Free Children in Her Shadow by Keith Pearson Page A

Brockenbeck’ who was fondly referred to by his United States Air Force flying nickname, Colonel Hawkeye Brockenbeck.
    The three day holiday was all too soon over but Mary and Ruth resolved to continue their letter writing to each other with the hope that they might meet up again very soon. As they embraced before Mary and Mrs Morgan departed Mary whispered into Ruth’s ear, “I love you as my best friend and I hope you find your Mr Right very soon.”

C HAPTER E IGHT
    Ruth spent the entire night of her nineteenth birthday with a party of friends on the beach chatting and singing wartime songs and occasionally dodging the police who were not in the least bit impressed by their high jinks.
    Having fun was the intention of the many thousands of young people who like her worked in the factories around Blackpool. And having fun would not be difficult in Blackpool a town that seemed immune from the war with very few air raid warnings and even fewer actual bombings, indeed throughout the whole of the war only two bombs fell on Blackpool. It was discovered many years later that Blackpool was spared the Luftwaffe’s bombings because Hitler wanted it as his personal playground after the war where he dreamed of his troops goose-stepping down the Golden Mile and unfurling the Swastika on top of Blackpool Tower
    As the autumn gave way to winter the vibrancy of life in this seaside town was retained especially as it was home to thousands of military personnel here to do their basic flying training but also to make the most of the night life. Over the course of the war, almost three quarters of a million airmen would be given their initial training at the Winter Gardens by day whilst not interfering with the thirst for entertainment in this historic building by night.
    Blackpool was also home to thousands of London based civil servants posted to this northern resort to continue their Whitehall work outside the by now blitzed London. The blackout was observed as strictly in Blackpool as it was anywhere else in Britain and rationing bit as deeply here as it did elsewhere. However, the only thing that wasn’t rationed was entertainment. The night life was extensive; during the season there were shows on at all the major theatres and ballroom dancing took place in the Tower Ball Room, the Winter Gardens and in many of the larger hotels.
    Ruth enjoyed dancing and would often go with friends from work to the Winter Gardens. She had no particular boy friend though she would occasionally see the same person more than once. Like many young, attractive girls in Blackpool the prospect of establishing any really meaningful relationship with young men was remote given that most people of her own age were simply in Blackpool for their basic training before being moved on to their regiments or squadrons. But for all of that, life was fun and Ruth was building life skills both at work and in her social life.
    Ruth continued to go to the Blackpool Ice Drome and began to meet Sarah there at least twice per month. Sarah was the same age as Ruth, slim and very attractive. During one of their intimate conversations, Ruth learnt that Sarah was previously a trainee seamstress having worked from age fifteen to eighteen in a large department store in Preston which explained why, whenever they met, she was always exceptionally well dressed. Sarah went on to explain that she had recently begun to work for the English Electric factory on Strand Road in Preston a company that everyone locally knew as Dick Kerr’s who were building Handley Page Hampden aircraft and the Halifax bombers.
    Ruth liked Sarah but she was never sure if the feelings were returned. She had aloofness about her personality and she seemed uneasy in company; unable to hold a conversation especially when several others were in their company. Sarah liked to be noticed and had mannerisms that resembled those of a peacock, always needing to be seen, always strutting and always repairing her