At 4 am a loud alarm shrieked out throughout the campus. Everyone flew out of bed taking some time to recollect their surroundings and groaning at the early hour. It took a few minutes for them to remember the instructions for their daily procedures; starting with breakfast in the mess hall at the University in half an hour. They hastily got dressed in their uniforms making sure to pin back every piece of hair from their faces.
The four ladies stood proudly in their uniforms. Peggy was tall and slender built, chocolate colored hair and soft hazel eyes. Audrey was tall, slender built, brunette hair and brown eyes. Dorothy tall and slender but far curvier than Peggy or Audrey, also a brunette but with blue eyes (usually the favorite amongst the men); and Maisy, average height and slightly plump with difficult brown hair and very sharp green eyes. Maisy had such a gurgling laugh. They fidgeted with each other’s uniform, (knee length skirts, shirts, blazers, court shoes and berets all in the unflattering Khaki-green color) ensuring they were perfectly adorned for their first day in uniform.
“Wait,” Peggy called her friends back to the room as they were leaving, “we need to make it a habit to pray here before we leave to start our day.” They all agreed and sat on a bed, held hands and prayed. Now more relaxed and confident they stepped out to face the day.
On the way to the mess hall, they encountered many men in uniform and remembering their instructions to salute a superior officer they began saluting every man that passed by. Maisy had to keep chopping hands which led to a lot of laughter, but much more disrespect and jeering came from the men. They were of a lower rank but enjoyed the fact that they were saluted at, never mind that it was women saluting them. With their, every salute came a mocking tone of commentary.
“We better learn this ranking business quickly,” Dorothy said frustrated.
After breakfast, the first order of the day was the squad drill given by the not so delightful Staff Sgt. Erasmus. The ladies groaned at the thought of getting yelled at by him in his broken English for the next hour. It was mayhem on the first day. He marched them up and down, left and right, halted them and started them again insulting their femininity constantly. Maisy was all over the show, and she, unfortunately, received the brunt of his abuse. When they were walking back to Phineas Court to change for their physical training, Maisy complained bitterly over the Staff Sergeant but the more she complained about Staff Sgt. Erasmus the more determined she was to please him.
They changed into their PT shorts and T-Shirts and ran to the university sports ground. Their instructor, Mr. Niemand, took them through the fitness drill as the ladies panted and puffed and heaved in exhaustion and effort. A little humor was always added to lessen the strain of trying to keep up with Mr. Niemand by Audrey; she had to try lessening her own discomfort.
After lunch, they settled down to the serious business of Radar by Colonel Sackket at the Bernard Price Institute on the Wits University campus. They immediately went to the same seats they sat on during their few years in the physics lectures, it wasn’t the same lecturer, but they felt very comfortable in the familiar surroundings. After these lectures, they made their way to learn and practice Morse code in the basement. The ladies had a lot of fun sending funny messages to each other as they learned to master the code.
When they returned to Phineas Court from their first day of training, and after a fresh shower, they immediately collapsed on their beds. Each day that passed, their limbs and muscles adapted better and better to the drills and PT. Each day they became more and more adept in Morse code and the physics of Radar. Each day they got closer to filling the shoes of Radar Operators.
On the weekends, if there were no exams on the following Monday they were granted a pass that allowed them to visit the town. The ladies, dressed in their finest evening dresses walked down the street to a club. In their evening dresses, they were not part of the SSS and were not higher ranked than most the men in the building. They relaxed and tried to have as much fun as the evening, and their morals would permit.
Three weeks was up before anyone could say likkety-split and the ladies were on a train back to Cape Town. The train ride was the same as their journey to Johannesburg, filled with soldiers who could hardly contain themselves with a few women on board. The ladies were forever interrupted in their compartments being offered meals, drinks or even conversation. Peggy, Audrey, Dorothy, and Maisy and the other six ladies feeling far more relaxed this trip enjoyed the attention from the men. They played cards and backgammon and got to learn a lot more of Army detail and whom and where all these soldiers were coming from or going to. A few good friends were made during this trip.
The streets of Cape Town were swarming with men in uniform. Audrey and Dorothy shared their elation with enthusiastic smiles. “I don’t remember this place ever been so overthrown with men; it’s quite delightful,” Audrey said and laughed.
“Wait till the ships come into the harbor in convoy, you will be beside yourself.” Peggy laughed as she noticed Audrey’s eyes light up even more at the idea.
An appointed bus carried them to their place of residence for the next three weeks; the Green Point Barracks. The accommodation was similar to what they had experienced in Johannesburg only this time they had a lovely kitchen, dining, and lounge area for themselves. The four friends shared a comfortable room, and the remaining six ladies bunked up as they had done previously.
Each day they walked together in their khaki-green uniforms to the SSS Headquarters in Gardens, with their PT clothes in a small kit-bag slung over their shoulders. The three-week course followed the same procedure as they followed in Johannesburg only now they would focus more attention on the operations of the Filter rooms.
To the ladies horror, they discovered when they arrived for their drill training that their instructor was none other than Staff Sgt. Erasmus. The ladies groaned their annoyance but Staff Sgt. Erasmus smiled, he was looking forward to drilling the ladies through their paces for a few more weeks. “Yes ladies, dis me and wees gots a lot of work to do dis three weeks, hurry, hurry we gets busy.”
Poor Maisy felt frantic!