Synopsis
In 1942 Peggy Ashburn meets an American soldier, 1st Lt Tom Lockwood,
who is based at the Shoal Bay Country Club. Their romance
develops quickly. In 1972 Peggy arrives back home from the US for
the funeral of her estranged mother only to discover a secret cache
of letters.
Set in 1942 and 1972 Tomaree explores the life of a GI
War Bride and the impact of World War II on a small fishing town.
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Excerpts
From Page 49
"He looked wonderful in his uniform and different too.
It must be his dress uniform. Tom was wearing a very dark green jacket,
a different cap and light grey trousers. He looked so impressive yet still
very approachable, Peggy decided, as she looked at his smiling face. He
had removed his fancy cap with the badge on the front and was bowing. She
felt drawn into his arms, a magnet pulling her to him. Emily nudged her.
She introduced them and in the next breath they were away on the strains
of a waltz, moving across the floor, the hall a blur.
They seemed to be dancing quite fast and she couldn't recall the tune. As
they danced she caught sight of the chairs around the hall. Some empty,
some filled. On the next spin she thought she saw Jimmy's sister June. Whatever
was she doing here? She was only fourteen. Snuck in obviously. She bit her
lip worrying about her and then lost sight of the girl.
Peggy was surrounded by colours. The softer hues of the girls and women's
dresses. The khaki, dark green and dark blue of the officers and servicemen's
uniforms. How beautiful it all was. Just like a fairytale. But she was no
Cinderella. She was dancing like an elephant, Peggy told herself. He danced
expertly while she felt clumsy. She was so rusty. When was the last time?
Stupidly she searched her memory. With Emily's brother last year. Her neck
had hurt straining to look up into his eyes.
She glanced up at Tom's. How brown they were. So intense. She looked away.
They were moving together more easily now. Almost fluidly. She was incredibly
aware of her own body; her sense of touch amplified tenfold by his touch.
The feel of her skirt against her legs, the lace on her neckline, the fabric
of his uniform under her left hand. His breath on her forehead. Her thoughts
spun in a crazy web wrapping them together. She felt herself go limp and
in the same instant Tom tightened his grip on her waist."
From Page 145
"I looked at the parcel in my hands. I could take it
back to the paisley print chair where I had sat these last two weeks and
thought about many things, but the heights beckoned. It was too beautiful
a day, despite the glare, to be inside. Well, Tomaree was out of the question
so the small hill by the old post office would have to do. I made my way
up there and sat down in the shade of the camphor laurels. Taking a deep
breath I undid the butcher's paper to reveal an exquisitely carved wooden
box.
Just as I thought. I recalled it now. It had stood in Sarah's study on her
writing desk, sometimes with half opened letters on top of the lid. At that
moment I could see in my mind Sarah's beautiful hands tucking a letter back
into the envelope, slowly putting it in the box and then turning her attention
to me.
Being seventeen and wrapped up in my own world the thought never crossed
my mind to wonder who the letter was from. I was aware though that she kept
other letters in piles on her desk. Only a few found their way into the
box. Now of course I'm guessing, or at least like to think that they were
from Nancy. Once I remember the box was missing from her desk. Perhaps taken
to her bedroom to read the contents over again in comfort
Tentatively I traced the line of the engraving with my fingertips. Inside
a rectangle formed by an exotic flowering vine were tiny stylised birds,
fruit and more flowers: nature in abundance. I traced the outline of a small
bird. Taking a deep breath I flicked the catch open and lifted the lid.
There was letter inside for me. I opened the envelope.
15th July 1970
Dear Peggy,
I hope you like the box. I think you admired it once and I
(wherever I am now) like to think that you will shortly
put your most precious letters inside it, just as I once did.
Nancy has her own, in case you are wondering why I didn't
give it to her.
With this letter comes my wish that you are happy now
but by writing this letter I may put that happiness into jeopardy.
You see, I have long had some information about your family
but have never found the right time to talk to you about it.
