Chapter 8

The little party of Germans and Scots and one Englishwoman waited expectantly as the train from Glasgow pulled into the little station at Galston. The little, blue, Caledonian 'single driver' disappeared in a cloud of steam as it got to the end of the branch line. There were much blasting of whistles and banging of carriage doors as the passengers began to alight.

Virtually all of the train's passengers were in uniform, a replacement draft for the camp guards. A very few were returning soldiers and sailors, a very few indeed.

A couple of soldiers were assisting and elderly woman of about 70 with her bags. She was berating them in German.

"Omi!" Kimi yelled as he ran up to her.

"(Ger) Tell these brutes I can get down by myself. I'm not an invalid," Kimi's grandmother replied.

Kimi smiled at the soldiers and thanked them for their assistance.

"(Ger) You're as skinny as ever," she said, "aren't the English feeding you?"

"(Ger) Very well Omi. How was the journey?"

"(Ger) Long, and soldiers everywhere. Every town's full of soldiers. The ship bounced up and down and it was full of Dutchmen. They spit at you when they talk. Strange language the Dutch."

Two German prisoners moved forward to assist the old woman with her luggage. Kimi made the introductions.

"(Ger) This is Bruno Lody from Heidelburg and Herman Schoemann from Kiel."

The two men gave her a stiff bow. Omi Kasemann's demeanour changed.

"(Ger) Ah, two gentlemen at last. I hope it won't be long before you can return home. Your families will need your strong backs. Things are very grim there. So! Kimi, are you going to show me this Englishwoman of yours, is she here?"

Kimi brought Eliza forward and presented her to his Grandmother.

"(Ger) This is Eliza, Omi, my fiancée."

Eliza was very nervous of the old woman. She desperately wanted to get the seal of approval from Kimi's closest surviving relative.

Putting a hand on each side of Eliza's face she said,

"(Ger) C'mon, let's have a look at you. She's very pale, Kimi, and skinny like your mother. Are you sure she's not ill?"

"(Ger) She's fine and healthy, Omi. Isn't she pretty?"

"(Ger) Clearly you think so. She's too young, Kimi. Give her another 5 years, 6 maybe..."

Eliza looked from Omi Kasemann to her future husband in confusion. She tried to interpret their expressions to get an idea of the conversation.

"I'm am happy to meet you at last," she told the woman in a deliberate way. Kimi started to interpret for her.

"Kimi!" said his grandmother, "I... to... meet you... happy also. (Ger) See Kimi I have a German/English dictionary. I read it carefully on the ship coming over. This English, it is not so hard to understand. If I'm to have English great grandchildren I will need to study up."

"(Ger) So you approve of our wedding?" Kimi asked excitedly

"(Ger) No, of course not. But it never stopped your father and I doubt it'd stop you. You have too much of your father in you."

"Kimi," Eliza said, "what is she saying?"

"She says she likes you and approves of our wedding," he told her.

Eliza threw her arms around Kimi and kissed him.

"(Ger) Kimi! Not in public! You are not married yet. What did you tell her?"

"(Ger) That you are the sweetest grandmother anyone could have, of course."

"(Ger) Liar! I'm not so old I can't put you over my knee," she said, a momentary grin flicked over her face.

Jock was standing by the gig as they came out of the station gate. Kimi gestured to him and said,

"(Ger) This is my friend, Warrant Officer Smyth."

"(Ger) More soldiers! Ach. Goodness, this one's big, an Officer you say?"

"Obergefreiter,"

"(Ger) Oh, I see. You must tell me who the Officers are, Kimi. I hope you are showing respect to them. You must always give an Officer his due, Kimi..." his grandmother went on.

Mrs. Kasemann talked all the way into the village with hardly a pause. Kimi looked embarrassed so Jock spoke up,

"Tell your grandmother we're sorry to hear of the death off her son." Kimi passed it on.

She tipped her head towards the WO and said,

"Thank... you." She replied in English. "(Ger) Kimi, have you told him that your father was a hero. As his ship was going under they torpedoed and sank an English Battleship."

