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Chapter 17

Pink Salmon and Pilchards

Molly and Marie stood looking around their kitchen which had been the scene of their basic training for cooking practising on the men. Gosh what do we do with all these ruddy tins of pilchards and pink salmon Marie?. We can't leave the drawers loaded like this with tins we don't know whoe'll come in an find them. I know who deserves some said Molly, Mrs Griff has been a brick helping us out I will give her some. After all it was our allocation and the men refused to eat it so what the heck eh let someone have it who'ell appreciate it. Therefore, Mrs Griff although surprised and apprehensive understood Molly's explanation and accepted the gift of some of the tins. However, this didn't get rid of the lot of them by a long way. Molly was due for 48 hrs leave as was Marie before she left to go to Buxton. Molly and Marie decided they knew who would appreciate a tin or two. Molly's suitcase was an old and battered one. When she reflected upon this many years later her heart would flutter at the thought when she pictured meeting her mother and sister on Kings Cross station platform. Her sister took her suitcase and nearly dropped it. Whatevers this full of sis coal? Tis only my pyjamas replied Molly. Thank heaven the case never burst open. The joy on her mothers face as here bare larder filled up was a picture to be seen. Make the most of it mum, it won't happen again Molly explained how the windfall was due to the ranks not wanting that rotten muck they were sick of it!!
The twelve girl volunteers were shown the flat they had been allocated. There were three large bedrooms, large enough to house four army beds. Another large room had been turned into a bathroom. There was a central room which served as their sitting room. A trestle table stood in the middle with a long form at each side. About eight chairs wooden kitchen type were dotted about. A male terrier had come up the stairs lugging a bucket of coal to light the fire in the open grate. Molly was shown her kitchen. This room had apparently been used before as a kitchen because the sink had a wooden draining board, which was showing signs of wear. There was a cupboard under the sink which Molly was never to forget after one awesome future date. A very ancient gas cooker stood beside an old wooden table along another wall whilst the third wall had a crotchety old chest of drawers standing beside a dresser similar to the one in the Berries but simpler and smaller.
Weeks of hard work went into making their flat as comfortable as possible. Whoever went on leave brought something back from home to help create a cosier atmosphere. Pot plants, vases, cushions. Molly even found time to due some old curtains which Mrs Griff had been going to thro away for the sitting room. The others had wooded shutters fixed on the outside.
There had been plenty of activity during these weeks with many comings and goings of senior ranks. The uniforms had arrived and the women were beginning to feel part of the unit. Along with the uniforms they had been issued with their army gas masks and mustard clothing. They were instructed how to pull on the cumberson trousers and stuff battle dress jackets in less time than it took to say Jack Robinson as the army sergeant bellowed out.
Apart from the parades, learning how to don the mustard gas gear complete with gas mask and tin hat Molly could only remember one occasion when they had to carry it out.
The alert was given at 2 am one morning. They had to report to a cellar underneath the Berries. What a pandemonium broke loose in the flat. Molly was hampered by civilian specs she wore. These would not fit underneath the gas mask and she was waiting for army steel rimmed issue. She felt at a complete loss without her specs but groped her way along with the rest. After what seemed like an hour the all clear was given. Next day rumour had it there had been a lone raider who dropped a bomb in a field but the only casualties were two cows. How true no one seemed to know. Fortunately the cumbersome mustard gas outfits were retrieved by the army authorities soon after that episode and replaced into store.

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