aerials.’
Another bloody calamity, thought Bill.
‘In a Lancaster two will stick out at the top of the fuselage and one will be under the bomb-aimer’s position. The ABC will be unique as it will be used to jam radio to German night fighters but it’s in the prototype stage, I’m afraid.’
Captain Hawkins began to gather up his papers. ‘You will be tested on general information but next week will be more hectic when we cover the H2S, the Fishpond, and the Boozer.’
Everyone started to laugh nervously, a fact appreciated by Captain Hawkins who was grateful for some light relief. ‘Boozer is a radar detector but it might be more disconcerting than useful. Its system of lights mounted on the instrumentation panel are supposed to glow bright when tracked by Wurzburg ground radar or Lichtenstein airborne radar, but we fear they are often triggered by false alerts.’
‘Another one to keep turned off, Sir?’ suggested Richard.
‘Yes, quite so, Cadet, those among you who have been Eagle Scouts might have minds like a compass but for the rest of us, it’s hard work I’m afraid.’
Bill felt confident, as he’d been a Boy Scout. He felt he no longer needed to ponder his fate with these exams.
He twiddled with his pencil as he studied his notes. He could do this, he was sure he could. More than ever he had no intention of being scrubbed as a pilot.
Richard quoted Virgil, yield not to calamity but face her boldly.
CHAPTER 10
AN INTRODUCTION TO SEX
In Bill’s defence not everyone fared well in the classroom, or the theatre of love. Then as today, some might have had more fun paying speeding fines than attending one of those church hall socials.
Richard chided Bill. ‘It rather depends on your attitude. Maybe you crave a good foot rub, old boy,’
‘Aye, or he’s got his eye out for someone with summat special,’ smirked Olly.
‘Someone who might re-fill his pipe, and tamp it down for him, the way he likes it,’ offered Richard sarcastically.
Olly and Richard were taking the piss.
At times like this, Bill felt like a salmon attempting to swim upstream but he realised Olly and Richard’s intentions were friendly enough.
No such qualms from Olly, Richard and some of the others. Most wanted to get in for their chop, whenever and wherever they could. Marooned by circumstances beyond their control, they were determined to make the best of it and dry hump anyone in Canada who would let them.
Social dances started out being supervised. Once underway the older folk departed with a promise to return later to help close up and clear away. But they rarely did. Richard behaved in an exemplary manner but gave Bill a broad wink.
Any girls in a serious relationship, those who didn’t want to mix in, or anyone feeling ‘poorly’ because of their wrong time of the month kept ‘watch,’ helped make tea or wound up the gramophone and changed over the ‘seventy-eight’ records. A favourite was Glenn Miller.
Married women seldom attended.
Some cadets were content to sip tea and chat with a girl, any girl. Others expected more.
Initial introductions and preliminary dating rituals completed, girls selected their preferred partners for the evening. Music slowed, lights dimmed and tentative face sucking precluded more serious necking, untidy dishevelment, petting and states of undress even as far as point of nakedness.
‘Whatever a woman’s self-consciousness feels fit to overcome,’ beamed Richard.
On first dates it was for the most part chitchat followed by carousing.
After their first uneventful church hall dance Olly and Richard exchanged notes and tried to guide Bill.
‘There’s a lovely blonde nurse named Anne. Olly and I both have our eyes on her.’
‘Aye, she’s a goer for sure. I like her. She’s a blonde with long hair, big tits and a big arse. Built for comfort not speed, by gum.’
‘You’d like anyone willing with a pulse,’ laughed Richard.
‘Aye, but it’s hard naught to look at Anne’s tits. Especially when they enter the room a fair way before anything else.’
‘Out and proud,’ beamed Richard. ‘It’s like her breasts are taking her for a walk.’
At their second church hall dance Anne latched onto Richard as if he was an ex-boy friend back from the war and flirted outrageously with Olly.
She wore a knee length tight chequered skirt and a pale blue silk blouse that couldn’t contain its contents. Bill saw flashes of bra and skin between the pearl buttons. Her chiffon scarf tied loosely at the neck did its best to retain some propriety.
For some it was more a case of finding a space that allowed such freedom as only betrothed women might allow. Away from the main floor was in great demand. No one wanted to be caught out if someone in authority decided to come back to check on progress of proceedings.
Couples vied to use dark corners or any area of privacy where they could continue in part or all the way. Popular was anywhere with a lock or a key; toilets, kitchen, or any store room, no matter how cramped or small.
‘Aye, anywhere large enough to break wind will do,’ laughed Olly.
‘Bill, you’re yet to realise, women need a reason to have sex, men only need a place,’ confided Richard.
‘Not every woman needs to have a reason to have sex with a man,’ said Anne. ‘Sex in itself can sometimes be enough. I know it is with me.’
To Olly and Richard, Anne was now the most attractive woman in the room. About as popular as a naked porn queen handing out free drinks in the Mess.
Punctuated between contented puffs at his pipe this opportunity for Bill to sample delights of an enthusiastic amateur, perhaps even get laid for the first time many miles from home, began to excite Bill. He tamped down the tobacco in his pipe with his thumb, and lit with repeated match strikes before sucking deeply to his satisfaction. As he exhaled Anne put her face closer to the smoke.
‘Ahh, I like it, Bill. But it’s not as good as this mother’s milk.’ Anne drained her cup in one. ‘Drinking Scotch is like slipping naked into a warm bath.’
The prospect of Anne naked in or out of a bath, any bath, excited Bill. He hadn’t had many opportunities of intimacy with members of the fairer sex, but now, he realised, might be his big chance. He took a good look at Anne as she wrapped her arm in Richard’s. She was a biggish girl, a bit heavy set, with enormous breasts. But she seemed keen on Richard and liked Olly. Bill sensed it was time to go and find his own girl.
‘When you latch onto someone, Bill. If you’re not sure what to do, keep kissing her. Women like to be kissed. If you kiss her right, one thing leads to another,’ advised Richard.
Anne nodded in agreement. ‘No argument with that.’ She laughed. ‘That’s usually how it starts.’
Anne was about to let her Veronica Lake hair down. She was almost pissed.
They laughed.
All pretences of etiquette were about to disappear about as fast as a snowflake settling on a hot coal. Bill excused himself and went off to explore the room.
Soon he met a beautiful Canadian girl named Sophie. She worked as a part-time nurse. He shuffled his feet in time to the music a couple of times as they pretended to dance, but as he’d never danced before his was a half-hearted effort. Rather than pay attention to the direction his feet were travelling Bill was more interested