SAMUEL SAVOURIE WW2........
DOUGLAS' STORY.
BBBC101, Onwards
After the war to end all wars, Peace left the battered nations frantically striving to rebuild, a journey back to normality, surely their sacrifices would be rewarded. Some said maybe…. Adolphine & Maurice always sent “Joyeux Noel” cards and news of their children’s arrivals. Samuel and Lillian reciprocated with tales of little Douglas, and every two or three years, they’d be off to Paris, usually staying a night on each journey with Poppy in Folkstone. Her husband’s cousin Phillipe Lavalle, with whom Sam had gone on the commando raids, also wrote occasionally. Eventually saying he would like to visit.
BBBC91.
Samuel and Douglas walked to Paragon Station, as they drew near, Samuel warned the boy not to stare at his old comrade in arms’ disfigured features. “Rightiho! Dad. I’ve seen a few already y’know”. At the station rank, Samuel collared a cab, leaving Douglas to hold it whilst he went to the platform gate. The ride was a hospitable gesture to Phillipe and a real treat for Douglas, who sat up front with the driver.
Samuel explained to Phillipe that Lillian knew nothing of their wartime exploits, and that he should be careful not to shock her, she was rather frail. The Belgian concurred, and pretty much confined himself to telling stories about Maurice’s bravery in running the cell. He brought photos of the expanding Savourie family, and a blank leather bound journal for Douglas, being delighted to discover that the lad had developed a good command of French. They chatted together in this tongue, whenever Lillian was busy elsewhere, and the lad was greatly impressed with his new best friend. Lillian requested that Samuel should discourage these talks, afeared for the future. “Aaah Love, they get on fine, storytellin’ is in the canal boat blood. Aye, an’ the youngsters need to know that the world can sometimes be a bad egg….”
Before Phillipe left, he told Douglas that he himself had the twin of the journal, in which he had scribbled his wartime experiences. “Per’aps one day I will rewrite it avec claritee”.
BBBC85.
Hitler merges the offices of the Chancellery and President, thereby becoming the Fuhrer. Europe gets very nervous, very few nations are prepared for catastrophe.
BBBC83.
Phillipe passed away, his funeral attended by his English friends and the Savouries, staying over for two nights at his home in Dinant. Phillipe’s Femme de Menage explained she had been instructed at the deathbed to give Douglas a fat envelope, but Not in Lillian’s presence. It contained a letter of apology to Lillian for causing her discomfort during his visit, and also the original Journal. Douglas then went to Paris, ostensibly to spend a month with his French “cousins”. There on a number of evenings he strolled the fields with Maurice, gleaning some general background to the resistance movement, yet little further detail. As Phillipe had never learned to write well with his remaining hand, Douglas asked Adolphine for assistance deciphering the scribbles. Together they rewrote the Journal in clear French, and he resolved to translate it into English. Back in England he discovered that he’d lost his job at the timberyard due to his longer than expected absence. Being18 years old, yearning for adventure, he promptly joined the Army cadets, despite Lillian’s opposition. Soon thereafter, he overcame the authorities opposition to working class lads training as Pilots, by showing that his Dad was a war hero, thereby gaining an Airforce armband.
BBBC82.
Samuel came home from work to find a whitefaced Lillian brandishing a War Office Envelope, …. a letter requiring him to book an interview in London, a railpass enclosed. Struggling to calm Lillian, he attempted to make light of the pass - as a railway employee he travelled for free… “All just a mistake, Luv” It didn’t work - Lillian took herself off to bed for days. Samuel got Alice, with her toddler Francis to come round. Once back home he told the sisters that the war office needed him to teach some Yorkshire Regiment Officers French for a few weeks. As a civilian he’d be home long weekends. He told his brother Jos the truth. It was commandos he’d be teaching the Belgian canal system to. A month passed before his first “long weekend” of 36hrs. Douglas was home too, proudly wearing his new Flying Officers insignia. The newspapers were full of European Unrest. Lillian was close to tears.
BBBC81.
