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[Page 44]
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V.A.Ds. and W.A.A.Cs. were issued. It was a brave sight to see every member of the audience, men and women, in uniform.
One of the jolliest nights to me was when the men had a dance among themselves. No women were ever admitted to these. The Orchestra for this was available once a week, and when possible I took tea with my friend at five. At six, all the entertainments began, so that they may be all over and settled down for lights out at nine. No officers were present, so that only the Padre was available as a partner for me, and we usually danced the Lancers together; a unique experience in the midst of seven or eight hundred men in Khaki.
I remember one night, the members of our Khaki Choral Society gave a concert for the men's entertainment, and they particularly wanted me to preside, but Air Raids were so frequent, I felt disinclined to leave my post. However, it was arranged that a motor-car should be standing by so that in the event of an alarm I could be whisked back in a very short time. Fortunately, a misty rain set in and that kept the enemy off so our concert proceeded in peace. It was an opportunity for me to refer to aspersions that at that time were rife concerning the character of the women of our corps, and when I spoke of the splendid work they were doing and how because of it they had aroused the jealousy of traducers, the men cheered to the echo. I said that they in their letters to England could do much to counteract the foul calumnies by writing as they knew them, and the officers told me that for many weeks afterwards there were references to their sterling characters and effective work.
These rumors became so persistent that a Commission of well-known Women from England were appointed and the result of their exhaustive inquiries so satisfactory that the Queen became Commander in Chief, and the name altered to Q.M.A.A.C. (Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps).
The Camaraderie between this Convalescent Camp through