1918 We will remember them (15 page)

We flew no more in 1917. Weather, aeroplanes flown beyond the limit and pilots on the edge of a breakdown meant that we spent the next week recovering. By the third of December the battle stopped and on the fifth we heard that Germany and Russia had signed an Armistice. All the Eastern Front troops would be heading west to reinforce the west.  We were granted leave.  General Henderson had no choice.  As a squadron we needed both aeroplanes and pilots. The leave would begin on the twelfth of December and I used Randolph and his contacts to send messages to the hospital to tell all that the wedding could go ahead.  I had almost forgotten the hotel and my family in Burscough when John said, as he packed my bags, “I have let Miss Alice know of the wedding and the rooms are booked.” He smiled sadly.  “It will not bring your brother back but it might soften the blow for your mother.” He nodded.  “I am looking forward to seeing them both.”

I was pleased that I had written to both Alice and Sarah to warn them of the impending wedding.  I hoped that mum would be as understanding.

He was now more of a friend than a servant and I do not know what I would have done without him.

I had persuaded Ted to attend the wedding.  In all honesty I do not know how he would have filled in the leave otherwise. Gordy and Mary would be there, of course. I knew that Mary and Beattie would be working as hard as possible to ensure that everything went off without a hitch.  I had told Beattie by letter of Bert’s death and she knew how devastated mum and dad would be. From her letter in reply I knew that we had made the right decision. This was meant to be.

It took two days to reach London. The effects of the Battle of Cambrai lingered on and the casualties took priority on the trains. We still reached London before mum and dad and the rest of the family.  At least I hoped they were on their way. I had not spoken to anyone and it was more an act of faith. Suppose I got to the chapel and there was no family there? Each time I thought that I glanced up and saw Bates. He would not let me down.  They would be there. Randolph and Archie were torn.  They both wished to attend the wedding but the chance to be with their families was just too tempting to turn down; they would have little enough time as it was.  Poor Archie always wasted three days of his leave getting home. 

We reached London on the fourteenth of December. I did not expect Beattie to meet me for she was at the hospital. Mary and baby Hewitt did meet us. Bates amused the baby in the perambulator while Mary and Gordy embraced. She turned to me after they had kissed and threw her arms around me. “Sorry to hear about your brother.  You and Beattie deserve to be happy.  This will be a lovely wedding.”

“When will it be?”

That made everyone laugh.  Even the baby chuckled although I think that was down to the funny faces Bates was pulling.

“Honestly Bill! You need a minder! A week today.  The shortest day.  It was the only one we could get.  The Chapel will be busy with Christmas services after that but everything is organised.  We are having the wedding breakfast at our house, Gordy.”

“Suits me! I can just roll into bed when I have had too much to drink!” He turned to Ted and said, “Mary this is Ted.  It’s all right if he stays with us isn’t it?”

I saw Ted about to object and Mary embraced him too and said, “Of course it is. Now Beattie is on lates tonight so you will have to wait until tomorrow to see her.  You are both to see the chaplain at ten o’clock and he will run through the service with you. Beattie has three days of earlies and then she has been granted a week’s leave.” She hesitated.  “Have you anywhere in mind for the honeymoon?”

I must have looked confused.  Honeymoon?

John piped up, “It is all arranged Major Harsker. You and your bride are booked in at the Imperial Hotel, Blackpool for three days.  We thought that it would mean you could travel north with your parents and then visit them on the way home. I know they would appreciate it.”

I was amazed at my manservant’s ingenuity. “Thank you John. You should do this for a living.”

“Who knows sir?  When this madness is over anything will be possible.”

Bates and I took a taxi to the Mayflower and he filled me in on the details. “Your sister and Lady Burscough will be here on the 17
th
sir with your parents. I have booked them in the Mayflower until the 22
nd
. I will book the trains north tomorrow while you and Miss Porter see the chaplain. I took the liberty of booking you a double room sir. I know you will only need a double for the one night but…”

I caught the twinkle in his eye. “Very thoughtful Bates.  Thank you.” He nodded as though he was just doing his duty.

