“Yes, I think so. It seemed an honest enough answer. She’s clearly intelligent.”
“Ah, but can she think on her feet?”
“That we shall find out if we recommend her for training.”
“She’s very upper class,” pointed out the major. “Will she cope with all she has to learn? It’s a very tough training. Lots don’t make it.”
Jenner shrugged. “Can’t tell for sure, obviously, but yes, on balance I think she will. She may be upper class and very well off, as I understand it in her own right, but she hasn’t used that as an excuse to avoid service life as she might have done. She said her father offered her a job in his business, remember, but she turned it down. It struck me that not only is she self-reliant, but that she has a determined streak.”
The major, who had listened to Adelaide’s interview through a microphone, nodded. Jenner was well known as a talent-spotter and the major had great faith in his judgement.
“Who put you on to her?” the major asked.
“Two sources, which is why I had her in so quickly,” replied Jenner. “One, a group captain she’s been driving on a fairly regular basis, and the other, her cousin, Flight Lieutenant Driver. He’s one of ours. Both spotted her potential.”
“Right,” said the major. “She’s worth a try. We’ll call her up for preliminary training and see how she gets on. If she measures up she could be extremely useful with that fluent French.”
It was only a week later when Adelaide received orders to report to a manor house near Guildford, and on arrival there her life changed out of all recognition. The training was intensive. With four other girls, Adelaide worked from dawn till dusk and sometimes on into the night. Every minute of their day was filled. There was hard physical training, leaving them so exhausted that when they finally fell into their beds they sank into immediate oblivion, only to be woken, it seemed to Adelaide, minutes later to be sent on a five-mile run before breakfast. One army sergeant taught them to handle various weapons; another, unarmed combat. A third drilled them in map reading, while a fourth introduced them to signalling. There seemed so much for them to learn and the pressure on all of them was relentless. After ten days, two of the girls disappeared and did not rejoin Adelaide and the fourth girl, Cora.
“Where do you think they’ve gone?” Adelaide asked Cora wearily as they climbed into bed that night.
“Don’t know,” shrugged Cora, too tired to care. “Probably flunked it.”
“And got chucked out?”
“That, or they asked to leave.” She sighed. “Perhaps they didn’t like what we’re being trained for.”
“But we haven’t been told much about that yet,” pointed out Adelaide as she pulled the blankets up round her chin. “Gosh, it’s cold in here.”
“No, not spelled out,” Cora agreed, “but it’s pretty clear, don’t you think?”
“Undercover work of some sort?” suggested Adelaide.
“I’d put money on it,” Cora said and with a sigh was instantly asleep.
Although she was tired, Adelaide did not immediately follow her friend’s example. She lay in her bed thinking about the things with which they had been bombarded. It didn’t take a genius to work out that they were being prepared for something really special. Their instructors were tough, tolerating no sloppiness or laziness.
“If you don’t get this right first time,” bellowed Sergeant Garner, spinning round on her when Adelaide had fumbled a silent approach, “you’re dead meat, right? No second chances in this game. So, stop thundering about like a bleedin’ elephant and try again!”
“Use your brain!” snapped Sergeant Allen. “You’ve got to out-think your enemy, and you’ve got to do it fast. If circumstances change, you’ve got to be ready to switch course, OK?”
Cora and Adelaide struggled with all that was thrust at them with determination, though there were times when
“Ah, but can she think on her feet?”
“That we shall find out if we recommend her for training.”
“She’s very upper class,” pointed out the major. “Will she cope with all she has to learn? It’s a very tough training. Lots don’t make it.”
Jenner shrugged. “Can’t tell for sure, obviously, but yes, on balance I think she will. She may be upper class and very well off, as I understand it in her own right, but she hasn’t used that as an excuse to avoid service life as she might have done. She said her father offered her a job in his business, remember, but she turned it down. It struck me that not only is she self-reliant, but that she has a determined streak.”
The major, who had listened to Adelaide’s interview through a microphone, nodded. Jenner was well known as a talent-spotter and the major had great faith in his judgement.
“Who put you on to her?” the major asked.
“Two sources, which is why I had her in so quickly,” replied Jenner. “One, a group captain she’s been driving on a fairly regular basis, and the other, her cousin, Flight Lieutenant Driver. He’s one of ours. Both spotted her potential.”
“Right,” said the major. “She’s worth a try. We’ll call her up for preliminary training and see how she gets on. If she measures up she could be extremely useful with that fluent French.”
It was only a week later when Adelaide received orders to report to a manor house near Guildford, and on arrival there her life changed out of all recognition. The training was intensive. With four other girls, Adelaide worked from dawn till dusk and sometimes on into the night. Every minute of their day was filled. There was hard physical training, leaving them so exhausted that when they finally fell into their beds they sank into immediate oblivion, only to be woken, it seemed to Adelaide, minutes later to be sent on a five-mile run before breakfast. One army sergeant taught them to handle various weapons; another, unarmed combat. A third drilled them in map reading, while a fourth introduced them to signalling. There seemed so much for them to learn and the pressure on all of them was relentless. After ten days, two of the girls disappeared and did not rejoin Adelaide and the fourth girl, Cora.
“Where do you think they’ve gone?” Adelaide asked Cora wearily as they climbed into bed that night.
“Don’t know,” shrugged Cora, too tired to care. “Probably flunked it.”
“And got chucked out?”
“That, or they asked to leave.” She sighed. “Perhaps they didn’t like what we’re being trained for.”
“But we haven’t been told much about that yet,” pointed out Adelaide as she pulled the blankets up round her chin. “Gosh, it’s cold in here.”
“No, not spelled out,” Cora agreed, “but it’s pretty clear, don’t you think?”
“Undercover work of some sort?” suggested Adelaide.
“I’d put money on it,” Cora said and with a sigh was instantly asleep.
Although she was tired, Adelaide did not immediately follow her friend’s example. She lay in her bed thinking about the things with which they had been bombarded. It didn’t take a genius to work out that they were being prepared for something really special. Their instructors were tough, tolerating no sloppiness or laziness.
“If you don’t get this right first time,” bellowed Sergeant Garner, spinning round on her when Adelaide had fumbled a silent approach, “you’re dead meat, right? No second chances in this game. So, stop thundering about like a bleedin’ elephant and try again!”
“Use your brain!” snapped Sergeant Allen. “You’ve got to out-think your enemy, and you’ve got to do it fast. If circumstances change, you’ve got to be ready to switch course, OK?”
Cora and Adelaide struggled with all that was thrust at them with determination, though there were times when
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