Author’s Notes: Meet Al Weldy
It’s Christmas Eve, 1931, and The Four Bells begins with Al Weldy arriving at the train station in the fictional Oxfordshire town of Lassingwood. Al is alone, and we learn that memories of the First World War continue to cloud his thoughts, all these years later. We meet his best friend, Eddie Beane, and are introduced to their regiment, the storied Ox & Bucks, which served proudly in Flanders and in conflicts across the Empire, from Quebec to South Africa, during the two centuries before.
The scene set in Albert, France, in my first excerpt was inspired by this photograph of soldiers from the Ox & Bucks lounging during a quiet moment in October, 1914.
THE FIRST BATTLE OF YPRES, OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 1914 (Q 57205) Men of the Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry sheltering from shrapnel behind the Headquarters of 20 Brigade, Ypres, 1914. Copyright: © IWM. Original Source: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205024038
The soldiers’ faces give us glimpses into the mood of the men: some composed and confident, some excitable, some pensive.
You can learn more about the Ox & Bucks and the regiment’s service in Flanders by clicking on my Links and Resources tab. My story is fiction, so my portrayal does not track the precise dates and movements of the Ox & Bucks service in Flanders. That said, we know the regiment crossed the Aisne (and eventually the Somme) in early October, 1914 during “The Race to the Sea” and became an indispensable unit to the Allies in Flanders. Did the Ox & Bucks stop in Albert? I’m not quite sure, but the armies passed just to the east of Albert about a week before I portray the Ox & Bucks entering the city. Besides, I read captivating reports of British soldiers marveling at the glorious Basilica of Albert’s cathedral in the early days of the war, and imagined that Al and Eddie would be there to have a look at it!
Excerpt from THE FOUR BELLS by Brodie Curtis:
Great Western’s massive green locomotive pulled into Lassingwood station and passengers stepped down through a mix of hissing steam and coal-smoke. They were coming home from work and shopping in Oxford. Some hugged holiday parcels, while others buzzed with chatter and laughter, even as they drew their coats closer against the cold. It was late in the afternoon on Christmas Eve, 1931.
Alan Weldy opened the door of his compartment and stepped down onto the platform with care. His left leg dragged slightly. Though he walked without a cane he avoided making eye contact, as if that might somehow deflect attention from the oddity of his gait. He straightened his hat, put up his coat collar, and walked firmly up the tunnel out of the station.
As he passed the market he saw a young girl, about ten years old, wearing a camel-colored jacket, snow-white stockings, and a green tartan skirt. She carried a wreath of green pine boughs, dotted with red berries and adorned with a red velvet bow, but her expression was forlorn, at odds with the festive mood. Then a woman took her gently by the arm and they hurried inside the market. Al stared after them, stricken by familiarity, remembering that almost two decades ago he’d seen a French girl who could have been mistaken for her twin.
* * *
The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry crossed the Somme River during the first week of October, 1914, and Captain Pridemore halted the Company’s march in the little town of Albert. Its neat shops with colored awnings, many framed by still-flowering climbing roses, and its billowing French flags made Al question whether or not he was really marching towards battle. Soldiers ‘fell out’ and rested in the cathedral grounds under beech trees and hedgerows. High on top of the Basilica the Golden Virgin held her blessed babe to the heavens.
“Field kitchens up!”
On Pridemore’s order the horse-drawn wagons, packed tight with wooden boxes, rolled past Al and set up on the street. The largest wagons had five-foot stove pipes that began to smoke as the cooks lit the fires.
Al and his best friend Eddie Beane pulled mess tins from their kits.
“Gawd, my stomach’s growling,” Al said.
“You don’t need to tell me. I can hear it!”