WAR-TIME ECHOES

Hokitika Guardian, 19 February 1932, Page 6

WAR-TIME ECHOES

QUEER TURNS IN CIVILIAN LIFE.

AIR RAID PROPOSALS

Civilian life during the war took many queer turns. A recent “Sunday Dispatch” feature competition brought hundreds of incidents. Here are some ol' them :

Romance “Out There.”

“While staying with a relation in north London early in 1918,” wrote one, “1 went out to try to buy some sugar. A woman standing nearby me in tlie queue presently got into conversation and told me, oilier daughter, who was doing her bit • at a canteen in France, while 1 in turn ga\e Her details about my son at the front.

Her expression suddenly changed, and she inquired my name. I told her, and she said, ‘1 am certain, timii, you must Lie tlie mother ot the young man my daughter mentions so often in her letters.’ “I had not heard from my son about ally such girl, but later the facts turned out to be as suspected. 'Hie young couple were surprised to find their mothers needed no introduction.’ Broke the Ice. “‘An air-raid warning signal in June, 1917,” wrote another. “Alone in my City office, 1 burst into tears. My employer entered and hurried me downstairs into the basement. Amid the noise of the firing and bombing, lie proposed to me and said he had been waiting for months for a time when I did not look so reserved and cold. “I had loved him for a long time, and had it not been for that air-raid I. should never have had niy happy married life with him, as J had already planned to obtain another situation, thinking that niy affection would never be returned.”

She Had No Pass

“During my brother's leave from France lie dared me to put on his unilOrm and go tor a waik with him, reiaces a girl. ••Helving on tlie darkened street, 1 accepted his challenge. ■■Alas, we met an 1V1.F., who asaed to see my pass, 'terrified, 1 started tumbling in tlie tunic pocitet. ‘\ou put it tu| your hat matu,' prompted my orotner. In those days girls were not bobbed. Aly hair was just tucked up; do remove 'line hat moujid ’bring it tumbling down.

“Then came an inspiration. 'No,’ 1 muttered, gruffly as 1 could, ‘1 left it dome; let’s go back.’

“The corporal consented, and once home 1 secured the pass and was saved.”

Lost Will Found

“Work in signal-boxes during 1915 was hampered by tlie order to uaruen ml windows. Lending low to watch a passing train one mgnt, my eye strayed to an almost inperceptilne slit in the woodwork below the window. 1 saw a sheet of paper in the small opening and pulled it out. “ft was a will bequeathing substantial amounts to certain people. Inquiries proved it to he the will of an eccentric old signalman who had died in the cabin some years earlier.

“lhe old man's family were delighted at my find and they did not forget me when matters were adjusted.” Cat Gassed.

“Aly husband arrived on leave, tired from the long travelling, removed his boots by the Kitchen fire, and went to bed. Next morning we found tiie cat stretched out on tlie rug dead. “investigation showeu that the heat from the life caused poison gas tunics to rise from my husband s hoots, winch lie had worn in the line.”

Spy’s Suicide. “One morning, early in 1917, a hawker, whom 1 judged to be a Belgian, left my garden gate open. Wliea 1 went to shut it 1 noticed that the man did not call at any other houses. He had called several times before. “My husband was chemist at an explosives works and kept certain formulae at home in his desk. My husband and a works’ detective waited behind the door for the hawker’s arrival. He never came. He was found shot. “The theory advanced was that he was a German spy who had been reprimanded for failure. He bad s'een my husband and tile detective leave tlio works for our house and had realised that his game was up. Then he committed suicide. This was proved correct.”