Chapter 3: Civilian Life Beckons

Tony was now quite sure in his own mind that he had discovered the identity of his mother. He somehow had a feeling that he also recognised his natural father as his ex captain. However common sense was telling him to exercise discretion, and let events take their own course. Common sense was telling him that if she was his mother, she should initiate any action. He could hardly start calling her "mother" without some form of recognition on her part

The day of his discharge soon came along and Tony joined the crowded train at Portsmouth harbour station, with the aid of a the Red Cross volunteer lady, who carefully put his walking stick, his overcoat and attaché case on the luggage rack above his head of his seat. The train was full of military and naval personnel and what made it worse was the fact that at this time all military personnel going on leave had to carry their full kit and rifles home with them. The reason for this was the imminent fear of invasion. If this happened they were ordered to report for active service to the nearest army unit ... This of course meant that the carriages and the corridors were jammed with people sitting on the floor with kitbags and rifles adding to the congestion in the corridors.

The Red Cross had had provided him with refreshments and a newspaper for the journey to London. They had ensured that someone would meet him on arrival, and see him to the Salvation Army hostel he had given as his temporary address. In parting, the lady told him that his kit bag was in the baggage car and it would be delivered to the Salvation Army hostel at Stratford in East London for him to collect some time the next day...

Tony now had no excuse now about searching for his parents, but the vision had warned him of Joan's plans of marriage, and so still using that excuse of going to London would get him away from Joan for a while. She needed to get over Alans death her own way, and Tony was sure that she would not do that if he was still around.

Tony had never been to Stratford but he had decided he wanted to get back to the London area, and stopping in central London on his meagre savings would be foolish ... The choice of Stratford was very much due to the man in the next bed in the hospital. They had talked for a long time about a lot of things and Tony had found him good company. He had been born and brought up in Stratford in East London and was always talking about his home and family. When the Welfare asked him for an address he thought of Stratford and suggested the Salvation Army hostel until he got a permanent address. He had sent a little note to Lady Sheila telling her that he had to go to London as he had a personal task to carry out while he had time, but that he would gladly accept her invitation in the future if it was still on offer.

As he was settling himself in his seat in the overcrowded compartment crushed between the window and another sailor. Tony had noticed the young sad looking blonde lady sitting opposite, who gave him a little smile of welcome as he took his seat. Almost immediately the vision told him that this was a lady who had big troubles of her own, and she was doing her best to hide them. He was glad to be out of hospital, but now he knew he was entering a new phase in his life, now for the first time he was forced to think about having to earn a living. He had the offer to stay in the Navy which was on the table and waiting for him to respond to, and his application for the Metropolitan Police was still somewhere in the pipeline. He was now on sick leave for nearly three months pending his medical discharge from the Royal Navy. Fortunately, he had built up a useful bank balance on his meagre naval pay while he had been at sea and could afford to find somewhere to live until he found work.

His recovery had been phenomenally quick much to the surprise of his doctors. They had told him that he would be able to walk reasonably well again sometime in the near future, but he would probably always have a slight limp. The wounds in his chest had healed well and they did not anticipate that he would have any long term problems with that. The doctors had stressed that he should walk as much as possible on his leg, and increase the length of his walks to build up the muscles, but to stop walking at any time if it became too uncomfortable.

His compartment on the train was full with naval personnel going on leave and the young lady, and he was getting some looks of sympathy from the other servicemen who had seen the Red Cross lady help him to the compartment. They had also recognised his medal ribbon. Tony was feeling rather low, now he had come to the realisation that he faced an entirely new life, one that he was afraid that he was ill equipped for. As the train started to move the young lady opposite said.

"Excuse me, but isn't that the DSM you are wearing?

Tony said. "Yes miss but they give them out for anything these days."

Her comment immediately attracted the interest of other servicemen in the compartment

"What ship were you on?" She asked.

Tony smiled at her. "Hardships miss, and you should know we are not allowed to discuss, things like that in wartime."

She blushed with embarrassment and said. "Yes I'm sorry I should have known better. My husband is in the Navy, or was in the Navy, but I tend to forget. Oh by the way my name is Kate. Middleton"

"Pleased to meet you Kate, my name is Tony."

At this time several servicemen butted in with the comments of "rubbish you earned it mate." With one sailor saying.

"You were the guy who saved the Melksham weren't you?"

Tony just smiled, and didn't answer as he tried to concentrate on enjoying the passing scenery

Suddenly, and not for the first time Tony had the feeling that the power of the ring was increasing.

as the vision gave him a picture of HMS Victory and the Court Martial gun being fired and the Union Flag at the main mast signifying that a court martial was sitting. The vision told him that woman opposite was extremely lonely and in great personal distress, and then he saw a cabin on HMS Victory and he realised he was looking at the Court Martial scene.

As the vision faded Tony then started to take a greater interest in his traveling companion. The vision told him that someone close to her, perhaps her husband had been the subject of the court martial.

She was an attractive looking woman, well dressed and he judged she was about his own age, or perhaps a shade older. She had quite a nice complexion and nice blue eyes and as far as he could tell she had a nice trim figure and a nice welcoming smile. Somehow he knew that she desperately needed someone to whom she could talk. She was feeling very alone and very tearful and badly needed friends.

The journey would take about an hour and a half unless there were any delays through air raids, and she seemed friendly enough, and so gradually Tony initiated the conversation on generalities which helped to pass the time away, although Kate pointedly avoided any further questions about her husband.

