Home Front Girls

possessions they had brought with them. They had been advised that they would be issued with their uniforms the following morning.
    In the centre of the room was a large iron stove and Hilary held her hands out to it appreciatively. ‘We ain’t goin’ to freeze either,’ she remarked with a grin. ‘I reckon I’m gonna like it ’ere.’
    In no time at all the room began to look more homely as pictures of loved ones appeared on the lockers, and once they were unpacked some of the girls settled down to write letters home. There were three large windows across the end of the room but as it was dark now the blackout blinds were firmly in place and Annabelle wondered if they would have a sea view. She would have to wait until the morning to find out.
     
    Once Miss Dewhurst had spoken to the girls again after supper that evening, they all trooped off back to their dormitory and Annabelle curled up in the chair at the side of her bed and pretended to read a book. She didn’t feel much like socialising and felt curiously homesick. Hilary had enough to say for both of them, however, and Annabelle listened to her chatting away to the other girls gathered around the stove as they all got to know each other.
    One girl who lived in Portsmouth was giving them all a history lesson about Haslar. ‘It was opened in 1750,’ she informed them, enjoying their attention, ‘and thousands of men have been buried here over the years.’
    ‘How come you know so much about the place?’ Hilary asked curiously, and the girl, who had introduced herself as Janet, smiled.
    ‘Because I live close by, of course. We did all about Haslar in history lessons at school.’
    Annabelle listened with half an ear. She was tired by now after the long journey and more than ready to settle down, although she wondered how she was ever going to sleep surrounded by so many other girls. She had never had to share a room before. She did sleep, however, the second her head hit the pillow – and didn’t wake until a bell sounded early the next morning. The girls all hastily washed and dressed then made their way to the mess room for breakfast. Once they had eaten they were told that they had half an hour until they had to report to Miss Dewhurst again, so Annabelle decided to do a little exploring. Seeing her leave the room, Hilary hurried after her.
    Once outside they turned their coat collars up against the biting wind that was blowing in from the sea and headed for the gate that was set in the wall surrounding the hospital. They opened it – and there before them was the sea. A protective sea wall sloped down from the road, and they saw that they were outside the harbour, with Portsmouth to one side of them and the Isle of Wight on the other.
    ‘Cor, we could swim from here!’ Hilary announced with delight and Annabelle shuddered.
    ‘Not in this weather we couldn’t. And from what Miss Dewhurst has told us, I don’t think we’ll get much time for swimming anyway.’
    ‘Well, we’ve got to have some free time,’ Hilary pointed out. ‘They can’t work us twenty-four ’ours a bleedin’ day, can they?’
    ‘I suppose not,’ Annabelle conceded. ‘But come on now. We don’t want to be late the first morning, do we?’
    ‘Nah, you’re right,’ Hilary agreed, with one last glance at the choppy grey waves.
    Soon after returning to the hospital the girls were taken to the clothing store where they were issued with their uniforms. Plain grey dresses, a navy petersham belt, white aprons, flat black shoes, a red cape, thick lisle stockings and white caps. They were then allowed back to their dormitory to get changed.
    ‘Cor, I feel like a proper nurse now, though I don’t know why we ain’t never goin’ to be allowed to wear our own clobber any more,’ Hilary declared, twirling in the only mirror the room boasted. ‘But can somebody help me wiv this blasted cap? It don’t wanna sit right for some reason.’
    Annabelle adjusted it on the girl’s thick fair hair for her and then twiddled with her own. Fixing it on wasn’t as straightforward as it looked, but she eventually managed it with the help of a few Kirby grips. They all then set off for the next lecture.
    ‘It’s like bein’ back at flippin’ school,’ Hilary grumbled beneath her breath. ‘I wonder when we’ll get to do some proper nursin’?’
    After the lecture a senior VAD was elected to give the girls a tour of the hospital, and half an hour later, most of them