Over Here

Keeping to the hedgerows, and hiding in the fields whenever they heard a convoy of vehicles.

At one point they heard German voices, and before they had a chance to do anything, 20 or 30 cycles had came past, so close they could have touched them.

The Germans obviously thought it was their own troops and called out to them. Someone ahead of Nick responded with a similar noise, which they must have accepted because they cycled on. Everyone looked at each other in relief as they continued their journey.

Once it was daylight they moved into the ditches to avoid detection. In places the water was three feet deep, which made it slow progress, but they were at least completely covered.

They travelled for many days, stopping only for short periods to sleep, and eating when they could.

Occasionally they would come across groups of Germans, for Nick this was his first experience of enemy fire, he could hear the bullets whistle past his ears. At one point he dropped to the ground to reload his rifle, and a second later someone slumped to the ground beside him, blood pouring from an open wound. Instinctively, Nick pulled out his shell dressing and covered the wound, but the blood soon soaked through, he could feel it, warm on his skin. Medics came later, and took the young man to a first aid post. Nick felt sure that he would not survive.

Eventually they came to a chateau, which had been made into a temporary HQ. There they met up with some English and Canadians, and were able to get some proper rest and decent food, for the first time in many weeks.

Nick realised just how tense and nervous he had been since D-Day. He found himself a quiet corner, and a pencil and paper. He thought he should take this opportunity to write to Colette and his family. He didn't know when he might get the chance again.

As he sat writing, there was an explosion outside. He threw himself to the floor.

"What was that?" He asked a senior officer, as the dust was settling.

"The Germans of course," The Scotsman replied. "Don't get complacent laddie, we are still in occupied France you know!"

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Colette squealed with delight as she picked up the letters.

"Look, it's Nick's writing!!"

Katie looked up with a smile, from where she sat feeding baby Anne. Colette carefully opened the letter and sat down to read.

"He's is safe and well...he can't tell me where he is now...but he says France was pretty, but there had been a lot of damage from bombing and fighting." Colette grinned as she read on. "That bit is private..." She winked at Katie, who laughed. "...and he hopes to get some leave at Christmas."

Kevin had spent a week with them before having to return to the Airbase. It had been a lovely week together with Katie, sharing their daughter, and had given Kevin some much needed rest and relaxation.

At the end of the week they had gone up to the church with some close friends, and had Anne baptised in a simple ceremony.

Reluctantly, he had returned to his duties.

"I thought it would all be over by now." He confided in Katie as they were saying their goodbyes. "But the bombing goes on, we are destroying Germany.... all those people..." He shook his head sadly.

She could see the tortured look in his eyes, and she took him in her arms and hugged him tight.

Kevin gave a sigh, and mentally shook himself. Pulling away, he looked down at Anne, and bent to kiss her.

"It may be a while before I can come and visit again, but I will try, OK?"

"Take care Kevin," Katie replied. "We'll be here, waiting for you."

She watched him turn and walk away down the road toward the Air base. Her eyes slid down to his backside, and she grinned as she enjoyed the view, as he strode purposefully away from her.

With a grin she walked back into the house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The fighting in Normandy was pretty much at an end, and the troops were moving on to other fronts.

Nick and his unit had moved down through the Ardennes. The Germans were trying to push back the allied advance. They were having some success; they also had American-speaking Germans, in U.S. uniforms, penetrating behind American lines, causing confusion. Some of them started rumours about a plot to assassinate Eisenhower. Which caused enormous security problems. While others posed as traffic cops at road junctions and sent the US reinforcements in the wrong direction.

Eventually they were arrested and executed, but in the meanwhile it made life very difficult for anyone within the battle zone, who strayed from their company. Not only did they have enemy bullets to deal with, but also the demands of their own side, for proof that they were genuine Americans.

The Americans called this the Battle of the Bulge. For the first few days of the offensive, the weather was poor, which favoured the Germans. The 10^th US Armed Division arrived in time to hold back the German advance and allow time for US reserves to be brought up.

