Everyone knew that I needed a break, including my Flight Commander and even the Operations Officer, Sqn.Ldr. Owen Ellison. The migraine was bothering me again too. I had a letter from my parents telling me that my old home where I had been brought up at Upton, Wirral, was to be sold and that my new permanent home address would be our cottage at Welshampton in Shropshire. I had no say in this. My parents wanted me home for Christmas but that was totally impossible, and I had to write and tell them so. I got a very acrimonious letter by way of a reply. My father never understood or accepted that orders were orders that had to be obeyed. Everything seemed as though it was ganging up on me.
I was desperate for time off so I tactfully struck a bargain, fortunately to everyone's satisfaction. The arrangement proposed was for me to work nights during the Christmas period so that others were relieved of that duty and could enjoy themselves. Afterwards, by way of unofficial compensation, I would be granted a whole week to myself in which to do what I wanted without any duties whatsoever. I agreed, also, to take a bed up to the little used emergency accommodation in the wooden building above ground at the tech site. Breakfast cereals and snacks would be brought to me by the morning watch so that I could spend longer time in bed (and get more rest) during the day without having to travel back to the Mess.
In due course, with small kit packed, and books to read, I arrived for the evening watch on Christmas Eve. The watch was quiet, as expected. On schedule, Flt.Lt. Bob Myers came to relieve me for the midnight stint. I went above ground, had a snack, washed, and prepared myself for bed. I had just changed into my pyjamas when I got an urgent toilet call. The motion was black with a lot of blood in it. I felt faint, but didn't faint, and was able to stagger to a phone and call Bob down in the hole. He came up at once, took one look at me, and said "SSQ for you, I'll phone them."6 Then I went dizzy and the lights went out.
The next thing I remember was being stretchered into the local village Doctor's room, and him talking in broken English with a Medical Sergeant and Orderly.7 The words I hazily remember being said were: Blut. Geschwür. Krankenhaus.8 I next remember being in SSQ and being told that I had a bleeding ulcer. The lights dimmed and went out again.
Although I didn't know it at the time, I was no longer a Flying Officer, I had been a Flight Lieutenant for seven days.
It was a hell of a way to start a Christmas Day.
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6 SSQ = Station Sick Quarters.
7 The MO, Flt.Lt. Martin Clarke, was on Christmas leave.
8 Blut = blood. Geschwür = ulcer. Krankenhaus = hospital.
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