The Mersey Daughter by Annie Groves

Author:Annie Groves
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780007550852
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2017-03-01T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Frank stood before his commanding officer, wondering what the problem was this time. It was what he loved about his job and what he dreaded – never knowing what was going to come next. The pressures they were all under not to make a single mistake in their vital job of co-ordinating the defence of the Western Approaches were draining; it was their collective responsibility to ensure the supply routes from North America stayed open, and to outwit the many U-boats whose job it was to sink those all-important cargo ships. The strategic value of the North Atlantic could not be overestimated; Britain completely relied on it for important supplies. Although Frank did his utmost to maintain the necessary highest standards, he could never be completely sure that one tiny error hadn’t crept through. Was this what the summons was about?

He gazed steadily straight ahead, noticing the rudimentary comforts that Commander Stephens had introduced to the small underground office, where every inch of space was precious: a small tapestry cushion on the back of the desk chair, a slim photo frame on the desk – although he couldn’t tell what was in it from where he stood. He liked his commanding officer – he was a fair man, even when demanding the seemingly impossible. These little human touches reminded Frank that Commander Stephens had a home life too; something he was fighting for, something that kept him going as well as his patriotic duty. He forced his own thoughts not to go down that path.

‘Well, Warrant Officer Feeny, I dare say you are wondering why I’ve called you in here.’ The commander looked at him with interest but gave nothing away.

‘Yes, sir.’ Frank thought there was no point in saying anything more. If he was in for a dressing down, he wasn’t going to give away any ammunition.

‘Let me reassure you, it is nothing to worry about. You may stand at ease,’ the commander went on. ‘It has come to the notice of the higher authorities that you have been performing above and beyond your current remit, Feeny. Your work leading to the detection of the location of the Bismarck back in May was exceptional, and I don’t have to tell you how vital that was to the overall war effort, or what effect its sinking had on morale. Well done, Feeny.’

‘Thank you, sir.’ Frank struggled not to breathe out heavily in relief. He’d only done what he was asked to do, and many personnel had been involved in the sinking of the vast German battleship, pride of the fleet, which had been deployed to disrupt the Atlantic shipping routes so important to Britain’s survival. But it was satisfying to hear that his careful plotting and detailed documentation of the results had been recognised. He’d stayed up through the night on more than one occasion, even when on day shift, his eyes itching and his temples throbbing as he’d pored over the reams of information to spot the relevant figures.

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