Obviously, since you are reading this letter, I have left it too
late to tell you personally so instead I am letting you know
that if you wish to find out, then Nancy will tell you.
She is expecting you to call, so please think about it. If you decide
not to speak to her about the matter, then expect no reproach or
censure from Nancy. She is the sweetest, most openhearted
creature I know and will respect your decision.
If you don't mind my saying we have just had the most
enlightening evening discussing the provisions that this letter
has necessitated. For instance, we both had to write a letter
(and organise our wills of course). Nancy writing one that I
would give to you if she died first and me writing this one.
Both of us sitting in front of the fire debating how the cards
will fall and therefore which letter you would read. What a pair
of old goats! I hope you are still reading Tom's. I would just
like to add that in all my life I have never seen a man
so much in love as Tom that day, you were together
in my house. God speed my darling Peggy.
Love
Sarah"
From Page 190
"On the morning of the 24th May 1943 1st Lt Tom Lockwood
took his coffee up to the small landing inside the Country Club. He had
earlier smoked a cigarette outside and because of the cold had come indoors
to finish his coffee. Now he leant sideways against the window and cradled
his coffee for warmth.
What a miserable day. It wasn't raining. Not yet but it was overcast and
a south easterly wind was churning up enormous waves in the centre of the
bay near the sand banks. This side of the harbour it was calm but across
the bay a number of fishing boats were seeking shelter from the wind. They'd
be stuck there for a while, he guessed.
As Tom sipped his coffee he noticed a Higgins boat powering into view. It
had left Little Beach and seemed to be heading towards the other side of
the bay. Another appeared soon after from the direction of Mile River. Tom
glanced towards where they were heading. At that moment he saw a PBY Catalina
approaching the bay from the northwest. What the hell was it doing out there?
Tom wondered, peering at the choppy waves below the Catalina.
The aircraft's vast wingspan dipped from side to side as it approached the
bay. It was an enormous seabird limping home, the wind buffeting it as the
craft headed for safe harbour. Tom couldn't hear the drone of the engines,
the wind had blown the sound away. His heart was pounding as he watched
the Catalina dip lower towards the waves. The pilot appeared to be attempting
a forced landing. 'Bring it in. You can do it! Bring it in. Bring it in,'
Tom chanted over and over but the Catalina never made it. Just short of
deep water the cat suddenly dropped down and ploughed through the waves.
It emerged briefly, struggling for the sky, only to crash back down with
such force that its tail snapped off.
Momentarily, it bobbed in the waves and the sight of the stricken aircraft
gripped Tom with a terrible incomprehension. He was unable to move, almost
to breathe. It couldn't have happened. Not here! Not so quickly. He shook
his head to free his vision of the partially submerged Catalina. But no,
it was still there, a little lower in the water. He leaned against the window
and bowed his head. His feet felt rooted to the spot, his whole body heavy.
As he raised his head to look again there was nothing but choppy waves,
the familiar bay transformed by white horses.
Had it really crashed? Finally after a few more moments he forced himself
to move from the small landing and make his way to the scurry of activity
below. Slowly he walked out the front of the club and stood gazing at the
windswept bay."
© Debbie Robson, 2008
Location
Port Stephens is one of my favourite places in the world. With its endless blue water and spectacular headlands, it must have seemed an incredible place to the 20,000 GIs of the 32nd Division who trained there in 1943. Most came from Wisconsin and Michigan and had never seen the sea. The division by the war's end had logged a total of 654 combat days, more than any other US army division.
Nelson Bay is now unrecognizable as the small fishing town that my character Peggy grew up in but time has been kinder to Shoal Bay. During 1942 and 1943 a small contingent of American serviceman were based at the Shoal Bay Country Club and from there, liaising with Williamtown Air Base, HMAS Assault Base and the Gan Gan Army Camp, the Joint Overseas Operational Training School was run. Shoal Bay Resort and Spa has now replaced the Country Club and you will find a link to the resort on my links page.