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Somehow They Knew: A True Love-Story

by Anthony Cooper

533 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #03-1002; ISBN 1-4120-0632-5; US$39.50, C$45.00, EUR32.50, £23.00

True love story of a girl awaiting her man's return. Fascinating glimpses of wartime Britain, and later the Far East, US and France. An appealing portrait of a timeless romance.

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about the book      about the author      excerpts      catalogue info

About the Book Love stories are as old as time. What makes this one different is that it is true. It is an enchanting story that starts during the Second World War. An artillery officer about to go overseas on active service meets a pretty girl in a small village in the south of England. She is a talented draftswoman in the drawing office of a key wartime research establishment. They fall in love. His embarkation leave turns into a whirlwind courtship. Separated by war and duty, they never lose hope that one day they will be together. There is a first-hand account of the Allied landings in North Africa and the invasion of Sicily. A charming picture is painted of the day-to-day life of the young girl as she awaits his return, with fascinating glimpses of life in wartime Britain. Their dreams come true and they are married. In the post-war years their life together is rich in travel and adventure; the scene moves to Singapore, Hong Kong, America and France. It contains many amusing incidents and anecdotes that portray everyday life in the half- century that has just ended. Through it all runs the thread of their timeless romance. It is a lovely story that never loses its enchantment. It will have special appeal in an age of some cynicism about romance and marriage. Once started, it is hard to put this book down.

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About the Author The author, Anthony Cooper, served in WW2. He left the army in 1968 with the rank of Lieut-Colonel and found a second career in industry. He retired in 1986. He published a book in 1994 on the experiences of his father in the Great War, We Who Knew, considered by many authorities to be one of the best accounts of life in the trenches on the Western Front. He now lives in France.

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Excerpts

It was Saturday the 1st of August 1942; it seemed to Tony like any other day, except that the soldiers in his regiment had arranged a farewell dance that night. He was 21-years old, a captain in the Royal Artillery, commanding a troop of guns in the Newfoundland Regiment stationed in the south of England in the village of Childe Okeford in Dorset. The unit was about to move to Scotland.

Mick, a second-lieutenant in Tony's troop, had asked his sister Tina over from Malvern to go to the dance with him and stay the night. Tony remembered Mick showing them some of his family photographs. Among them was one of Tina, which Mick had been reluctant to reveal and kept partially concealed, telling his brother-officers that she already had a fiancé. He seemed to be defending his favourite sister from the attentions of any would-be suitors. Nonetheless, from what he saw, Tony thought she looked lovely.

Tony had served with the Newfoundland Regiment for two years and was now about to leave on volunteering to join Combined Operations. This relatively new Command was responsible for co-operation between the three services in amphibious operations. Their mission was of growing importance as the Allies prepared for the invasion of Europe.

The idea of a dance did not appeal to him. He had no girl-friend and was not looking for one now that the regiment was moving to Scotland. Once there he would take up his new appointment and go overseas. He decided not to compete with the others in any flirtations during the weekend, his last in Dorset. Rather than attend the dance he had arranged to go to Shaftesbury.

Before leaving he called in at the Officers Mess. He put his head round the door of the anteroom. Inside he caught sight of Tina sitting by the fireplace, being entertained by a number of young officers. He stood for a moment in the doorway looking at her. She turned her head in his direction. Their eyes met. His first impression was one of a very pretty and attractive girl. Her colouring was striking, bluer-than-blue eyes matched with raven-coloured, shoulder length hair. Her roundish face and dimpled chin added to her charm. They smiled at each other, neither spoke, then each turned their head away. It seemed to him that in those few moments they had exchanged something more than a casual glance.

********

They got into a carriage in which there were already two passengers. The whistle blew; clouds of smoke and steam rose from the engine; the coach gave a jolt and the train moved off. At the first stop the other two passengers got out. The young pair were alone for a moment before the door opened and a well-dressed lady started to get in. She looked at the two of them sitting close together, she stopped, smiled at them knowingly.

"I'll be a sport," she said, closed the door and got into the next compartment. Tony had reason to bless her. As the train moved off he put his arm around Tina.

