The sea was amazingly calm and the weather smiling benignly on their venture. Yet as they drew near the French coast, towed by one of the large vessels to save their precious fuel, the breeze whipped across the water, making the seas choppy.

Ahead now Kate saw a black pall of smoke rising above the town, and heard the thud of gunfire from the shore. Four black lines snaked out into the water. She squinted through the drifting smoke, there was something odd . . .

‘Danny!’ she clutched his arms. ‘Look, those are men standing in the water!’

Lines of soldiers, standing three abreast up to their chests in the freezing water, formed disciplined queues stretching from the shore out towards the boats.

‘Poor buggers!’ Danny muttered, and Kate knew the sight had affected him deeply for she hardly ever heard Danny swear.

They were released from their tow and Danny started up the engine and steered the boat towards the nearest line of men. From the west came the steady hum of aircraft, growing louder and louder, nearer and nearer. Then they heard the sound of gunfire from three planes coming in low.

‘Get down, Kate!’ Danny yelled and pushed her into the bottom of the boat. She felt a jagged splinter from the planking dig into her hand.

‘Ouch, I’ve got . . .’ But the rest of her words were drowned as a plane passed overhead close to the prow of the boat, bullets splashing into the water directly in front of them. The planes flew off to the east and Kate raised her head. ‘ . . . a splinter in me hand.’

Danny ran his tongue nervously over his lips and made a valiant attempt to smile, ‘If that’s all ya get on this little trip, Kate, ya’ll be bloody lucky! Come on, they’ll be back in a minute. Let’s see if we can get a few on board. You steer and I’ll help ’em climb in.’

All along the coast the little ships pulled the men from the water, loading their small craft almost to sinking point before they chugged precariously back to the large vessels standing offshore.

Kate steered the boat while Danny helped the soldiers in. When one put his hands on the side, glanced at Kate and then hesitated, Danny said, ‘Come on, mate, up with ya.’

‘I can’t . . .’ He nodded towards Kate. ‘She’s a woman . . .’

‘So?’

‘I’ve – lost me trousers, mate. I’ve nothin’ on.’

Danny grinned down at him. ‘Born and bred on a farm, mate. You ain’t got nothing she’s not seen afore.’

There was a ripple of laughter, even amidst all the horror.

‘Come on, Bashful Bert,’ shouted another soldier waiting in line behind him. ‘Get a move on.’

Smiling, Kate averted her gaze to save the poor man’s embarrassment and when she looked again, he was wrapping a blanket around himself and grinning sheepishly at her.