbye, darling,’ said Gwen, hugging him tight. ‘You’ll be all right. I know you will.’
‘Of course I will. We all will. I keep telling
‘As Diana always says,’ Gwen said comfortably to her son over breakfast on his first morning home, ‘the French have a huge army and, anyway, our men are there with them too,
now. Look at this.’ She showed him the headline on the front page of the morning paper: HITLER’S MISSED THE BUS ! ‘It’s too bad, darling. I know you
wanted an adventure but your father and I think it’s all going to fizzle out.’
Mr Arnold looked up from his own newspaper. ‘Hey, I didn’t quite say that.’
His son smiled at him ruefully. ‘Mum’s probably right, Dad. And truly, I’ll be glad if you are, Mum, although I’ll also feel a bit let down, in a completely selfish sort
of way. We’ve all trained so hard and for so long – and it’s so exciting, in the most primitive sense, when you’re barrelling along through the air at three hundred miles an
hour and you flick open the firing-ring and press the button and eight machine-guns simultaneously burst into life . . . It’s pretty indescribable. The noise is
incredible,
I can
tell you. Like eight great canvas sails being violently ripped in half. The whole aircraft shudders and you feel like – I don’t know . . . like an avenging angel.’
His father stared at him. ‘My word. And what does the inestimable Flight Commander Blackwell make of it all?’
John shrugged. ‘He feels like I do. That it’d be a real shame to have done all these rehearsals and not put on at least one show.’
The breakfast-room door opened and Lucy came in. ‘Please, ma’am, it’s almost eight o’clock and I’ve put the wireless on. It should have warmed up by now.’
Listening to the first main BBC news of the day had become an institution at the Dower House since the war began. Lucy was allowed to stay and listen. She had a brother in France with the
British Expeditionary Force.
The four of them moved into the drawing room. The radio’s speaker issued a promising hiss, and then a deep voice boomed out. ‘
This is the BBC in London. Please stand by for an
important announcement
.’
‘Hello,’ said Mr Arnold, as John whistled. ‘This is new.’
More static. Oliver and Gwen stared at their son, who was pressing a forefinger against his lips. Gwen reached for her husband’s hand. The wireless seemed to briefly whisper something they
could not quite catch, and then the deep voice was back.
‘
This morning, powerful German forces invaded Denmark and Norway. It is understood that Denmark is seeking an immediate surrender, but that Norway is fighting on. The Prime Minister,
in a statement, said that
. . .’
‘This is it, everyone,’ Mr Arnold said, when the news bulletin was over. He jumped up and began to pace the room. ‘This is most definitely
IT
. A classic spring
offensive. Hitler is guarding his northern flank and grabbing some extra ports; then he’ll attack in the west.’ He turned to his son. ‘You’d better call your unit. I’d
imagine they’ll want to—’
He was interrupted by the telephone in the hall.
‘That’ll be them, pound to a penny. You take it, John.’
As their son strode from the room, followed by Lucy, Mr Arnold and his wife stared at each other. There were tears in Gwen’s eyes, and she took a deep, shuddering breath.
‘I didn’t expect it would feel quite like this, Oliver, when it came to it,’ she said.
‘What do you mean, dear?’
‘That I would feel – well, so enormously proud of him. I’m actually not afraid at all. I’m just proud.’
John rushed back into the room. ‘Yup, that was Upminster all right. Immediate recall, as of yesterday! I’m off. I’ll ring you as soon as I know what’s happening. Bye,
Mum. Bye, Dad.’
‘Goodbye, darling,’ said Gwen, hugging him tight. ‘You’ll be all right. I know you will.’
‘Of course I will. We all will. I keep telling
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