The Lost Years (25 page)

As soon as they were at a safe distance and the aeroplane showed no sign of bursting into flames, Major Kemp turned to Perys and gripped his hand in both of his own.

‘Perys, that was a bloody marvellous display of flying! It would have done credit to the most experienced pilot. I am proud of you.’

Although he tried hard not to let it show, Perys was beginning to feel very shaky, but he managed a grin. ‘I thought you were enjoying it.’

Slapping Perys on the back, the major said, ‘I knew I was right to choose you to pilot me. Come on, let’s find a command post and call up the squadron’s airfield. They will recover the aircraft and have it back as good as new in a few days. In the meantime I shouldn’t think we’ll have any trouble borrowing another from Saint Omer.’

As they stripped off their flying suits, a lieutenant accompanied by a couple of soldiers came hurrying towards them. Saluting Major Kemp, the lieutenant said, ‘Well done, sir. I’ve been sent to escort you to the command post. Brigadier Sir Henry Palmer is waiting for you there.’

‘Brigadier Palmer is waiting for us?’ Major Kemp queried.

‘That’s right, sir . . . Oh, I thought you would know. He was a passenger in the aeroplane that came down in no-man’s land. It seems headquarters have something planned. He wanted to see the German defences for himself before committing the troops to an attack. He’s a very good officer that way.’

The command post was an elaborate dug-out, heavily protected with sandbags. Entering the lamp-lit interior, the brigadier was the first man Perys saw. He was hatless, but even so he was recognisable by the red tabs on the lapels of the uniform jacket he had on beneath his flying suit.

Glancing briefly at Perys, he held out his hand and addressed the more senior of the two RFC officers. ‘Major! I am delighted to meet you. I think Lieutenant Colonel Anderson and I owe our lives to you.’

‘Not to me, sir, but to Second Lieutenant Tremayne. I haven’t been passed as fit for flying after being wounded some time ago. Tremayne was the pilot who showed the Germans what an aeroplane is capable of when properly handled.’

The brigadier released Thomas Kemp’s hand and turned to Perys. Eyeing him critically for a few seconds, he said, ‘But he is hardly more than a boy . . . and where are his pilot’s wings?’

‘He hasn’t been awarded them yet.’ Major Kemp was enjoying the brigadier’s disbelief. ‘Second Lieutenant Tremayne is still undergoing training, but he was so keen to join the Royal Flying Corps that he learned to fly before volunteering. The man who taught him is probably the finest instructor in England. When he declared Tremayne one of the best young pilots he has ever turned out, I took him up to test his skills for myself. As a result I immediately put him on an advanced flying course and chose him to fly me here from England. As a matter of fact we were on our way back when we saw you in trouble. I think our departure might be delayed somewhat now.’

‘And damned glad I am about it too,’ said the brigadier. ‘I am delighted to meet you, Tremayne - but not nearly as pleased as I was to see you a while ago.’ Extending his hand, he said, ‘I owe my life to you, young man, and I certainly won’t forget it.’ Shaking Perys’s hand vigorously, he added, ‘Well, now you have had an unexpected taste of action, do you still think you will enjoy life as a pilot?’

Perys stuttered something to the effect that he was looking forward to joining a front-line squadron, but Thomas Kemp interrupted him. ‘Actually, it is not Tremayne’s first taste of action, sir . . .’ He told the brigadier of Perys’s encounter with the German warship that resulted in the award of a DSO to Rupert.

‘I see you have two medals yourself, young man. You must have been awarded those before joining the service. I recognise the life-saving medal. What is the other?’

Perys told him as briefly as possible about the foundering of the Russian ship and of his part in the rescue of the ship’s captain.

Suitably impressed, the brigadier said, ‘I have a feeling you are making it sound far more mundane than it really was, young man. The Russians don’t give away their medals for no reason and neither do we, but we can’t have it said we are less generous than the Russians, can we?’ Turning to Major Kemp, he said, ‘I am going to recommend the award of an immediate Military Cross to this young man. Does that meet with your approval?’

‘Wholeheartedly,’ said Thomas Kemp, enthusiastically.

His approval was echoed by the lieutenant colonel who had been piloting the brigadier, who said, ‘Had you not suggested it, sir, I would have submitted a recommendation to the same effect. There are some men to whom things just seem to happen. I believe Tremayne is one of these.’ He did not add what was in his mind, that such men either became heroes or were soon killed in action.

‘Splendid,’ said the brigadier. ‘I will have it put through immediately. It will be awarded in time to give encouragement to the others on Tremayne’s flying course. Now, the captain in charge of this part of the line told me he has some whisky hidden away. I suggest we get him to produce it in order that we might drink to our salvation, and to a long and successful career for this young man.’

Chapter 39

The remainder of the letter was of a personal nature and Polly had retained those pages before passing on the first few to Annie.

In her bedroom at Tregassick Farm, Annie read the letter for the seventh or eighth time. It had taken some weeks to reach Cornwall, as the forces’ letters sometimes did, but the timing of it was not important. What mattered to Annie was the way she felt about the contents. She was far more concerned for Perys’s welfare and the fact that he had crashed his aeroplane, than she was about the dangers and hardships to which Jimmy was exposed in the trenches on the front-line.

Jimmy was not an educated man, yet his few, brief letters had painted a vivid picture of the filth and horror of life in the trenches. It seemed that infantrymen were being used as sacrificial pawns in the war games being played by their staff officers - elderly generals who sought to fight a complex twentieth-century war using tactics which should have died with the charge of the Light Brigade at Balaklava.

