Evening star., 1941-05-05
BY COUNTESS BEATTY.

BY COUNTESS BEATTY.
SOMEWHERE IN ENGLAND CBy
Wireless) The old saying, "A
sailors life is 4 merry one" may be
true, but the life Of sailors wife
In wartime Is very much the reverse.
NY initiation came the day before
war was declared and since then I
have experienced every emotion
from utter loneliness to the tre-
mendous joy one feels when ones
particular ship comes in and all on
board are safe and sound.
There are three types OF sailors
wives. There is the wife who re-
mains at home and tries to lead 4
normal life: the wife who follows
the feet from port to port, attempt
Ing to get little home together for
her man where he may spend his
few hours off duty. There Is the
wife-and there are thousands like
her-who joins one of the services.
You'll find nearly all of them 60
into the Women's Royal Naval Serv-
ice, commonly known as the Wrens.
I have said that my Initiation
commenced the day before war was
declared. On that morning, at
breakfast, my husband greeted me
with the startling announcement
that he was leaving to join his ship
In two hours time, and the request
that find his uniform for him at
once! He told me blandly that he
had last seen it in 1881!
The Substitute Coat.
After much delving and disgorging
Of trunks and cases, found every
thing with the exception OF his
sreatcoat, which was very necessary,
es he was going north. This was
problem. There were several coats
which had belonged to his father,
but he had been admiral Of the feet.
Still, perhaps one OF these would
DO, so I had the shoulder straps
changed and packed 1t neatly IN his
tin box, thinking what magnificent
lob had done. 0magine my horror
when six months later my first letter
from my husband told me that ne
had zone aboard his ship wearing
admiral's buttons on his coat. Un-
fortunately, the frst person to rec
ognise that fact was his captain,
Who told him In no uncertain man
ner! A nice beginning for q very
Junior ofhcerD
I'll never forget the awful feeling
H emptiness and dread with which
I saw him off that horrible day.
There was, left alone, with no IDEA
what to do. For a week I sat by
the wireless listening for news OF
bis ship and feeling that any minute
[ might hear those fatal words,
His majesty's government regrets
10 announced" Only q sailors wife
knows the terror those words can
Doniure up in ones mind. This went
On for six months, then one day l
received word to go to = hotel IN
he north and wait. Nothing else,
but I knew, knew!
Three Days.
There are only very jumbled mem
ories Of those three days. little
1otel, q sweet, chubby faced bar
Maid, friendly faces around us-and
hen parting in that grim railway
station and the heartbreaking con-
,ciousness Of only hve minutes TO
10. three, two, one, then all aboard!
and back to my drab existence.
Then and there made up my
mind that as soon as my husband
Ihould be stationed at . home port
would become . FIRST follower.
rhe opportunity came five months
ater, when my husband was trans
erred to another ship. What fun
re had finding . little house and
1t with all the things We
liked best! The house was tiny
,nly three rooms, but no queen
more of her palace.
In the early dawn I would walk
Iown to the beach and watch his
hip 20 out to sea, then return to
nv little cottage to wait for him.
le was supposed to get back every
month for two days. Alas for those
,opes! He came home after the
irst month with the news that he
lad been given another command
md was going half way across the
world! That finished my life as
! feet follower.
Work Cures Loneliness.
This time really took myself to
ask. There were thousands OF
women who must be just as lonely
81. What did they do with them
elves? I set out to meet as many
IS could and discovered that the
mes who seemed happiest were the
mes who were doing some sort OF
OBJ. So after much thought and
I joined the Overseas
Service and went out to France,
vhere remained until the capitula-
ion. 1t cured me of my loneliness,
,ecause 1 was much too tired at
light to think of myself.
Now I am about to join the
'Wrens." They are superb body
II women, invaluable to the navy
md, as most Of them come from
eafaring families, they are stepped
n the tradition Of the sea. Many
# them who once envied brothers
md longed to run of to sea now feel
hat they have achieved their hearts
lmbitions In entering this service.
The work is hard but interesting.
they do all the deciphering and
most of the secretarial work, car
irving and a good deal of the
ooking.
I look forward to my new career
nd If I am lucky may be assigned
O a post not too far'away from my
husband! Anyway, it won't matter