After several days of feverish labour, the Negro Servicemen’s Club was about to become a reality. As a gesture of good will and a matter of courtesy, Samuel invited Major Hank Henry out to the property in order to make an inspection. That was if he was interested in doing so, the major was of course a very busy man. The major agreed.

Samuel’s action was neither a gesture of good will nor a matter of courtesy. He was keen to remind Hank Henry of the arrangement they’d agreed upon. If a local business were to set up a place out of town with no cost to the military, then the military would turn a blind eye.

‘So, as you can see, Major,’ he said during their walk around the property, ‘a great deal of work has gone into the place.’

‘It certainly has,’ Hank said, ‘most impressive.’

‘And at no cost to the military,’ Samuel added meaningfully.

Aware of the blatant reminder, Hank’s mouth twisted into a wry smile. ‘And if memory serves me, Captain, I added the proviso that the club must be run in an orderly fashion. Any brawls or disturbances and I’ll have you closed in an instant. I take it that’s understood?’

‘Indeed it is,’ Samuel said with a confidence he didn’t feel. The men have been cooped up for so long, he thought. There’ll be alcohol – the illicit booze Baz somehow conjures up from nowhere; how the hell does the man do it? And there’ll be women; women vastly disproportionate to men in number furthermore; whenever this is the case brawls are inevitable. He intended to issue appropriate instructions, but under the circumstances he doubted they would be adhered to.

Samuel could only hope in desperation there would be no serious trouble, and that if there was they would be able to contain it.

‘I’m sure you’ll find the club will function in as orderly a manner as any other servicemen’s club, Major,’ he said calmly.

‘I hope for your sake it does, Samuel.’ Hank Henry’s well wishes actually seemed genuine. ‘But rest assured, as I warned you, I shall be keeping a very close eye on things.’

‘Yes,’ Samuel allowed himself a smile, ‘yes, believe me, I know you will.’

And then came the big day. On Friday 15 May, in the early evening dusk of a perfect autumn day, truckloads of troops arrived at the old Parslow farm for the grand opening of the Negro Servicemen’s Club. The excitement was palpable. They were all there to party, almost half the troops stationed at Kelso. In order to keep numbers manageable, the officers of Companies A and C had granted leave proportionately. The rest of the men would need to wait their turn until the following evening, but everyone had accepted their lot, there’d been no bickering or signs of resentment. The men finally had their special place.