Beattie had told the chaplain about Bert.  “My condolences, Major Harsker. I seem to say that every five minutes these days. Old men like me survive and fine young men like your brother die.  It seems obscene somehow.  Now then let us move on more joyful events. Miss Porter has made all the arrangements. The service will be at eleven o’clock.  I am sorry we had no choice over the day but…”

“That is not a problem padre.  I am just grateful that things have moved on so quickly.”

“I am sure you bright young things have got better things to do than talk to an old man like me.  Now normally we have a rehearsal for these sorts of things but I am sure that you and your best man will…”

I slapped my head. “Best man!”

Major Osborne laughed, “Don’t tell me you haven’t got a best man yet?  The next thing you will tell me you haven’t got a ring either.”

I stared at Beattie who smiled and looked down, “We haven’t had time yet, Major.”

“Well ‘pon my word.” He put his arms around our backs and said, “Shoo! Go this minute and get her a ring, Major Harsker!”

I think the fact we had thought so little about what other people took to be essentials showed that we were marrying for the right reasons.  Beattie wanted just a nine carat ring saying it was harder wearing.  I was having none of that.  I barely touched my Major’s pay and I bought her a twenty two carat one.  I also bought her an engagement ring with a single diamond.

“Bill this is extravagant!”

“No it isn’t and you only get to show it off for a few days but I want everyone to know we are to be married.”

We barely had time to get back to the hospital for the last of her late shifts. As I walked across the park I ran through the options for best man. In the end there was but one choice. Had Bert been alive it would be him.  It couldn’t be and so I chose the next best choice. Bates was reading The Times and drinking cocoa when I arrived.

“Everything tickety boo then, sir?”

“Almost.  There were a couple of things I forgot, Bates.”

He looked crestfallen, “Oh dear sir.  I am sorry.  What did I forget?”

“You forgot nothing! I forgot the ring.”

“Oh dear, sir. Still you have had a lot on your plate.  I take it that problem has been remedied?”

“Yes we went to Burlington Arcade this morning but there is one more task.”

“Sir?”

“I need a best man.  Would you do the honours?”

For the first time since I had known him he looked positively dumfounded. “But sir, what about Major Thomas and Captain Hewitt?”

“If you don’t wish to then…”

He looked offended, “Sir! I would be honoured.”

I nodded and shook his hand.  Reaching into my tunic pocket I took out the small box.  “Then you had better look after this for me eh?”

Beattie, John and I were at Euston station early for the four o’clock from Liverpool Lime Street.  Beattie had fretted that she had not enough time to make herself look presentable. John was superb and he eased her worries. The train steamed in and the platform filled with smoke.  I had expected them to emerge from First Class but they appeared through the smoke with the second class passengers.  Money had to be tight. They had engaged a porter.

I had time to watch them as they headed towards the ticket barrier.  All of them had aged.  Lady Burscough was going grey and even my little sister had a streak of white in her hair. Mum and dad looked shrunken and weary and all four of them wore black. I had to wait until the ticket collector had taken their tickets before I could take my mum in my arms. She was crying even as I approached her and she sobbed heavily into my chest, “Oh Billy, our Billy.”

I had no words.  Any attempt at speech would have meant I cried too. I had to be strong for them all.  Bates had told me that. It was like an aerial combat; everything seemed to be in slow motion. Alice was in Beattie’s arms crying while Bates was helping Lady Mary to support father. People stared at the outrageous show of affection but I did not care. Eventually the sobs subsided and she stepped back. “Eeeh but you do look smart and your young lady is a picture!” She held her arms out, “Come and give a silly old woman a hug.  I don’t want to spoil your big day.”

“You couldn’t.  We are just glad you could make it.”