It was bitter cold, and there was dense fog, which meant the planes were all grounded. Nick arrived with the reserves, but they found themselves outnumbered by enemy forces. When the surrounded Americans were asked to surrender, General McAuliffe told them to go to hell.

The skies cleared for the first time allowing the Allied Air Force to give much needed support to the troops on the ground.

The Battle of the Bulge continued into January 1945, as a fighting withdrawal by the Germans, rather than an offensive that might affect the outcome of the war.

Nick had hoped to get home for Christmas, but as the fighting continued it was obvious that he was not going to get there. During a lull in the fighting, as they rested in some old buildings, Nick wrote Colette a letter. He found it difficult to write to her because he was unable to tell her where he was or what he was doing. He felt his letters all sounded the same. He hoped she was keeping well, he was doing fine, hoped to be home soon etc.

Having finished the letter, and one to his family, he sent them on their way. Then he settled down for the night. Accommodation was pretty basic here; mattresses were on the floor, all the men packed into the rooms. But at least there was a good supply of running water, and the local villagers had been very generous with their food.

In the early hours of the morning, just as dawn was breaking, pandemonium broke out. Nick awoke to the sounds of screaming men, and he looked about him in the gloomy morning light. They were under attack. He saw a grenade come smashing through a window and he leapt up to escape the impending blast.

He heard the grenade rolling along the floor behind him, as he ran towards the door. Just as he threw himself through the open doorway, the grenade exploded, Nick felt a searing pain in his legs, as he hit the ground.

A while later, he came round, and he tried to get up but found he couldn't move his leg. He looked down to see his left leg soaked in blood. There were still sounds of fighting outside. He pulled himself towards a window to see what was happening.

Carefully he looked out, to see bodies everywhere and the Germans retreating to a nearby tank. The tank roared away, leaving an ominous silence. Nick turned back to the room and the sight of his dead comrades.

His leg was agony, but he had to find his way out of the building. He tied a tourniquet around his thigh to stem the bleeding and began to pull himself toward the stairs, using his arms.

Clinging to the banister he tried to pull himself downstairs. He managed the first two steps before losing his balance and tumbling to the bottom with a yell. Everything went black once again.

A couple of hours later, Nick came round at the sound of a gentle voice. He opened his eyes to find someone leaning over him.

"Hi, I'm Brian, is it just your leg or do you hurt anywhere else?"

"It's...just...my leg," Nick answered weakly.

Brian called over to another man, and they carried Nick into a nearby truck. They checked the rest of the buildings.

"You are very lucky." Brian told him, "There are no other survivors."

Tears stung Nick's eyes. He had already lost many friends and comrades since D-Day, but now his whole unit was gone. He was silent as the truck bumped, painfully along the road.

He was taken to a field hospital, where they patched up his leg. Then once more he was on the road again, to the nearest port, and then onto a ship back to Britain.

He was kept in a hospital on the south coast, while his leg was treated and healed. He wrote to Colette telling her where he was, and she managed to get a train down to see him.

He was so pleased to see her, that he could hardly bear to let her go once she was in his arms. He found himself sobbing into her shoulder as she held him. She comforted him the only way she knew how. Holding him in her arms until he was quiet.

The next day the doctor came round and said that Nick was allowed to go home. He talked of Nick travelling back to America, but Nick refused.

"No, I want to go home with my wife." He told the doctor.

"Of course," The doctor replied. "I'll discharge you immediately, and you can travel home with your wife tomorrow."

Colette was thrilled to have him back. They travelled home the next day. Changing trains in London. While travelling between Waterloo Station and Liverpool Street Station, they could see what devastation has been caused to the city. Sandbags were piled up everywhere. Just as they reached Liverpool Street Station, an air raid siren began to wail.

Colette looked worried, and they looked about them to see where everyone else was headed. They followed the crowd down into the underground railway station. They walked along the platform until they found a place to sit down.

Colette looked round at everyone that was there. Surprisingly there were still some children in the city. Most had been evacuated to the country. Those that remained seemed to accept the situation and played quietly with each other.

