After all the colour of yesterday’s blog, today is more subdued. My scarf is brown and cream silk chiffon, animal striped, unobtrusive and one which I wear a lot. It had an airing on yet another of my coach trips with the U3A last May. Although it was late Spring, the weather was poor and I was glad of its comfort around my neck. Those of you who have read my previous blogs will be relieved to know there was no incident or accident with the coach journey. My exciting moment would be on entering the main museum area and coming face to face with this BSA WM20 motorcycle bearing the name HAZELL. Who was the despatch rider, male or female, first name or surname like mine, who had ridden this bike no. C555 sometime after 1944 when these bikes were built by the Birmingham Small Arms Company They were often volunteers. I will never know, or will I?
The huts scattered around the main house were modest where brilliant Alan Turing in Hut no. 8 and others like him worked to break the Enigma code. We have all seen the film and countless documentaries, but it brought it home to me, spending that day at Bletchley, how many people worked anonymously behind the scenes. One of these huts contained a tribute to Pigeons in War.
I had never realised the important part played by pigeons in both world wars. Experience had been gained from WW1 so at outbreak of WW2 the National Pigeon Service was formed and these humble birds played their part being dropped behind enemy lines, then flying back to Britain with important messages. Some 250,000 birds were used and 32 were honoured with the Dickin Medal, the animal VC. Such a pigeon was Maquis who successfully flew three times from enemy occupied France.
I wonder if it was one of his offspring which dropped a good luck gift on the freshly washed hair of yesterday’s celebrating Silver Wedding bride. Despite having to re-shampoo, I am sure she was glad it missed the wedding dress, taken from moth balls for the occasion!
Maybe tomorrow, I will take you to France and I promise we will not drop in a basket from a camouflaged aeroplane.
Busy Bee, Scarf Face!
Blog 26.