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each of them.
Henry was about 3/4 way through his tour of 30 ops at this time, and 460 Sqdn was sending our A/C nearly every night, and now, as the Second Front proceeded during the day also.
On December 16th the Group Captain, Hughie Edwards V.C. was farewelled in the party to end all parties. “Foggo” – the intelligence officer did his “stuff” on a table with a glass of beer on his head. As we all gathered round and sang the ditty “The Muffin Man”, Foggo gradually took all his clothes off (except his red and white underpants). As he undressed, he went round and round – still with the mug of beer on his balding head. It was always the centre-piece of any party.
Groupie Edwards, who had won his V.C. on a daring low-level attack, had lost a very good friend on ops. When he died, Groupie Edwards married his wife. Later in Civic Street he became Govenor-General of W.A. – but unfortunately the “grog” had got him and he didn’t last long in that post – rumour was that he had tried to set the Govenor’s residence alight. He died soon after.
But Christmas was getting close, I had been on the Station for a month – a lifetime in those days – and the WAAF officers wanted to decorate our mess for Christmas. I offered to go to the nearby woods and look for Holly. I wrote a short
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note to Henry asking him to help me. I just dashed it off and poked it in the “OZ” officers notice board.
When he found it he read ” Henry Darling – would you come Holly picking with me on Saturday. I’m going to go into the woods to get some to decorate the mess for Christmas. Love Anne”
He never told me what he thought at the time – but the important thing is that – HE CAME!
We had a great morning in the woods. The weather was cold but crisp and lovely and I had got hold of a wooden trolley on wheels which we filled up with small holly branches.
At one spot we came across a barbed wire fence. I didn’t give it a thought, but just cocked my leg and lent down and went through. Henry apparently thought my natural manner was attractive and said later, “When you went through that fence, I thought to myself – that’s the sort of girl I’d like to marry!”
So much for the Mills and Boon romance fiction …. not for me, I am sure!
We had a great Christmas feasting and dancing. I think I went to a church service at the time too but it held very little attraction.
One of my jobs as a WAAF officer was to walk down Lovers Lane (the lane from RAD quarters to WAAF quarters) at midnight and break up the couples kissing and cuddling up and down the lane.
I was 21 – and the youngest of all the WAAF officers. I would walk one way and lightly tap the guy
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on the shoulder and say “Don’t be here when I walk back!” often it would be a guy I had seen or met in the Mess …
Then I would walk on to the end of the lane, turn around, and slowly walk back. If anyone was still there which was hardly ever – I’d have to say something a bit stronger.
