For Grace, April 17th was a day to remember, a day of intense excitement for her, as she strolled along the Quayside at Boulogne. Her much loved elder brother Charlie, whom she had not seen for months, was due to arrive by boat. She had driven down from Calais the night before, with her great friend Betty Hutchinson as driver, in her own ambulance, the Unic
She smiled to herself as she went, having just witnessed an amusing scene. Parked between a French and a British vehicle, Betty had decided to change a tyre which had been playing up. It was the differing attitudes of the French and English drivers on either side that had caused her so much amusement. Touched, to a certain extent, by national pride, it must be said.
Grace wrote about it later: "The French driver protested it was a hard job for a woman – the English were courageous – an Englishwoman to change a heavy tyre like that!" And he continued to sit and smoke his cigarette.
Grace continued: "The English driver strolled languidly round the car – sauntered slowly back to his own 'bus, strolled back to ours, levers in hand, and still in unbroken silence took tyre and nuts and operations generally, out of Betty's capable hands. Only when the new tyre was on, did he speak. 'That'll do, I'm thinking' he remarked wisely, and strolled off again!"
Grace herself wandered off, still smiling, but keeping a watchful eye on the harbour traffic.
As soon as she saw the leave boat approaching, she headed back to the Quay, and anxiously searching the crowds of khaki-clad figures on the deck, but it was only as he shuffled down the companionway that they spotted each other. She ran to embrace him as he hurried across to her. Their affection and comradeship, shared for so long as children, almost tangible, bridging those gaps over the years which had separated them, and Billy, from time to time.
Charlie had with him an old friend, Montague Johnstone, serving in another cavalry regiment, the Scots Greys. Introductions were soon over, they piled their kit into the Unic, and set off for St. Omer, GHQ of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). Both men had orders to report there first and get instructions for joining their units. Off they went, Betty and Montague in the front, Charlie and Grace perched at the back dangling their legs over the tailboard. The years melted away. For these two it was like reliving one of their mad adventures of the past, though this time there were just the two, not the usual trio.
There was so much to talk about. In Grace's words: "In wartime one does not see much of one's relations." This final adventure stayed deep within Grace's memory. About it she remembers: "The long hills, the wide stretches of country, the fascination of the vast views, held us too; and then the darkness came, slowly at first with a mellow golden sunset, - and then – rain. Oh that rain! – but we did not heed it much."
They drove on through the rain and the darkness, over roads with which neither Grace nor Betty were familiar. Not surprising, as it was well into the British sector, and women drivers were not normally allowed there. At last they reached St. Omer, where GHQ was situated, and with sighs of relief pulled up in the Town Square, in front of the large requisitioned hotel.
Here there was much activity, Staff Cars parked everywhere, men in khaki constantly moving around. Entering the hotel they immediately became the centre of attention. The buzz of conversation in the lounge died down, heads swung in their direction. Women at GHQ were a great rarity, especially women in British Army uniforms, and one of them an officer.
Charlie was delighted with all this, proud to be with his younger sister getting all this attention, proud of her in her officer's uniform. Montague, on the other hand was obviously slightly embarrassed by all eyes being turned upon them. The two girls noticed his discomfort, but pretended to be unaware of it. Both knew that ladies, even in military uniform were not supposed to penetrate the hallowed precincts of GHQ!
The two men duly signed in, got their travel instructions, and the four of them sat down to a much needed dinner. It had been a long drive in dreadful conditions. Refreshed and cheerful, they gathered themselves together, and once more set out into the dark and the rain.
It was difficult finding the way. The roads were thronged with military convoys, past sentries astonished at seeing women in uniform, through sleeping villages. At last they got to Hazebrouck, where Montague Johnstone of the Scots Greys was to be dropped off. Charlie wanted to send the girls back from there, taking his chances of getting further along to his own unit. Neither Grace nor Betty would hear of it. They were determined, in FANY fashion, to finish the job. Goodbyes were said, Montague promising to come and visit them in Calais the first chance he got. Charlie, Grace and Betty all sat in the front now, and headed for Boesinghem, where the 3rd Dragoon Guards were stationed.
In the tradition of the FANY, young though it was as yet, both Grace and Betty were enjoying this little adventure, driving around in the British sector where few women had been before, and where the Authorities considered women to be utterly useless unless they were nurses and nothing else.
They came upon an Army Service Corps (ASC) depot, and stopped to take some petrol on board. Two of the sentries at the depot were Scots, and according to Grace, were: "Vastly overcome at hearing their own tongue being spoken by a woman in the heart of that little French village."
On they went until finally Charlie reached his destination, a small cottage, in the sitting room of which were laid out three sleeping bags. A small room off it was reserved for the Adjutant.
Charlie's batman made them some cocoa and produced some 'home made' cake to their delight. Then they strolled out to have a look at Charlie's horses, comfortably stabled in the back yard. The groom on guard duty was given a few packets of Gold Flake cigarettes from the stores they had brought with them, which cheered him up immensely.
Then it was time to go. Charlie was very worried about them going back in those conditions in territory unfamiliar to them, and suggested they stay until morning. Grace was wouldn't hear of it; she was catching the 10.30 boat in the morning, and that was that.
But first, Charlie wanted them to meet an old friend of his, originally from South America, whose billet was about quarter of a mile down the road. It was all in darkness when they stopped outside, and the three of them crept quietly up to a shuttered window, Tapping on it, Charlie called out "Hello, Harry. Are you asleep?"
Grace remembers: "And I, filled with the demon of mischief, laughed, and called out 'Hello, Harry. Are you asleep?'"
