The Light Over London(37)

Sarah’s shoulders were nearly around her ears.

“Cook.” Corporal Clovis stopped and adjusted her spectacles. “No, sorry. Hughes, driver. James, cook.”

A little smile touched Louise’s lips. So shy little Sarah would be the one careening around behind the wheel of an army vehicle. It was the furthest from cookery that her friend could’ve gotten.

“Kane, ammunition inspection. Keene . . .”

Louise squeezed her eyes shut. All she wanted was something that would make her feel as though all of the cold mornings spent shivering in the yard and hours studying had been worth it.

“Ladies, congratulate Volunteer Keene. She, along with a few others, has received a special assignment. Report to me after this assembly to receive more information about your duties, Keene.”

Louise’s eyes snapped open as a murmur went through the crowd. No one had said anything about a special assignment.

“Quiet,” barked Corporal Clovis. Silence fell over the women immediately, and the corporal began calling out names again.

Louise could feel everyone looking at her, and although she’d done nothing wrong, shame rushed up in her. Why had she been singled out? What had she done?

She barely heard when Kate was assigned telephonist, just as her cousin had predicted.

By the end of the assembly, five other women had been called for special assignment. Louise tried to sneak glances at her fellow singled-out sisters, but she couldn’t make them out through the rows of women.

“You can expect to receive your orders soon. Some of you will even be leaving today. I advise you to keep your kit in good order, as you never know how long you’ll have to pack.” Corporal Clovis paused. “Those of you who received special assignment, stay here. The rest of you are dismissed to your duties.”

Pauline Norman, who stood behind Louise, tapped her on the shoulder. “Good luck.”

Louise offered her a little smile as lines of women began to march out in orderly fashion.

“I’m sure it will be fine,” said Harriet Kane. “You’re probably going to do something terribly daring and that’s why they can’t tell the rest of us. Maybe you’ll be trained to be a spy!”

“C barracks!” Corporal Clovis barked.

Louise’s friends fell into line, their lips clamping shut, and filed out. Louise looked around the nearly empty assembly room, and the five other women were all standing where their barracks had left them. One she recognized as a Geordie girl named Lizzie who sometimes would sing war songs in the canteen if the soldiers on base asked her enough times, but the rest she didn’t know. Most of them looked perturbed and a little nervous, except for one woman with fiery red hair who openly wore her excitement.

A metal door at the back of the hall was pulled open, and a tall man in a stiff peaked cap marched to join Corporal Clovis.

“Are these them?” he asked.

Corporal Clovis nodded and handed him the clipboard. “All six of them, sir.”

“Ladies, I’m Brigadier Melchen and I have the privilege of overseeing one of the Royal Artillery’s great experiments during this war.” The way he said “privilege” made Louise suspicious of just how much of an honor he really considered it. “General Sir Frederick Pile has gotten his way, and moving forward we are to have mixed anti-aircraft batteries trained and in operation by the end of the summer. Naturally, women won’t be permitted to fire. That will be done by a male gunner. But you will be trained in every other aspect of operating the sophisticated machinery of an anti-aircraft gun. Do you have any questions?”

The redhead stuck her hand up.

“Of course you do,” Brigadier Melchen muttered to himself. “You there. What’s your name?”

“Volunteer Charlotte Wilkes, sir,” said the woman with a crisp salute.

Melchen huffed. “Given that you’ll be in a mixed battery, you will assume the ranks of the RA. Your rank going forward will be gunner.”

“Then I’m Gunner Charlotte Wilkes, sir.”

“Yes, yes. Go on,” he said.

“What exactly do you mean when you say ‘mixed anti-aircraft batteries’?”

Melchen sighed. “A battery of six women and one bombardier will operate various instruments that will allow a gunner—a man—to shoot Nazis out of the sky. You will also have two men to load the ammunition and maintain the gun. Is that clear enough for you?”

“Crystal, sir,” said Gunner Charlotte Wilkes with a smile.

Louise and the other girls all looked around. Anti-aircraft? That hadn’t been one of the assignments they’d been told about.

“Any more questions?” Melchen asked.

“Yes, sir, if I might?” asked a beautiful brunette who’d been with E barracks.

“Name?”

“Gunner Vera Garson.”

He squinted at her. “Any relation to Major General Garson?”

“Yes, sir. He’s my uncle.”

Melchen straightened his shoulders noticeably. “Go on, Gunner Garson.”

“Why us?”

“Your examination results identified you as some of the brightest in the ATS. You’ll go to Oswestry for additional training to hone your natural aptitude.

“Don’t think that this will be easy. You’ll be asked to do more than any other woman in the ATS. The work will be hard and the hours will be long. It’s a dangerous job because you’ll be trying to shoot down the very planes that are shooting at you. Anyone who isn’t willing to take that risk should say so now, and Corporal Clovis will see to it that you’re reassigned.”