Yankees in Britain
By Carrie Lofty
Joe from His Very Own Girl is an American paratrooper and medic. During the build-up of military personnel in Britain just before D-Day, thousands of American servicemen arrived every week. For some northern villages, the main challenge of the time wasn’t ducking German bombing raids, but finding space enough to billet cities worth of soldiers.
They brought with them unusual accents, new entertainers and sex symbols, and an energy of difference that England had never seen. After all, the class system was still firmly in place, barely thirty years on from the days of Downton Abbey fame. That meant they brought chaos, disorder and a heck of a lot more.
Here, British civilian pilot Lulu Davies makes a nice discover to liven her evening:
Lulu followed her flatmates to the club. As she drew nearer, she assessed Paulie’s new lieutenant and his companions. Each chap wore the golden wings of a paratrooper and the AA arm patch of the 82nd Airborne.
So they weren’t any old Yanks. They were the All-Americans. A more boisterous, arrogant lot couldn’t be found in the U.S. Army. Billeted in and around Leicestershire, they split their time between war maneuvers and seeking out–in no particular order–women, liquor, food, music, and trouble.
They were heaps of fun.
The interesting thing about this mingling of two cultures is that the influences went both ways. After all, what boy from Indiana would ever have the opportunity to visit a multi-racial jazz club, if not for spending time in England?
The club was lit with gas lamps and a few more bare bulbs. The orange glow tinted pale faces with an artificial tan and rendered dark faces nearly black. And there were many dark faces. American men had turned out in abundance, with many from Colored units. They mingled with white women, sitting at plain tables, sipping cocktails, and watching the trumpet player where he performed on a tiny round stage.
Lulu touched his sleeve. “Are you all right?”
“You could’ve warned me.”
“What about? Oh.”
Feeling conspicuous, Joe’s ears buzzed. Sweat gathered under his arms, which had nothing to do with the thick warmth inside the club. “You sure we belong here, Lulu?”
“The first time I came here, I was convinced I’d wind up garroted in an alleyway. But there’s no quieter place in Leicester for drinks and music. You snag a table.”
By the time Joe found a place to sit and lit a Lucky Strike, she’d returned with a pair of gins. They edged closer together, their knees flirting. Onstage the trumpet player was joined by a man at the piano. A dame with nearly translucent skin, platinum hair, and a stunning chest stood at the microphone and crooned “My Funny Valentine.”
“You seemed uncomfortable,” Lulu said.
Joe took a drink and relaxed. “This place just took me by surprise. “
“Do you want to leave?”
“No. It’s just, you don’t see much of this sort of fraternizing back in the States,” he said, waving a hand toward the dance floor. “If you did, you’d leave jackrabbit quick because a fight was sure to follow. It was like that during basic training. Any Colored man, even a soldier–he’d nod the wrong way at a white woman and a dozen guys would line up to hand him his head. I didn’t expect things could be so peaceful.” He smiled softly. “There’s no harm in folks having a rum time of things.”
In the ’40s, only an upheaval as great as WWII could’ve brought about such an unexpected cultural exchange. I like to think it was a beautiful thing during a difficult time.
Summer has been a blast! Available now from Pocket Books are three Christ Family romances. FLAWLESS kicked it off with a tale of an estranged couple’s search for love. The 99¢ tie-in novella, “A LITTLE MORE SCANDAL” follows two aspiring lovers to London. And the Scottish-set second novel, STARLIGHT, was an RT BookReviews 4½ Star Top Pick. “Richly nuanced characters and a superbly realized Victorian setting come together brilliantly.” ~ The Chicago Tribune
I’ve also launched a co-written pseudonym, Katie Porter [website], with my long-time friend and critique partner, Lorelie Brown. Our “Vegas Top Guns” series of contemporary erotic romances launched from Samhain with DOUBLE DOWN and INSIDE BET, both of which were RT BookReviews 4½ Star Top Picks: “This racy, raunchy, hella good read…will move Fifty Shades of Grey to the children’s section of the bookstore.”
Where to find me:
Website | Twitter: @carrielofty
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Interesting guest post, His Very Own Girl sounds interesting
Thanks, Maria! I hope you’ll check it out 🙂
Wow, I couldn’t believe the memories this post brought back of 1969 and the aviation ordinance man I met when walking into a club with some friends. Like Lulu with each dance we danced and as weeks went by the times we would walk on the beach before once again he once again be gone again. I can still remember how quiet he’d be when he’d get back and the longer it would take for him to “be himself” again!
I can’t wait to read His Very Own Girl with my sailor by my side who survived like so many others but will never again be that innocent young man or woman who went into Army, the Marine, the Navy and the Coast Guard.
Jeanne, thanks so much for sharing that! I’m glad you have your sailor by your side to keep you company. I really hope you enjoy HIS VERY OWN GIRL. Have a great weekend.