Where Stands a Winged Sentry by Margaret Kennedy

Author:Margaret Kennedy
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Handheld Press
Published: 2020-12-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Four -

July: ‘We’re Not So Green As We’re Cabbage-Looking’

1

Mme Tabouis98, the French journalist who always knows everything, says that Hitler has declared he will dictate a world peace from Buckingham Palace on July 15. If he said that, which I don’t quite believe, he must have been reckoning on our throwing up the sponge when France collapsed. For he hasn’t begun his invasion yet.

One would have thought he’d have come the day the French armistice was signed. But perhaps the Battle for France went even quicker than he expected, so that his preparations for invasion have not quite reached the stage he meant them to be at when France finally went down. Also he may not have reckoned on the RAF turning out so well, or on our having the army back from Dunkirk to defend us. All those things may explain this pause.

Some people think he will have a terrific air blitz first and try to knock out the RAF before he attempts troop landings. Others say he will go for Eire99 next, so as to surround us completely and cut off our Atlantic sea routes. It would be awkward for us if he did that, so we hope he won’t, but if he does we shan’t be one little bit sorry for the Irish. A taste of the Nazis would open their eyes, after all the song and dance they have made about English oppression. And the Nazis wouldn’t find it all jam, either. They would have an ostensible walkover, of course, if once they landed troops. They could occupy the whole island while De Valera100 was dressing his troops up in twelfth-century costume and deciding what was the authentic battle cry of Brian Boru101. But afterwards, a surprising lot of the invaders would get murdered. In fact I should almost be sorry for the Huns.

***

We went into Penmorvah today for a medical inspection – the first step towards getting our immigration papers in order. They are now putting up barriers on these roads, just as they were doing in Surrey last month. There is only a very small gap in the middle, so that cars have to crawl through at walking pace; and there are two or three round, barrel-shaped blocks of concrete, all ready to roll into the gap, if orders should come to close it. I notice that these barriers generally occur at corners, and always where there is a coppice or high wall by the road, which can conceal a gun post.

There are no soldiers to be seen anywhere, but the bus driver said there is a large force of troops quite near by, he is not at liberty to say where.

The doctor was an aged and vague individual who took hours to make the most perfunctory examination. He filled up lots of forms in a haphazard way, and put Charles down as pregnant. I couldn’t help protesting at that. The MO pondered for a long while but eventually agreed with me so far as to put male, in brackets, after the word pregnant.

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