Kate jumped up. ‘I’m sorry, I’d better go. That must be the one I’m waiting for.’ Swiftly she took Miss Ogden’s hands in hers and squeezed them. ‘I’m so glad we’ve met. Perhaps I’ll see you again some time. I often have to bring the CO here.’

‘I hope so. Oh, I do hope so, Kate . . .’ were Miss Ogden’s final words.

When Philip Trent finally stepped off the train which was running over an hour and a half late, climbed into the car and flopped back against the leather seat, Kate did not have the heart to ask him to grant her leave. He looked exhausted. His eyes were dull, with dark shadows beneath them as if he had not slept since leaving five days earlier.

As if to confirm this he said, ‘Just get me to my bed, Kate, will you?’

She glanced at him in the rear-view mirror. He was leaning his head back against the leather of the car seat, his eyes closed, his face gaunt with tiredness.

Kate sighed and pressed the starter. The noisy engine burst into life, cutting off any further chance of conversation.

As she drew up outside the CO’s quarters, the sirens began to wail and almost immediately they saw enemy aircraft swooping in from the east, low and deadly.

‘Out the car, Kate. Quick!’

Kate grabbed her tin hat, opened the door and launched herself from the car.

‘I hope you can run – come on.’ Philip grasped her arm and began to haul her along, but then Kate began to run – really run – and he let go of her. When they reached the brick-lined trenches that served as an open-topped shelter, he was a couple of yards behind her. He was grinning as he joined her in the shelter, already crowded with airmen and WAAFs. ‘Remind me never to ask you again if you can run!’ he said. But his smile faded as, from the comparative safety of the shelter, they watched the enemy aircraft trying to destroy their station. Some aircraft were making a valiant effort to get into the sky, to escape being bombed where they stood on the ground. But the attack had been swift and sudden and the warning had come too late to allow evasive action.

Four planes managed to get into the air, but three on the ground were already in flames. Anti-aircraft guns pumped bullets at the enemy aircraft as they swooped and dived overhead. One enemy plane was hit and came down in a field just off the airfield’s limits, bursting into flames on impact.

Horrified, Kate watched as a plane came in low, its black swastika clearly visible. It flew straight towards the control tower. She saw the bomb leave the belly of the aircraft, whistling down towards the tower, where Mavis and Isobel were on duty.

‘Oh no!’ Kate screamed and jumped up.