Читать книгу Sand In My Shoes: Coming of Age in the Second World War: A WAAF’s Diary - Joan Rice - Страница 52

In the event of an air raid WAAF personnel rush to the new steel and reinforced concrete shelters, excepting the Decontamination Squad who huddle in one of the already shaken Booth Road houses.

I have got myself onto the reserve of the Decontamination Squad, a first step to removing myself from it entirely. Three parts of this is ordinary cowardice, the other quarter is my rigid determination to survive and outlast this war. With the Scandinavian invasion, the war is jolted back on us, just as we had almost forgotten it.²⁰ We heard the wireless reports in the Recreation Room after lunch where we usually huddle over the fire, eating Milky Ways, smoking and reading the daily papers provided free for us by the RAF.

I have had to surrender my little room at last. Last night while I was at French class (for the first time I found myself speaking it fluently without hesitation and effort), the others in the house moved my belongings downstairs into the big room with two disadvantages: no privacy and more cleaning. I think and hope they felt a little guilty about it because they lit my fire and made my bed and offered to help me clean up this morning. However, provided I can keep the room from a strange WAAF invasion and get myself some curtains, cushions and carpets, I can make it reasonably comfortable.