I shook my father’s hand and saw that he too was tearful.  “Good to see you, son, and I am right proud of you.  Everyone in the village is.”

I turned to Alice and picked her up in my arms.  She was as light as a feather and I could feel her bones through her coat. I kissed her on the cheek.  “Thanks for doing this, our kid.”

“We have to stick together, Bill.  We are a dying breed.” And then she burst into tears.

Bates took charge. “If you will all follow me I shall get a taxi for us.”

I turned to Lady Mary.  “I can’t thank you enough.”

She shook her head and hugged me so tightly that I found it hard to breathe. “Nonsense. His Lordship thought of you as a son and we were as fond of your parents as anyone could be.  I am just pleased that you have been spared.” She stepped back.  “And I know that John would have been as proud of your medals as anyone.  I hear you are a leading ace now?”

“It is all luck, your ladyship.  All luck.”

She took my arm. “And I don’t believe that for a moment. I am still in touch with many of John’s old comrades and they sing your praises constantly.” She nodded to Beattie, who was with Alice and mother. “She is the best thing to happen to your family.  Alice thinks she is wonderful and I do too.  Look after her, Bill.  You never know when happiness will be snatched from you.”

“Lord Burscough?”

She nodded, “He was with me for far too short a time and we kept putting off things we should have done. You have done the right thing.  Goodness only knows how long this war will go on.  Grab what you can while you can.”

While the ladies freshened up I took Dad to a pub around the corner from the hotel. I saw the pride in his eyes when everyone deferred to us. My uniform and my medals did that. I bought us two pints and we sat in a corner.

“Bert!”

“Bert!”

We touched glasses and drank half of the beer in one long swallow. We both took out our pipes and I gave him a fill of my new mixture. He nodded approvingly when he began to puff on it.

After a while he looked at me and said, quietly, “Our Alice says you saw him die.” I nodded.  “Mother isn’t here and she won’t want to know anyway but I do.  What happened?” I drank some more of the beer. “Come on son, I served.  You can tell me.  I won’t be any more upset than I am already.  John and Tom, well we had drifted apart but Bert.  He was like you.  He loved horses and … well you know.”

“I know.” I sighed and took a deep breath.  “He was in a tank.  It broke down. The officer was killed but Bert got the crew out. I gave a hand with my Camel and shot some of the storm troopers trying to get him but I was only over him for seconds and then I had to turn around.  When I came back our Bert was holding the enemy off with a pistol but then…”

I paused and took a drink of my beer.

Dad said quietly, “Go on son.  This is helping, believe me.”

“German storm troopers attacked and they had a flame thrower.  He was dead in an instant.”

Dad looked confused, “Flame thrower?”

I tried to simplify it. “Imagine a pipe and it spits out burning petrol.”

I saw dad’s eyes close and I put my hand over his.  His fingers tightened on mine. He said quietly, “Did he suffer?”

I couldn’t know but I gave him the answer he needed. “He died instantly. It wasn’t pretty but I don’t think he suffered.”

He opened his eyes, “And you saw it?” I nodded. “I am sorry about that, son but at least Bert knew you were there at the end and you were trying to help him.”

I nodded, as I rose to get two more pints, “I killed them all.” I said it flatly.

“Good! The bastards deserved it!”

It was not just the venom in my father’s voice which shocked me but the swearing.  He never swore.

When I returned with the beer we spoke of other things: Beattie, the wedding and John. “Your mother is very fond of your Mr Bates.  She sees him as a gentle soul.  She thinks he is good for you.”

“He is that.  He is to be my best man.  It would have been Bert…”

“A good choice!”

That evening at dinner there was an artificial air of gaiety. The spectre of Bert hung over the table but everyone tried hard to be happy and cheerful. Over the next few days between Bates, Alice and Lady Mary we had a guided tour of the sights of London. When we reached Buckingham Palace John regaled them with every detail of my investiture.  Rather than making my parents jealous as I had feared, it made it seem as though they had been there. That was a good day.