After what seemed like an eternity, the all clear was sounded. Colette and Nick got their train to Yoxford, and made it home before dark.

Nick was exhausted, and had to be helped up to bed. He fell asleep almost as soon as his head touched the pillow, and Colette went back down to speak to Katie.

"How long can he stay?" Katie asked.

"We haven't been given a date for him to return, they just said he was being sent home to convalesce. I should think he would need at least a few weeks, maybe even months. That was a very nasty injury, and he is in no fit state to go anywhere right now, and mentally...I don't think he could face going back."

"Maybe the war will end soon and he won't need to go back at all, and Kevin can come home too." Katie said longingly.

"Have you heard anything?" Colette asked.

" No. Nothing. I haven't had a single letter since he returned to the base. I made inquiries, but they say they can't tell me anything. I am worried Colette. I think they are hiding something from me. If only Alex was still working there I am sure he would tell me."

"Any official notification would be sent to his mother?"

"Yes, I am in constant contact with Anne by letter, but it takes forever for the letters to travel to and from America."

"Well no news is good news, as they say." Colette tried to sound positive, for her friend.

"Thanks, I am trying to keep positive, for Anne's sake." She looked down at her daughter asleep in her arms. She looked so much like Kevin, the colour of her eyes was beginning to change, and they were a bluish green shade now.

"I am going to put this one down for the night, ok? Then I will get to bed myself. I have an early start tomorrow, Mrs Dixon-Smith said she could do with some help tomorrow, and I can take Anne with me."

"Well you take it easy, are you sure you want to go back to work so soon?"

"I have to Colette, we need the money."

Chapter Twenty-Eight

It had been seven months or more since Kevin's mother had written. Kevin was missing in action, presumed dead. Katie's heart felt heavy, since receiving the news. But she would not believe he was dead.

It was different when Stephen died, she had felt it inside, and she had known it was true, no doubts.

But she did not feel like that this time. It wasn't even like when Kevin went missing. They had become so much closer since then, and she felt sure that if he were dead, she would know it instinctively

Due to the fact that they were not married, any official information was sent to his mother, and not to Katie, which meant there was a long delay before Katie heard anything.

The war in Europe was now at an end. The Russian army had fought its way into Poland, Austria and Germany. They were the first to reach Berlin. Hitler committed suicide, rather than fall into Russian hands, at the end of April. On 7^th May Admiral Donitz, Hitler's successor, offered unconditional surrender.

On 8^th May 1945, VE Day celebrated Victory in Europe. There had been a street party in the village, and all around the country, everyone celebrated.

The village was quiet now. The Airbase was empty of Americans, they had moved to their new base in Munich in July, and the base was now being used as an RAF Recruitment centre.

Mrs Dixon-Smith had been very good to Katie, allowing her to take Anne with her to the farmhouse, while she helped around the house. She was no longer part of the Land Army. They had been disbanded soon after the war in Europe had ended. The girls had been demobbed, and had had to return their uniforms, with hardly a thank you for all the hard work they had done.

But Mrs Dixon-Smith had persuaded her husband that they needed help in the house, and she had always had a soft spot for Katie, Anne was no trouble, and Katie needed the money.

Since VE Day, there had been terrible stories in the news of the liberation of concentration camps in Germany. Katie was worried that Kevin could be in one of those terrible places, but Nick reassured her that if Kevin had been taken prisoner, he would have been in a prisoner of war camp.

Privately, he felt that if Kevin had been taken prisoner, he would have been released long since, and would be home by now. But he did not give voice to this thought.

In August they heard on the news that Japan had at last surrendered following the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Although these bombs had caused terrible destruction and loss of life, it had at last ended the Second World War.

By this time, Nick's leg had healed and he was considered fit, both physically and mentally. He was supposed to return home to America, but he had managed to stay a bit longer with Colette, having persuaded the doctor that he needed to convalesce a little longer, before undertaking such a long journey.

