The Armada Boy (41 page)

June Mallindale was walking to the
church in front of him as young Michael emerged from the porch in his mother's
arms only to be surrounded by his public. Gerry Heffernan was being
particularly attentive, as was Dr Parsons: it was always those one least expected
who went glassy-eyed in the presence of a baby.

Wesley decided to leave Pam to deal
with Michael's admirers. He walked into the cool of the church and stood
watching as June Mallindale knelt on the hard stone floor of the south aisle. She
wasn't aware of his presence as she placed a small posy of flowers
on the Spanish boy's grave. She stood and turned, starting a little when she
realised she wasn't alone. She looked embarrassed; anxious to be gone.

'Nice gesture,' said Wesley softly.

June didn't answer. She just gave a
nervous smile and made for the door, her face stained with tears.

Wesley waited until she was outside
before he went to the grave of Roderigo Sanchez and stooped to pick up the
flowers. There was a card.

'For the innocent,' it said. 'Please
forgive us. The sins of the fathers have been visited upon the children.'

Wesley put the flowers back carefully
and went outside to look for his wife and child.

Author's Note

The account of the wreck of the
San Miguel
is entirely fictitious. There
was no such ship in the Spanish fleet. However, there have been accounts of
Spanish sailors from wrecked Armada ships elsewhere being murdered by locals as
they came ashore.

The wartime events described in this
book, however, are loosely based on fact. The area of Devon known as the South Hams
was evacuated at the end of 1943 so that the D-day landings could be rehearsed
there by US troops. About three thousand people, their animals and belongings
had to find alternative accommodation. Valuable herds of farm animals were
dispersed and the churches were emptied of valuables and sandbagged.
There were, however, tales of locals creeping back to the evacuated area to
catch rabbits and GIs courting local girls in the deserted villages.

There is a memorial on Slapton Sands
in South Devon to the American troops who died during Exercise Tiger, a
practice for the D-day landings held in April 1944. Nearly eight hundred men (more
than the number who died during the actual invasion of Normandy) were killed on
the exercise, one of the great tragedies of World War II.

When the evacuated villagers returned
to their homes many found them shelled and overrun by rats. Gradually the area returned
to normal as the houses and churches were repaired and the farmers cleared
their land for the autumn sowing. There is
another memorial on Slapton Sands erected by the Americans 'as a lasting
tribute to the people of the South Hams'.