A New Day (18 page)

That was Harry’s voice. ‘Thanks, Harry . . .’

‘Jack!’ He was being shaken awake. ‘It’s breakfast.’

‘Ah.’ Pulling himself upright he shook his head to clear it, then asked, ‘What we got, Frank? Eggs and bacon, don’t forget the fried bread, will you?’

‘Sorry, but you’ll have to do with a hard biscuit this morning, but it will fill a corner.’ Frank began handing out the rations.

‘Not much of a one,’ he joked, munching on the hard tack. He flatly refused to take more than two small sips of water to help the biscuit down, and then made sure that the other men also had a little to drink. He knew very well that water was the most important thing. If that ran out then they really would be in danger of losing some of the weaker men. He sat up straight and took a deep breath, gritting his teeth in determination. He was young and strong . . .

‘How you feeling, lad?’ Bill asked, studying him carefully.

‘I’m fine, Bill. Can’t even feel any pain from the gash in my leg now.’

Bill looked worried at that remark. ‘Well, you hang in there, Jack. Think about your sister. You don’t want to die out here and leave her alone, do you?’

‘Mustn’t do that. Not going to do that.’

‘Hope it stops raining soon.’ Hanna stepped into the kitchen and shook the umbrella through the open door before putting it in the rack. ‘Our poor plants will get washed away if it doesn’t ease up soon. Oh, hello, Jane, I think the boys were glad to go to school today.’

When no one answered, she looked up. As well as Jane, Mildred, George and Pete were also there, all looking upset.

‘Sit down, Hanna.’ Jane guided her to a chair, and a hot cup of tea was placed in front of her. ‘This has just arrived for you.’

When she saw the telegram she went icy cold and just stared at it, hardly able to breathe. She was well aware what these things meant, but not her brother . . . Please God, not her darling little brother . . .

‘Would you like me to read it for you?’

She shook her head, took the telegram in her hands, and without hesitation she slit it open. A moan of agony escaped her lips as she read. ‘Jack’s missing – presumed dead.’

‘I’m so sorry, my dear.’ Jane held her as the silent tears ran down Hanna’s cheeks.

Hanna’s mind was a whirl as she read the dreaded words again. ‘Missing – presumed dead.’ She gulped down the tea and shook her head. ‘No! They don’t know if he’s dead. Until they tell me for sure then there’s still hope. I’d have known if he had died. I’d have known!’

The next week passed in a mist of pain for Hanna as she waited for definite news, refusing to let the glimmer of hope fade.

‘Your garden is a picture.’

Hanna looked up, her face ravaged with despair and sleepless nights after ten days with no news. ‘Thank you, Mrs Freeman. Pete is a very good teacher.’ She scrambled to her feet, brushing dirt from her hands. ‘I enjoy the work and it’s very satisfying to eat the things you’ve grown yourself, isn’t it, Jane?’

‘It certainly is.’ Jane smiled. ‘Rose has some news for you.’

‘Oh, about the orphanage?’

‘No. Let’s sit on the seat in the sun.’ When they were settled, Rose said, ‘I’ve received a message from my husband. He sent it from his ship and insisted that I be informed immediately. It was brief. “Survivors picked up. Jack Foster among them.”’

Hanna was laughing and crying at the same time. ‘Thank you! Is he all right? Where is he?’

‘I’m afraid you’ll have to wait for all the answers. Bill couldn’t send a detailed message, and as far as I know they are still at sea, but you can be sure they are being well looked after. My husband will see to that.’

Nodding, Hanna grasped Rose Freeman’s hand. ‘Thank you for coming to bring me this wonderful news. I’m very grateful. Thank your husband for me. I’m well aware how careful they have to be about sending messages while at sea.’

Rose gave a wry smile. ‘Bill knew you would be worried sick about your brother and the message was very brief. I’ll certainly thank him for you. Now, I think we can all do with a nice cup of tea.’

‘How is he?’

‘Doing fine, Captain. There’s no sign of infection to his injured leg, but they are all weak after days in the boats.’

Jack opened his eyes and sat up suddenly, gazing at the captain, a tall impressive man with a kind face.

‘Ah, good, you’re awake. How are you feeling?’

‘Much better, thank you, sir. It was a wonderful sight when we saw your Royal Navy ship steaming towards us. We shouted until we were hoarse, frightened you would miss us. After so long we had begun to think we were invisible,’ he joked.

