Chapter 36
Spring 1945
They were several months into the new year when a letter finally arrived from Tilly. She was now stationed in the Middle East, in Palestine. They were delighted to hear that she was still very much alive. She was very much still committed to remaining at the forefront of the war across the other side of the world.
‘She was in Jerusalem for Christmas, Dot. What a wonderful place to be at the time of the birth of Our Lord,’ said Amelia, eagerly reading Tilly’s message home. ‘She says she’s written to Kate and family too, and hopes that there has been news of Ronnie.’
‘Please read it out loud for me,’ Dot said, helping Jemima to feed herself from a spoon. ‘I will just get the paper messy. Jemima is not the tidiest of eaters.’ She smiled as Jemima spread Weetabix all over her face. Dot grabbed a flannel and attempted to clean her daughter up.
Dear Dot, Amelia and Jemima,
I hope you are all fit and well and that the winter months will soon be over, giving way to spring. The sun is always shining here, but it is a dry and barren land and I would not like to live here. I missed being home for Christmas. Was it a white one? It seems wrong to be celebrating Christmas in forty degrees. The Christmas celebrations here were so moving, though. Despite the war, it was a magical place to be.
Although the main religions here are Judaism and Islam, the Christians have many churches around the city and Christmas Eveservices are very special. I went, with a group of soldiers, to our nearest church and celebrated Christmas. Although there was no official truce, there was no firing and I was able to look up at a clear midnight sky in the direction of Bethlehem and pray for peace. I thought of you three and our entire family back home. I have great hopes that by the end of this year, I will be back with you all.
‘So do we, don’t we, Dot?’
Dot nodded her agreement.
We will be here for quite a while yet, but hopefully I will get some more time off soon. It’s a long way to get back home from this part of the world. Let’s pray that I will be sent back to France where transport is a lot easier. I’ve asked Kate if there’s any news about Ronnie, but I guess you will have also heard if there’s anything. Although I’m sure he would write to Sarah if he could. She must be so worried. I keep thinking of my last trip home and how wonderful it was to see everyone and hold my little niece in my arms at last. She must be talking up a storm by now, like all the Truscott women.
I want to tell you that, if Jed ever finds his way back to you, please tell him that I love and miss him every day. I met another American medic who knows him recently and he was extolling his virtues and capabilities as a surgeon. He really is a remarkable man and I will consider myself very lucky if weboth survive this war and ever manage to see one another again. I now understand how devastating your loss was for you, Dot. I hope that your beautiful daughter and the close companionship and love for Amelia will help sustain you in the years to come. Well, I must sign off now and get back to the ward. I’m on night duty and that’s always exhausting. It’s especially difficult to stay awake on the first night.
All my love,
Tilly.
Dot and Amelia were delighted to hear from her but, at the same time, both extremely sad that not a word had reached them about Ronnie. They hoped that, if he was a prisoner of war, he was being treated according to the rules of the Geneva Convention. The evacuation of Jewish children from Germany had occurred at the start of the war and news of the existence of concentration camps for the Jewish people was constantly reported on in the press. By April 1945, there was news of the liberation of the first concentration camp built by the Nazis, Dachau. By the end of that month, they heard that Hitler and his wife, Eva Braun, had committed suicide in his bunker, hidden away from the world. Hitler was losing the war and rather than admit defeat, he took his own life.
The D-Day landings in June 1944 had marked the beginning of the end of the German invasion of Europe, and in May 1945, Churchill addressed the nation.
Yesterday morning at 2:41 a.m. at Headquarters, General Jodl, the representative of the German High Command, and Grand Admiral Doenitz, the designated head of theGerman State, signed the act of unconditional surrender of all German Land, sea, and air forces in Europe . . . Hostilities will end officially at one minute after midnight tonight (Tuesday, May 8) . . .
Dot and Amelia were listening to Churchill’s speech at the same time as many other families across the nation, including the Truscott–Locock family in Micklewell. Tilly and Fliss didn’t receive the news until later that week and none of them knew if Ronnie or Jed or Captain Banks had heard it at all.
On 15 August 1945, VJ Day marked the end of the war with Japan. That evening, a stranger knocked at the door of 2 Mead Cottages, Micklewell. He stood on the threshold with a detached look in his eyes and was barely able to stand. He had lost so much weight that Albert hardly recognised him, he appeared to be a visitor, a person unknown. In the half light, Albert tried to see who exactly it was, waiting at their door.
‘Can I help you?’ Albert said.
‘I hope so. Don’t you recognise me, Pa,’ the thin-looking man replied. ‘It’s me, Ronnie, your son.’
Albert immediately grasped Ronnie in his arms and wept for joy.
‘Ronnie, Ronnie, my boy. Come in. Come by the fire,’ Albert said.
‘Who is it, Albert?’ Kate asked. ‘Who’s calling at this time of night?’
‘Look who’s come home to us,’ Albert cried, his voice broken into a thousand shards that pierced his heart.
‘Ronnie, thank God you’re safe, thank God you’ve come home,’ she shouted.
Ronnie came to hug and kiss her, and Kate clung on to her son like she would never let him go.
‘Where’s Sarah?’ Ronnie asked.
‘I’m here,’ Sarah replied, standing at the bottom of the stairs.
When she saw it was Ronnie, she rushed to his side.