Her woman's voice brought shout of astonishment, and Harry appeared, with a 'British Warm' over his pyjamas, delighted to see Charlie again, and thrilled to see two ladies in khaki. Harry Dadson, a fellow officer of the regiment, was happy as a sandboy. He offered to sleep with Charlie if the girls would stay till morning. But both were firm, Betty had to get Grace to Boulogne for the 10.30 boat.
They all went out to where the Unic was parked in the road, alongside a small canal. It was about 1 a.m. and still raining hard. All four stood around the ambulance for a few minutes, " chatting gaily" according to Grace. She was trying to light and adjust the headlight – the other had been knocked off the night the 'Band of Hope' arrived in Calais at the end of October, - when Billy drove into a handcart in the dark!
Suddenly Charlie shouted, grabbed a flashlight, and ran to the rear of the ambulance waving it madly. Then he leapt backwards, and fell into the canal.
At the same time Harry yelled out "jump for your lives!"
Betty burst out of the Unic and ran across the road.
Then, a sudden crash, and the Unic lurched toward Grace, who hurled herself away from it. The episode was etched into her memory: "I leapt backwards – down, down into cold, slimy, horrible water. I fumbled wildly in the air; one thought alone dominated me – I had new boots on!"
She was convinced momentarily that she would drown, until Harry reached down and pulled her out back onto the road. She recalls:" And all the gratitude I offered was' my new boots will be ruined!'"
Abruptly she remembered Charlie's first warning shout, and screamed out ; "Where's Charlie", and suddenly he was beside her, the moment of panic was past.
The cause of this unexpected fracas turned out to be a French Staff Car, with three officers in it, interpreters all, who had been driving far too fast for the prevailing conditions, and smashed into the back of the parked Unic.
In a letter to her mother a couple of days later, Grace summed it up graphically: "Charlie fled for his life and fell into a small canal. Betty ran; Dadson leapt back. I, being on the other side, didn't see what was coming and only saw the Unic barge at me, leapt back clean over a milestone and into the small canal also."
Her next remarks underscore the kind of stress that built up in those who were under constant pressure in adverse conditions. She went on: "It was frightfully funny, and we laughed ourselves sore!"
To the three French officers shakily climbing out of their damaged car, it must have been a bizarre sight; two British Officers and two women in British Army uniforms, shrieking with laughter, possibly having just escaped death by inches. It would have done much to reinforce the popular view of Continentals that the English were completely mad.
However, realizing and accepting their responsibility, they sought to make amends. As they approached Grace and the rest, one, slightly ahead of the others, called out In his practised English "Much damage, you fellows?"
Grace answered, saying there appeared to be quite a lot. The Frenchman, taken aback at hearing a woman's voice walked closer, Grace continues: "His eyes peered into my face as he saluted."
"I beg your pardon" he stuttered, "I did not expect to find a lady!" Then, poor chap, still apparently suffering from shock, took a step back, tripped over the same milestone that Grace had a short time before, and disappeared into the canal.
This incident produced further roars of laughter, but whether the officer concerned joined in is not recorded. However, he is on record as protesting that he was alright.
The French officers and their driver offered to repair the damage as best they could. As it was now about 2 a.m. Grace and Betty decided they would stay the night after all, rather than return through unfamiliar country in a damaged vehicle, in rain and darkness.
The gallant Frenchmen removed their jackets, and set to in their shirtsleeves as the rain continued to pour down. They persuaded the ladies to go inside and shelter from the elements, which they did, taking with them 2 stretchers for the men to sleep on, while they commandeered Harry's bed.
Meantime, Charlie set off on foot to recall his horses from the previously arranged rendezvous. This was to be a night to remember.
Back in Harry's billet the landlady appeared, having been an interested spectator, from an upstairs window, of all that had gone on. She produced coffee and rolls and butter, which was more than welcome after their experience. It was now about 2.30 a.m. and the old dear refused to go to bed until the meal was finished and Charlie had returned. Grace was convinced she felt it was her duty to act as a chaperone!
They were all in bed by 3 o'clock, slept until 6 a.m. To their delight, the landlady was already up, with breakfast of eggs, rolls and butter, and coffee ready for them all. Shortly after breakfast the French returned having completed the repairs sometime during the night. They insisted that they must be there to see that the Unic started alright. While all this was going on, Charlie's batman cleaned the girls' boots , dried by the stove, and equipment.
As a final gesture, the French officers had gathered bunches of early spring flowers to present to 'les mademoiselles'.
The sun was now shining, and the road was already busy with military convoys rumbling past. The group were gathered around the ambulance. There were companies of British troops on the march, too, and as they passed the two girls in khaki, holding the bunches of flowers, all their usual march discipline went by the board. They broke lines to catch a glimpse of them, call out greetings and cheered them loudly.
The time came to go. Grace and Betty climbed aboard the Unic. Harry wished both of them au revoir telling them they must return next week .(They did, but sadly, both billets were empty and the area deserted. The regiment had gone to the Battle of Ypres.)
Grace had reached one of the most poignant moments in her life. Her account of the parting with Charlie in Nursing Adventures, reflects this haunting memory.
"As for the brother, he stood there in the sunshine, big and strong and happy; and my heart was heavy despite the prospect of seeing him in a week. Was he, too, troubled with foreboding? I knew not. For a moment he took my hands in his as we said farewell. There were gay and cheery greetings. The spring of life and hope and love seemed very full that morning, and my eyes kept turning to the big brother in the sunlight, straight and tall and fit. Was it a warning, that weight at my heart ? – a knowledge that never again would I see him standing so, the sun's rays on his dark eyes and cheery smile".