The captain smiled. ‘I’ve managed to get a message to my wife and she will tell your sister that you are all right.’

‘Thank you, sir.’ Jack was puzzled. ‘Er . . . does she know Hanna then, sir?’

‘I should have introduced myself, Jack. My name is Freeman.’

‘Rose Freeman’s husband!’ Jack couldn’t believe it. ‘I’m so pleased to meet you, sir. Your wife has done so much for Hanna and me. Thank you, thank you both.’

‘It’s been our pleasure. Now, you just relax and get your strength back. We’ll be in Portsmouth in a couple of days.’

Jack watched Captain Freeman stride away, marvelling at the strange turn of fate.

‘You’ve got friends in high places, lad.’

He grinned as his friends came and sat by his bunk. ‘He’s sent a message to let Hanna know I’m all right. And I am, so I think it’s time to get up and have a look at this ship.’

‘What do you think you’re doing, young man?’ a stern voice asked as Jack swung his legs over the edge of the bunk.

‘Need some exercise, Doc. I’ve been sitting around for days.’

The medic gave a dry laugh. ‘I suppose you have. All right, but I want you back here in one hour.’

‘Two.’

He bent down and checked Jack’s leg. ‘All right two, but no running up and down the deck. We don’t want that wound to open up again.’

‘We’ll see he doesn’t do anything daft,’ Frank said. ‘We haven’t kept him alive just so he can do himself an injury now.’

With the help of Bill and Frank they reached the upper deck, and Jack hobbled towards the rail, taking a deep breath as he gazed at the sea.

‘Still think she’s beautiful, lad?’

He nodded. ‘Nothing will make me change my mind about that, but I remember what you told me in the beginning, Bill. Love her, respect her, but never take her for granted.’

‘And we never will take her for granted after this experience, will we?’

All three nodded in agreement, happy to have survived the ordeal. But there was sadness for all those who didn’t, including their greatly respected captain. The ship went down so quickly that many just didn’t have time to get off. Seeing her disappear below the waves was not a sight they would ever forget, nor the horror of knowing some of their friends were still on board. They had loved the
North Star
, and now she was no more.

For the next two days they relaxed, tucked into good food, and used this short time to try to come to terms with what had happened. Though deep down they all knew this was something that would stay with them for the rest of their lives.

As the warship made its stately way into Portsmouth, the survivors of the
North Star
watched in silence. They were a ragged-looking lot, but every one of them had a smile on their faces as they disembarked. There were helping hands every step of the way, and they accepted gratefully, as they were still weak, and some unable to walk at all.

‘This way, mate,’ a young navy doctor said, steadying Jack as he swayed slightly. ‘We’ve got to check you over before you can go home.’

Jack held on to him as they made their way towards a building. ‘Bit unsteady on my feet. The dry land seems to be moving,’ he joked, noticing that some of the others were having the same problem. Must be because they had spent so much time in a small boat without proper food, he thought.

Only three were considered in need of hospital treatment, and the rest were told that after a night’s rest in the accommodation block, they could go home.

No one protested because when the examinations were over they were all feeling exhausted, and fell on to the bunks with sighs of relief.

The sailors brought in piles of clothes. ‘When you’re feeling up to it, men, you can see if anything here fits you. Leave your old clothes on the spare bunk and we’ll dump them for you.’

Jack dragged himself off the bunk. He needed a pair of trousers. His were torn up to the thigh, and he certainly couldn’t get on a train wearing them. Then something dawned on him. ‘Hey, Bill, how are we going to pay the train fare? Everything we owned went down with the ship.’

‘Don’t worry about that,’ a sailor told them. ‘You’ll be issued with travel warrants.’

‘Is there any chance of a drink?’ Bill asked. ‘I could murder a pint.’

The young sailor laughed. ‘Dinner will be in an hour and I’ll have a word with the officer in charge.’

‘This is a navy base so there must be plenty of pubs around here.’

‘There are, but we have strict instructions not to allow you off the base until tomorrow. But don’t worry; we’ve got our own supply of beer.’

‘Ah, well, that’s good news. We’ll leave it to you then.’

The sailor nodded and then left them to sort out something more respectable to wear. Jack found himself a pair of trousers and a shirt that just about fitted, and he settled on those.