"(Ger) They say it was the Marlborough, Omi, and it did not sink."

"(Ger) They lie to you, Kimi. Everyone knows half the English were sunk at the 'Skaggeraksieg'." (Skaggerak Victory)

"(Ger) They call the battle, Jutland, Omi, and they say they won it."

"(Ger) The English can say what they like. Your cousin Johan was there, on the 'Derflinger, ' and he said their ships were blowing up everywhere. He said he hit the 'Invincible' with his own turret. They gave him a medal for it. They got the honours, y'know, shared with the 'Von der Tann.' They won it? Never!"

"Kimi, what is your grandmother saying?" asked Jock.

"She told me she's likes Galston and is glad to be here."

"You Germans have a long-winded way of saying things," Jock said, shaking his head.

Omi Kasemann began referring to Herman and Bruno as her 'boys', and it was some time before she allowed them to head back to camp.

They had to shift the cot in the Smyth's spare room away from the window, fetch and carry things for her and generally make a fuss. Jean Smyth bridled at her dominating manner.

"I think we have a cuckoo in the nest," she told Jock, "I'm not sure how long I can put up with her. She'd rearrange the whole cottage if she had the strength."

"She won't be here too long."

"Aye, she's too 'Prussian' for my liking and I can't understand a word she says. She could be calling me a witch for all I know."

"Maybe," Jock considered, "she'd be partial to a little toddy?"

Mrs. Smyth dug her husband in the ribs,

"Now Jock, I wouldn't want to kill the old battleaxe," she said.

The wedding had become known as 'the German Wedding' and had caused a few divisions in the village. Although most people liked Kimi, the war was too fresh in most people's minds. A good number of POW's would be there and that was more than many of the villagers could stand.

On the morning of the ceremony, Kimi dressed at the camp under the administration of Gefreiter Gerry Klein, a tailor in civilian life. Kimi's best man was to be Bruno Lody who, for the occasion, had assembled most of the dress uniform of a U-boat man. Most of the German guests had gathered some kind of uniform. Someone suggested that this was to be the final operation of the old Imperial Navy.

Kimi was escorted in a solemn procession from the camp to the church. He rode in a gig followed by an honour guard of the Kaiser's Navy. Kimi felt very embarrassed by it all. At least no one produced a German flag.

At the church, the Germans filed past the knot of curious onlookers into the church and were directed to the groom's side. At the front of the aisle, Omi Kasemann was holding court. She reminded Kimi of one those portraits of Queen Victoria.

Across the aisle Eliza's mother dabbed her eyes and looked a little bewildered. Newly arrived from Norway she and her husband had only a few days to meet everybody.

The wedding march played, as her father escorted Eliza down the aisle. He was dimly aware of the hushed comments from the crowd and Jock Smyth at the back closing the doors behind them. Kimi swayed slightly and his mind was a little fogged. Back at the camp he'd been given a potent draft of homemade schnapps, 'to stiffen his resolve.'

Eliza looked beautiful, he thought, in her 'broiderie anglais' gown. At her buttoned up neck glittered a silver broach, a present from her parents.

Somehow Kimi got through the service without fumbling. He even said 'I do' confidently, feeling the calm presence of Bruno by his elbow.

The party spilled out next door, to the church hall. That is, after the obligatory photo on the steps. A generous supper had been laid out on long tables and the newly weds were ushered to the top table. Omi Kasemann was seated on Kimi's other side, still with her 'boys' hovering nearby.

Speeches were given in both languages. Bruno had a fair command of English and managed tolerably well. After the official toast Mrs. Kasemann rose to speak, the room hushed.

"I... want... wish... my grandson and his... bride well," she said in a rehearsed fashion. "I wish... his father was here... he would this very much like. I speak... for him... at the wedding of his son. Hard it is for me... my only grandson... he will live in Danzig not... but among... auslanderen; Englische?" she asked, leaning towards Bruno.