Encounter with the Enemy

Summer 1940, Eddie and I had been married for two years. No kids as yet. Unbeknown to Eddie I'd had a gynae check and they'd pronounced me ready and able to conceive. And I was certainly willing. They wanted Eddie to go for a check but I hadn't said anything about it to him. He was performing very satisfactorily as far as I was concerned and I certainly didn't want to undermine his confidence. Besides, there was still a good chance that nature would take its course.

I'd been saying that over the fence to Rosie Butterman. Rosie had two kids, both at school, and she knew just how much I would like two like hers. Rosie's advice was simply to keep trying and to enjoy trying. It had taken her four years to get pregnant then her second one came along while the first was still at the breast. "So you never can tell," was Rosie's opinion. "It could happen tonight. "Why not try a different position? That might-"

At that point, in what looked like becoming an interesting conversation, the air raid siren started up.

Rosie had a Morrison shelter indoors. We had an Anderson shelter at the end of the garden. We were living close to a military target and the wardens had told us to take air raids seriously. Darn right we took them seriously. I'd come to terms with being bombed. If it were to happen I just hoped it was quick. What scared me was the prospect of getting maimed and having to go through life all scarred and missing a limb. We'd all seen plenty of people with wounds from the First World War and my heart bled for them.

Usually the siren gave a few minutes warning and I had time to pee and grab something to eat. Oh and milk for a cup of tea. We kept a Primus stove in the shelter.

This time the warning was short. I heard the first kerrump of bombs going off in the distance and there were planes in the sky before I got into the shelter. Then the rattle of cannon and the bomps of anti aircraft guns. The battle was getting close and I hastened into the shelter.

I got the Primus going and put the kettle on. Then I sat and waited for the all clear. Mostly it was boring. I heard the battle going on overhead. I listened to the bombs exploding. Occasionally one would fall close enough to make the shelter shake.

Normally these air raids were over quickly. A wave of bombers would come over, drop their bombs as close to the target as they could and "bugger off home without stopping to admire the view" as Eddie explained it to me. This time though it went on and on. There must have been wave after wave of bombers. After two hours it was still going strong. It occurred to me that this could be the actual invasion they'd been expecting. They'd told us what would happen: landing craft on the beaches, troops, thousands of 'em, swarming up the beach. They'd probably drop paratroops, highly trained elite combat soldiers, inland as an advanced assault force. I was beginning to get scared. What resistance could I offer to a highly trained parachute soldier?

I imagined him in his combat kit, a big burly Jerry with fair hair and blue eyes, possessed of immense strength. Oh dear, I thought, knowing I'd be quite helpless against such a man. Even our own government had told civilians not to get involved in the fighting. We were supposed to surrender and stay alive."

Then I heard the crunch of boots on the gravel path from the house to the shelter. Coming closer. I wasn't so much scared as I was intrigued. At least it would break the monotony of sitting in an air raid shelter for hours, all alone. Even so my heart was pounding.

The footsteps stopped outside the shelter. There was a thick concrete wall outside the entrance aimed at reducing the blast if a bomb should go off in front of the shelter. The shelter itself was a short tunnel of corrugated iron sunk about four feet into the ground and covered with earth. I saw a man's legs at the entrance. Then he bent down and looked inside the shelter. It was gloomy inside and bright sunlight outside. I don't think he could see much. Then he jumped down inside the shelter. He was holding a pistol. It was a few moments before he saw me, his eyes had to adjust.

He was wearing a Luftwaffe uniform. I thought it suited him. He was a tall slender fellow, blond with lovely blue eyes; obviously one of the Fuhrer's finest. When he saw me he smiled. An attractive man.

He unloaded the gun and handed it to me. "Leutnant Dieter Kruger." He bowed and clicked his heels. "I surrender. I am your prisoner. " He had a cute accent but I would have liked him to be more - what's the word? – Aggressive? Our propaganda hadn't prepared us for nice guys.

What the hell do you do in a case like that? I put the gun on the small table by the tea tray. "Would you like a cup of tea?"

He would so I made a fresh pot. "You are well prepared for an air raid," he said. I think he was just trying to make conversation.

"They don't normally go on for as long as this. It's lasted over two hours now."

"No. He said. This is the big one. Our High Command aims to destroy your air defence so we can invade."

"Think you will?"

"No. They should have done it straight after your Dunkirk evacuation. It's too late now. You've had time to get organised. Your air defence is very effective." He gave me that cute smile of his. "I have seen it with my own eyes." He sipped his tea. "Beside, even if we did take out your air defences, your Royal Navy is strong and would repel our invasion fleet."

It was interesting to learn about the war from the other side. We thought we were up against a near invincible enemy, that it was a touch and go situation. They thought our airforce and navy were too strong for an attack.

"So apart from a direct hit you have nothing to fear." He was sitting on the fold up canvas chair that Eddie normally used. He moved across and sat next to me on the camp bed. A little too close for comfort.

I could get raped by a paratrooper with a clear conscience. I wouldn't have any option. Being seduced by a pilot called for some voluntary participation. Enemy or not, he was rather nice. I needed more time to think. "You speak very good English," I said as his shoulder touched mine.

"Thank you. I was over here at college when I got called up. The only way to learn a language is to be in the country where it is spoken. I came to know the people here and get close to them."

He was getting close all right. An arm went around my waist. I was wondering what I should do about that when a bomb went off close enough to make the ground tremble. Literally. He pulled me to him so that I was snuggled against him. Another bomb, even closer. I found myself on the camp bed, him on top and kissing me. Oh what the hell, I thought. We could be blown to blazes at any moment. The next time the earth moved it wasn't anything to with bombs.

The all clear sounded and we stood up. We both had a few buttons to fasten. "There now," he said, trying to hide a satisfied smirk. "Much better than fighting."

He picked up his unloaded pistol, handed it to me. "Now we have to go and find some authority so you can turn me in as prisoner of war. If you point the pistol at me it may stop me from being attacked by angry citizens."

I felt stupid pointing the pistol and it was heavy too. I had to hold it with both hands. At our front gate I saw Rosie Butterman staring at us. "Look what I got," I said to her. Total astonishment was on her face. And a touch of envy too?

I handed Leutnant Dieter Kruger over to an air raid warden who looked baffled as to what he should do with his prisoner. I walked away without looking back. I was wondering what to get for Eddie's dinner when he came home that evening.

That air raid must have inspired Eddie. I was thrilled to learn that I was pregnant soon after that. Rosie Butterman was supportive and never said a word. Bless her.