"I love you very much," he said. He waited, then asked quietly,

"Darling, will you be mine - - - for always?"

There was the slightest pause as Tina drew breath.

"Oh, yes", she whispered softly.

He kissed her. The train rumbled on. Later she was to say they were the loveliest words she had ever heard. It was a sublime moment for both of them.

********

They still had a few more hours together and tried not to think of the parting that was now so near. They were lucky to have snatched these few extra days in Scotland. With the alarm set for 5 a.m. they spent an apprehensive and sleepless night, every minute was precious, they talked and talked, aware of each passing hour. They wanted to stay awake during what might be their last time ever together. The pitiless bell sounded. It was a cold room in which to dress, the bathroom even colder. They packed and made their way, shivering, to the station.

********

Tony wrote from Egypt, shortly before joining the seaborne force for the landings in Sicily.

25 May 1943

My own darling Tina

This is going to be one long love letter, I want to write one to you so much.

When I met you last August, I was disappointed in life, I did not see a purpose. I felt immune to much that was going on around me. I wanted time to pass quickly without knowing why. A lot has happened since.

Within a month I was living a new life, with new work, new friends, new surroundings and, above all, you, who were completely new to me. Now I love life again and want to live to be very old. I love you and think of you as the essential part of that life. It has never occurred to me that you might not be there.

To know that you are waiting for me is everything, if you were not, how empty my life would be. Darling, I don't mind waiting, if only I know that one day I will be back with you.

All my love my own darling, Tony .

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. . . the landing-craft were lowered into the water; the first wave of commandos climbed down the scrambling net and sped off. The second wave followed, which included Tony and his party. The sea was rough making the transfer from the net into the landing-craft tricky. One moment the craft was falling away in the hollow between waves, the next it was rising rapidly on a crest. The moment to let go the net to step down into the craft had to be judged carefully, helped by those already aboard. Tony was surprised at how far out they were - it would be a long run in.

To start with, Tony sat up on the stern in order to observe the approach. Flames were rising from Siracuse, which was under attack by the RAF, as also were a military barracks and a seaplane base close to the town. Searchlights were sweeping the sea; every now and then the beam from one would pan past their bow. Once or twice it hesitated, as if the enemy lookout had seen them; then, much to the relief of those on board, it continued its traverse.

When still some way out, they came across numerous red berets floating on the water. A number of gliders had earlier run into flak from ships in the anchorage at Siracuse and were forced to ditch in the sea. Some of our men were in the water for more than six hours. Despite this depletion in their numbers, the Airborne Division did its job heroically that night.

The forty minutes taken to reach the shore seemed an eternity. The landing-craft approached to within a hundred yards of the beach. In the semi-darkness, a machine-gun directly in front opened fire on them. At first tracer bullets streaked past above their heads; soon they were striking the front of the craft - its only armour-plated surface. The naval gunner on board returned the fire with his machine-gun. The coxswain, who was protected by armour, decided not to land the commandos in front of this active machine gun post. He went hard astern, keeping the bow straight ahead so as not to expose the vulnerable sides of the craft. The vessel at first quivered at this sudden change of direction, then increased its speed aft under the Petty Officer's expert control. After reversing some distance, he turned and went full speed ahead around the headland to attempt another landing.

********

"There is something that happened on the boat coming out that I want to tell you about," Tina said to him.

The hint of seriousness in her voice caused Tony to remain silent. She told him there was a captain in the Marines on board serving on the ship's staff. He was unmarried; and soon singled her out. Although she attracted a lot of attention from the officers, it was he who mostly paid addresses to her and invariably sought her company. He told her that he was in love with her and, despite her saying again and again there was no future in such a relationship, he persisted. She had enjoyed his company in the early stages but as the voyage progressed she became increasingly concerned at the depth of his feelings and his unwillingness to accept their association as a passing friendship, at most a shipboard flirtation.

Tony was not so naive as to imagine that anyone as pretty and attractive as Tina, travelling alone on a troopship, would not be the object of attention from unmarried and unaccompanied officers. What he found so endearing was that she was telling him about it. He knew she was telling him the truth and he loved her for it.

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Catalogue Information

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