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[Page 45]
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the courtesy of Colonel Campbell, its commander, and the members of my unit became so firmly established that I was enabled to allow invitations for a fortnightly dance at the hostels and the band or part was always available. For these occasions special passes until ten o'clock were issued and I am sure they did much to cheer the men, and placed men and women in a position to enjoy legitimate entertainment under suitable conditions. I made a point always of joining the dancers during the evening, and personally said good night to each as he left, so that there was no undue loitering when the programme for the evening was over.
Towards the end of November I was deputed to a unit [at] St. Omar [St. Omer] and knowing that Ron's aerodrome was only twelve miles distant, arranged through the Air Craft Depot for him to be notified, and he was able to get a day's leave to meet me. Together we had lunch at a little French Restaurant, and I seemed to give the waitresses much interest for during the meal I remarked that it was not the one who started to serve us, and Ron said it was the third. They had evidently come in here to our private room to indulge their curiosity. It was, I believe, a record for mother and son to meet within twenty miles of the Firing line, and more remarkable that we were both in uniform. The motor journey there took me over the ground that had, in the early stages of the war, been occupied by the Germans. There was all along the road, signs of war-like activity - miles of huge transport wagons, soldiers marching with full kit and tin helmets - aerodromes en route, with aeroplanes constantly leaving and returning, and in striking contrast to their bird-like alertness, huge sausage baloons doing observation duty.
St.Omar was constantly subjected to air Bombardment, and at a later stage of the war all our women had to be evacuated on