The only note of optimism in Jimmy’s letters had nothing to do with victory over the Germans. He and his comrades were fully aware that this was not a realistic goal in the foreseeable future. Jimmy made it quite clear to Annie that all his hopes for the future rested with her. He told her in his letters that only thoughts of her enabled him to cling to sanity in the slaughter of this most horrific of wars.

Despite his lack of learning, Jimmy had succeeded in conveying to Annie the depths of his despair. She felt desperately sorry for him and agonised that her concern should not be for him, but for Perys. She decided to write to Martin and ask if he knew Perys’s address. She would say that she wished to write and congratulate him on the award of his Military Cross.

Writing to her brother helped to clarify a great many matters for her. Chief among them was the certain knowledge that she did not love Jimmy. She was fond of him, very fond, but it was not enough. Yet she could no longer be certain about Perys’s feelings for her. After all, they had not known each other for very long and it had been six months since their last meeting. What was more, she had not replied to the letters in which he had poured out his feelings for her. He had left Heligan believing that she was to be married to someone else.

Only one thing was clear to her. She could not marry Jimmy Rowe, knowing how she felt about Perys.

Breaking the news to Jimmy would not be easy. She thought about this aspect of her problem for many days, unable to discuss it with her parents. Eventually, she decided to visit Heligan and speak with Polly.

* * *

It was a pleasant spring evening when the two young women walked along the Heligan driveway as they talked. Becoming increasingly upset as she poured out her feelings and thoughts, a distraught Annie finally said, ‘What shall I do, Polly? How can I resolve this mess?’

Sympathising with her friend, Polly said, ‘I’m not quite sure what you can do, Annie, but I can tell you what you can’t do. You can’t marry Jimmy.’

‘But how can I tell him? I know from his letters that he’s having a horrible time out there. He doesn’t deserve this on top of everything else. How can I destroy all his hopes for the future while he’s suffering so much?’

Looking at Annie pityingly, Polly asked, ‘Have you talked to your ma about it?’

Annie shook her head. ‘I can’t say anything about it to her. She believes that if I get mixed up with Perys I’m going to end up the same way as Eliza Dunn.’

Polly shook her head. ‘You and Eliza are very different, Annie. But you have to do something. I only wish I could help.’

‘You have helped, Polly, just by listening to me. Because of it I’ve been able to come to a decision. I know now what it is I must do.’

When Polly looked at her questioningly, Annie said, ‘I must go to see Jimmy’s ma and pa and tell them the truth. They won’t like me very much, but at least they’ll know I can’t possibly marry Jimmy feeling the way I do about Perys.’

Chapter 40

Proudly wearing the medal ribbon of the Military Cross with the other medals below his wings, Perys completed his advanced flying course in April 1915. At the request of Thomas Kemp, he would soon be leaving England to take up a posting with the Royal Flying Corps operational squadron commanded by the major and stationed near Ypres.

Before setting off to the battle-front, Perys was able to enjoy a few days’ leave. At Maude’s insistence, he spent them at her Knightsbridge home.

Grace also had a few days’ leave from St Thomas’s Hospital and she and Perys saw a great deal of each other. Grace and Morwenna had been given their dates for joining the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service, but they first needed to serve out their notice at the hospital. They would actually be leaving together, at the end of April.

One evening, when Morwenna was accompanying her mother to a charity dinner in Kensington, Perys invited Grace to dinner at the St Ermin’s Hotel restaurant. It was where they had dined with Rupert and Morwenna at their first meeting.

The evening began well. The restaurant was not too crowded and the presence of such a young RFC pilot accompanied by a strikingly attractive young woman brought many admiring glances from fellow diners. It also ensured the young couple received attentive service from the waiters.

Perys was seated facing the door. Just as he and Grace were about to begin their meal he gave an involuntary start.

Concerned, she asked, ‘What’s the matter?’

‘I am sorry, Grace, it was an over-reaction. A distant cousin of mine has just come into the restaurant. He is in uniform and with a couple of fellow officers. I wasn’t even aware he was in the army.’

‘Do you want to call him over?’

‘That’s the very last thing I want. I would be quite happy if he didn’t see me, but I think it’s already too late for that.’

‘Would it be the cousin you punched on the nose when you and Morwenna were in Cornwall?’

‘She told you?’ Perys was taken aback. Then he remembered that Morwenna and Grace were very close friends and it was hardly likely they would not talk about him.

‘She said he was unforgivably rude to you and treated one of the servants abominably. Is he likely to come and speak to you?’

‘I doubt that very much, but he seems uncomfortably interested in us. I wish I could hear what he’s saying about me to his friends.’

Reaching across the table, Grace grasped his hand for a brief moment. ‘Don’t allow him to spoil our evening together, Perys. Not tonight.’

Perys’s glance shifted from the other table to Grace and he smiled. ‘I’m sorry. They won’t spoil anything for us, I promise. Let’s raise a glass to our next evening out together, wherever and whenever it may be. I know - we’ll make a promise that the next time we are both in London we will come here for dinner again.’

Perys was able to keep his gaze from wandering to the table occupied by Edward and his friends, although he was aware when Edward left his two companions and was absent from the dining-room for many minutes. On his return he seemed pleased with himself.

Eventually, Perys and Grace finished their meal, relieved that there had been no untoward incident with Edward.

When they left the restaurant, Perys walked to the foyer to wait for Grace who had gone to the cloakroom. He was standing looking disinterestedly at one of the paintings adorning the wall when he was approached by an army captain. He recalled that the officer had put in a brief appearance in the doorway of the restaurant, accompanied by a sergeant and a corporal, while he and Grace were eating.

Addressing Perys, the captain said, ‘Good evening, Lieutenant. Are you in London for the evening, or are you enjoying a spot of leave?’