Kate Middleton was anything but relaxed. She had just spent two days at her husbands Courts Martial aboard HMS Victory. He had been sentenced to three years hard labour in the naval Detention Quarters for getting drunk threatening to shoot an officer, and attempting to rape a WRNS second officer. He had also been given a dishonorable discharge from the service.

His whole demeanor during the Court Martial was arrogant and it was apparent that he suffered no remorse for his actions. He had leered at Kate across the court which was the only hint of recognition he gave her ... After the trial she asked if she could see him, but he sent the message by return that he did not have anything to say to her. He did however ask to see his brother.

Kate had married her husband Ted in 1938 shortly after she had inherited a public house from her deceased father. Her marriage had been a disaster, her husband, she soon found was an aggressive bully, he drank a lot, gambled a lot and she suspected him of having several clandestine affairs. She found that she took the brunt of his anger when he was out of sorts and she had suffered several quite nasty beatings at his hands. It had been a relief to her when Ted had been called up for the Navy shortly before the outbreak of war having been in the local RNVR. His leaves had been times of stress; he drank a lot and frequently helped himself to money from the till.

Running the public house in wartime was not easy; fortunately she was able to get fairly regular deliveries of beer from the brewery, although spirits and wine were rarer than 'hens' teeth. However, she managed to acquire a reasonable additional supply of cigarettes and spirits from seaman arriving on foreign ships at the nearby docks who were more than willing to sell duty free goods for extra cash ... Fortunately, she also had a good barman who was reliable, and who kept the place running in her absence.

She had been shocked at the evidence the prosecution brought forward, at the Courts Martial and which was not refuted in the hearing. Although she was very disillusioned with her marriage, she had done nothing about ending it. She knew that in the back of her mind that had he been killed, she would not have shed many tears. But the evidence brought forward painted a picture of a man she didn't know.

He had neither shown, nor expressed any remorse for his actions, and the evidence presented which he made not attempt to dispute, had shocked her, and now she began to realise that she had married a very evil man. She had no doubt that the evidence conclusively proved that he was far worse than she could ever have imagined, during the hearings she come to the final decision to dump her husband and seek a divorce...

The naval welfare people had been good to her and had found her accommodation while she attended the Courts Martial and they had put her in touch with the officer appointed to defend her husband ... He had not been optimistic about Teds chances, and he had been fairly accurate in predicting his possible sentence. In their spare time between court sessions she had told Teds defending officer that she had made up her mind about getting a divorce and being a solicitor in peacetime, he had advised her on how she should go about it, and even recommended some solicitors near her home which she could contact. After the case, he wished her luck and he had said quite bluntly.

"I think you are doing the right thing."

As her husband had refused to see her she had asked his counsel to inform him of her decision about getting a divorce, but she received no immediate response from her husband when the message was passed.

Now she was faced with having to make some decisions about how she was going to manage in the future. No-one would want to buy a public house with the war on, on the other hand it did give her a living but with little or no margin for contingencies. It had been the Red Cross lady telling her Tony on about where to pick up his kit that had brought her to speak to Tony. Her pub "The Feathers Inn." was also in Stratford and had been quite prosperous until the war with a good trade especially from locals, and from itinerant seaman who traveled to the port on a regular basis. In peacetime the pub had been a good money maker, now times were harder and selling, which was one of her options at the present time, would probably not be a realistic proposition.

They were about half an hour into the journey and having a very pleasant and light hearted conversation, when a very rough looking individual burst into the compartment and said to Kate. "What's this I hear about you divorcing our Ted; if that's what you are thinking just forget the idea? I'm moving in with you darling to help run the pub, and you forget divorcing our kid just because he's had a bit of hard luck."

Tony had a warning from the ring of imminent danger, as he listened to the heated conversation. Kate looked up at the irate man and said. Her eyes full of anger.

"Forget it Ray I'm finished with your family, you try anything, and I will have the law down on you straight away. I am the Licensee and your family is definitely out."

Ray then turned to Tony and said.

"Shift mate I want that seat that is my Sister in Law and this is family business we have to discuss."

Tony despite the warning just laughed and said. "Forget it chum."

Almost simultaneously Kate had stood up and faced her brother in law. "Go away or else I will call the guard."

A couple of sailors becoming aware of the raised voices stood up and grabbing the brother in law by the arms threw him out into the corridor.

For some reason something had told Tony that despite the warning he had nothing to fear from Ray on his own. The man was a coward and a bully, although Tony knew that he would be in great danger if he mustered some support

Prior to the incident with Ray, Kate had been considering an idea that had begun to form in her mind. She thought now that it would be a forlorn idea, but she was still going to make the offer anyway. They were just about ten minutes away from the journeys end when she came to her final decision. She leaned forward and put a hand on Tonys knee, and she said.

"I am sorry about the scene but I was going to offer you some accommodation. I understand that you have nowhere to stay tonight, unless you stop at the Salvation Army, and I have a public house with six bedrooms which means five are now empty, would you like to rent one off me, until you can find somewhere more permanent. I know the scene with my so called brother in law may have put you off the idea, but I thought I would make the offer anyway"

Tony did not take long before he accepted. "I would love to, as long as it is no trouble and the rent is reasonable"

"No Tony, don't worry about the rent, frankly I would also welcome having a man sleep on the premises, especially after what has just happened. We can talk rent later if you want to stay on for any length of time."...

The train was met by the Red Cross who were there to help Tony, but Kate assured them that she would look after him and see him safely on the rest of his journey. She told them that she had offered him accommodation and she gave her address and telephone number...