Colette was more than happy to have him around the place. But it was obvious that they could not delay the inevitable any longer. Nick was ordered to return home to America. Colette was not allowed to travel home with him. She would have to follow later with the other GI Brides.

The night before he left, they tenderly made love to each other. They had been trying for a baby for quite a few months, but so far had not been lucky. But as they lay in each other's arms, in the afterglow of their love, Nick still buried deep inside her, Colette felt that perhaps tonight they had started a new life.

Next morning, Colette walked Nick to the train station to see him off. She was devastated to see him go, it was uncertain when she would be able to join him. She waved him off with tears in her eyes. Watching the train until it was out of sight, before turning and going home.

She explained to Katie that she intended to join her husband as soon as was physically possible, and because they were both thinking positively about Kevin she added.

"When Kevin comes back for you, we can meet up again in America, OK?"

Katie nodded silently not trusting herself to speak. She knew if she did, she would cry. She was happy for Colette, really she was. But she loved having her around the house; she always managed to keep her spirits up. She wished that Kevin would come home.

Colette had to go to the Tidworth army camp, which was cold and regimented. There they processed the GI brides, with endless physical checks for V.D. and lice, before they were allowed to travel to America to join their husbands. The experience was humiliating to say the least, but if that is what it took to rejoin her husband, then she was prepared to do it.

It was at one of her medical check ups that they told her she was pregnant. She considered writing to Nick to tell him, but when they told her she would be on the first ship, The Argentina, to the States on January 26^th, she decided to wait and tell him face to face. She wrote to Katie with her good news.

Aboard ship, each GI bride was known by their first name and the name of the state that was their destination, thus Colette was known as Colette Florida. The youngest bride was just 16 years old and was destined for North Carolina. The oldest was 44.

There were 452 brides, of which 30 were pregnant. 173 children and one GI husband whose wife was a WAC. They had been welcomed aboard by the captain who reminded them that...

"Even now, on the decks of an American ship, you are on American soil...may you find warm hearts and kindness."

A large map of the USA was pinned up in the library, for the women to mark their destinations on it. Some were shocked to see how far they had to travel after they got to New York.

As The Argentina arrived in New York, 9 days later, after it's long journey, many of the women were appalled to realize that the Statue of Liberty wasgreen.

On the quayside there was a band playing Sentimental Journey, followed by America the Beautiful, and the women lined up along the side of the ship straining to see their husbands who had come to "claim" them, in their civilian clothes. There was at least one woman who took one look at her husband out of uniform, and ran and bolted herself in her cabin and refused to leave the ship.

Colette scanned the faces in the crowd; it was difficult to see. Slowly the ship was docked and tied up, and the women began to make their way ashore. They trudged down the gangplank, carrying all their worldly possessions, and one by one they found their husbands.

Colette walked through the crowd, looking for Nick's blonde hair. She watched other joyful reunions, sadly, some women found that having travelled all this way, their husbands had changed their minds, and had not come to collect them. They stood alone and devastated, wondering what to do next.

"Colette!!"

She spun round at the sound of her name and she could see Nick pushing his way through the crowd.

Her heart leapt with joy as she saw his face, happy and full of love. He looked so handsome in his casual clothes. He stopped suddenly as he looked her up and down.

His eyes wide, and a smile from ear to ear; his gaze came to rest on her swollen belly.

He pulled her into his arms.

"Oh, baby!" He cried, and he kissed her passionately, as his hand caressed her stomach. "I am so happy to see you, and our baby? When is it due?"

"June." Puffed Colette, as Nick took her bags from her. "I would have written and told you, but I wanted to see your face." She grinned, as he took her hand and led her away from the harbour and the crowds of people. She was glad she had waited and told him face to face, his excitement was obvious, and he could hardly contain himself. He had the biggest smile on his face she had ever seen.

"Come on, baby," Nick said "let me take you home."

Katie was tired, she sat in the big old farmhouse kitchen with Mrs Dixon-Smith, and they shared some tea and cake.