‘Blimey! We look as if we’re in the Royal Navy now,’ Harry remarked, as he shrugged into a navy blue jacket. ‘Except there aren’t any badges on the clothes. That should confuse anyone who sees us.’

‘I don’t think anyone will take us for Royal Navy,’ Jack laughed, looking at his ill-fitting clothes. ‘If we were in the navy we’d be put on a charge for untidy dressing.’

‘Wonder how long it will take them to find us another ship?’ Frank mused, stretching out on the bunk.

‘Don’t know, but I hope it’s quick. I’ve never spent much time ashore, and I don’t want to now – U-boats or not. How do you feel about going back to sea, lad?’ Bill asked.

‘I feel the same as you; the quicker the better. They do say you should get straight back on a horse after it’s thrown you, don’t they?’ Jack pulled a face. ‘I don’t want too much time to think about what happened.’

‘Grub’s up!’ came the call. ‘Follow me.’

The mess was large, and many of the tables were already occupied, but they arranged three in a line so they could all sit together.

‘I’m starving,’ Jack said, sitting back and gazing around the room. ‘The smell of the food is making my mouth water.’

‘Oh, he’s getting back to normal,’ Harry chided. ‘This lad is a bottomless pit where food is concerned.

‘We went days without food and I’ve got a lot of making up to do.’ He grinned at his friends. ‘And whatever they’re cooking here smells heavenly.’

A sailor came up to their tables. ‘We’ve got sausages and mash, or fish and chips. Tell me what you want and it will be brought to you.’

Everyone opted for the sausages, and then a cheer went up when a sailor approached carrying a large tray holding pints of beer. One was put in front of Jack and he was thirsty enough to tackle it even if he wasn’t used to strong drink.

‘Thanks, mate,’ Harry said as he held up his glass to the sailor.

‘Enjoy,’ he told them, ‘you men have certainly earned it. There’s more where that came from.’

Bill stood, glancing at the men around the long table. ‘We should make a toast with our first pint. Men, the
North Star
was a fine ship with a first-class crew. Lift your glasses to the best captain I’ve ever served with, and all our other friends who did not make it. God bless them.’

The chairs scraped back as every man stood, glasses raised. ‘To the
North Star
and all those who went down with her.’

Out of respect, Jack saw that every man in the mess also stood, and didn’t sit again until the survivors did. This was the first time any one had mentioned the losses, though each had been grieving silently. ‘That was well done, Bill,’ Jack said quietly. ‘It’s been too painful to talk about.’

He nodded. ‘And some of us will not for a very long time – if ever – but we needed to acknowledge their sacrifice.’

Their meals began to arrive and the general talk around the table resumed. The men seemed a little more relaxed now, and Jack could see the wisdom of what Bill had done. Something had to be said, and no one else had been able to take that step. Now it was done, Jack felt better, and so did everyone else.

Frank nudged Jack. ‘Here comes Captain Freeman.’

He looked up and saw the tall man approaching.

‘May I join you?’

‘Of course, sir.’ Bill grabbed a chair from another table, and everyone shuffled round so that the captain could sit beside Jack and Bill.

‘Thank you.’ Captain Freeman sat down and called an orderly over, who almost ran to his side. ‘I’ll have the sausages and a pint of beer as well.’

‘Do you want it served in the officers’ mess, Captain Freeman?’

‘No, here will do fine.’

‘Yes, sir.’

As the sailor hurried away, the captain turned to Jack. ‘How are you feeling now?’

‘Stronger, sir, but still a bit unsteady on my injured leg, though it’s healing well. One of the doctors gave me a stick and told me to use it on my way home tomorrow.’

‘That’s good advice. I wish I could come with you, but that isn’t possible, I’m afraid. Remember me to your charming sister, won’t you?’

‘I’ll do that, sir.’

Bill rapped the table for silence. ‘Men, if you have any beer left in your glasses please raise them in thanks to Captain Freeman and his crew for finding us in that wide expanse of ocean. Without him I doubt that any of us would be here now.’

‘To Captain Freeman and his crew!’ The toast was heartfelt.

‘I’m only too pleased we found you in time,’ he said, lifting his own glass of beer. ‘But I am the one who should be toasting your courage in bringing needed supplies to this country, and your determination to stay alive. Gentlemen, to you.’

Captain Freemen stayed with them long enough to finish his meal, and have a few words with every one of the survivors. He was just draining his pint when a Petty Officer hurried over.