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The captain’s gaze travelled along theeneral complaint about some matter, the duty wo the matter to the notice of one of the lieutenant co spaces are out of bounds to wo spaces and messes, officers’ cabins and ar deck, one deck above the flight deck, gun positions and galleries, and inside boats
‘A uide, in booklet form, will be distributed to each of you later this afternoon I’d like you all to read it and ensure you follow its regulations to the letter I cannot erave the consequences will be for those who choose to disobey theht of his words to resonate Margaret felt her cheeks flush as she thought of her cabin on the hangar deck below A little way along, a woht women’s service officers are on board to advise, help and assist you on the journey’ Here, he indicated the woriroup of cabins under her special care and will always be available to help you’ He fixed the woo rounds during the night’
‘That’s irl beside Margaret, and was hter
‘Just as women are not allowed in naval personnel’s quarters, the ship’s co spaces, except as required for duty I would remind you of my previous stateo rounds during the night’
‘And naughty girls will have to walk the plank’ There was another surreptitious but clear outbreak of giggling, a pressure valve loosening
‘Lord knohat he takes us for,’ said the girl beside Margaret, fiddling with a brooch
The captain appeared to be at the end of his interminable speech He looked down at a note attached to his booklets, apparently deter whether or not to continue After a moment or two, he raised his head ‘I have also been asked to tell you thata shtened ‘has been created in the after end of the lounge adjacent to B Cabin It will be staffed by volunteers froers, if anyone wouldlike to offer their services’
He stared at his papers, then fixed theht have been cold or siaret, under her breath, as the group dispersed
‘I feel like I’m back at school,’ murmured Jean, in front of her, ‘but with fewer places to sing, whispering, fidgeting, not even capable of standing still for long enough to hear hiovern their lives for the next six weeks Even in this last twenty-four hours, he had watched every new outrage, every new example of why this had been a catastrophic idea, and wanted to telegraph McManus to say, ‘See? Didn’t I tell you this would happen?’ Half of theh or cry The other half were already clogging up the place, getting lost below decks, forgetting to duck and injuring their heads, getting in the way of his , where she ht find the canteen with the ice-creaallery earlier thisand found himself in a fine ht as well tie their undergarments in place of the ship’s pennant and be done with it
Admittedly there was no dramatic difference in the men’s behaviour, but he kneas only a matter of time: at this very minute the women would be the main topic of conversation in the seamen’s and stokers’ mess, in the officers’ mess and even the marines’ He could feel a subtle sense of disquiet in the air, as when dogs scent an approaching stor had felt settled since Hart’s death The company had lost the cheerful sense of purpose that had characterised its last nine months in the Pacific The men – those who reument and insubordination Several tiht the themselves and wondered to what extent they blahts, as he often did, froht; the hair was too long; scarves dangled all over the place His ship had been an ordered thing of greys and whites, of , as if someone had unleashed a flock of exotic birds around hi and unpredictable, to create havoc Sooodness’ sake
It’s not that I don’t like woht, as he did several ti has its place People have their place He was a reasonable man He didn’t think this was an unreasonable point of view
He folded the booklet under his ars – the chains that secured the aircraft to the deck ‘Haven’t you got anything bloody better to do?’ he barked, then turned on his heel and strode into the lobby
Dear Joe,
Well, here I am on the Victoria with the other brides, and I can tell you this: I’irl It’s awful crao you’re bu in the city but worse I suppose you’re used to it, but I’ht I even dreamt of Dad’s cows
Our four-berth cabin is one ofwith three girls, who seeirl, Jean, is only sixteen – and guess what? She’s not the youngest There are evidently two girls of fifteen on board – bothalone I can’t say what Dad would have done if I’d co irl who has been working for the Australian General Hospital out in the Pacific, and says al, and another who I think is a bit of a society type I can’t say any of us hasthe sa