Germany invades Poland. Samuel is called up, initially to work with the war office to comment on the new maps of the Belgian Canals and the countryside around Paris. Lillian has a minor stroke. Douglas gets a compassionate weekend leave. gives his English Translation to Alice for safe keeping. Neville Chamberlain declares war on Germany. Samuel is sent to rejoin Maurice and Adolphine. Douglas’ fighter squadron is posted to Belgium. Alice persuades Lillian to move in with her and Jos. Their sons Norman and Francis are called up for training. Francis really wants to be a conscientious objector, but out of his love and admiration for Uncle Samuel, he joins the Royal Engineers instead.
BBBC80.
Under “Fall Gelb”, the Germans invade and beat Belgium in 18 days. As part of the onslaught of France, this time they give the Belgian canal people an ultimatum…. “Transport our troops and supplies or we will take your boats anyway, and send you to the workcamps”. Most of them give in, a few scuttle their own boats, their homes, and join the resistance. Douglas’ squadron give cover to the retreating British Army on the way to Duinkerke. He is shot down but uninjured, makes his way back to base on foot. He is again attacked but manages to land his damaged plane close to base. His Commanding Officer is aware that he speaks French and knows the Parisian terrain. “It’s a dangerous op, Duggie, we need you to pick up a high ranking German Officer who hates the Nazis, wants to defect to our side. The resistance have him safe for now” “Glad to give it a go, Sir ! If they can get him to a secluded field I know, then it should be sweet”.
The location is radio’d to the resistance, where incredibly it is Maurice who escorts the German to Board Douglas’ Plane. The two old friends recognize each other, but there is no time for words. Samuel, completely unaware, is standing with comrades to guard the track to the field. As the rising aircraft banks to the Northwest, they see it explode, scattering debris across the night sky. They run for cover, but get the mission failure radio’d to the British. It is some days before Maurice can bring himself to explain to Adolphine, then Samuel that Douglas is gone. They huddle together and cry all night.
N.B. The previous para I have from Adolphine, the next one from Alice…
Weeks pass, and the telegram “Missing, believed killed in action” arrives at Lillian’s empty home. More weeks pass before she gets to read it. In the meantime Samuel asks for compassionate leave, which is not given for over two years. He finds the house cold and leaking. Walks to Jos and Alice, only to discover that Alice has died of a broken heart.
Samuel, in shock is signed off as temporarily unfit for duty. A local grocer delivers to Samuel. The drivers mate, Beatrice Purdue, slowly helps him to recover from the tragedy, encourages him to repair the house, they fall in Love, and Marry before he returns to some months of active duty in Paris. When the war is over he comes home to better tidings, they have a baby son waiting to be named…… they choose two war heroes. ….. Maurice, Savourie and Clive, of India. Samuel passed away of war related illness less than five years later. Jos a few years later after that.
N.B. Half a century on, I read that “Died of a broken heart” was a euphemism for suicide. “Whilst the balance of the mind was disturbed.” The last time I visited Aunt Alice, she gave me Douglas’ English translation in Phillipe’s gifted, no longer blank, Journal. Slipped inside was Our Dad’s birth certificate **, his letter from the war office in London and his un-needed, unused Railpass to get him there. I still have them.
** Lastly…… Thanks to that certificate, I discovered that our Dad was the last of a long line of canal boat operators and boat builders, who all named their firstborn sons Samuel Bisby. This sparked my curiosity, leading me to the first Headmaster of England’s first school, and to the Bounty Mutiny, and to the Dragon in Hans Holbein’s Cloth of Gold, and a 14th Century Shipwrecked French Sailor. Well Okay !… but after that it just gets whackier.
To Be Revisited….
NeXt Article, Sun 14 Jan. Climate Change & the Great Housing Rip-Off.
NeXt Ancient Legend, Wed 17 Jan. T.B.A.
NeXt A,B,C+D, Wed 24 Jan. T.B.A.
NeXt Inspirational Episode, Wed 31 Jan. The Boathouse NOW.
Fabulous story and it looks like it will only get better.
Many thanks Maurice. I really enjoyed your story and it's telling. Nicely done.