ELEVEN
CHRISTMAS 1904
Tommy arrived back in Bolton on Christmas Eve that year. He spent most of the time ‘ashore’ with Florence, who accompanied him to his own parents house, during the short cold days he spent there. Theirs, it seemed, was not a normal marriage, and certainly the fact that they did not live together attracted a certain level of conversation and consternation within both of their families. Whilst neither Florence or Thomas were particularly concerned themselves with the talk in their families, but they did miss each other. After two long weekends Florence spent in Devonport, and the consequent travelling to and fro, they decided that it was far better for both of them if she could find some accommodation in the town.
So, in the middle of March 1905 Florence moved into lodgings in a house close to the sea front in Devonport. Whilst not particularly homely or comfortable she felt much better by being so much closer to her husband. After nine months initial training in the navy, Thomas was posted from HMS Defiance to HMS Doris. Under the major reorganisation of the Royal Navy started by the new First Sea Lord, ‘Jacky’ Fisher, the Doris had recently become part of the Channel Fleet.
For four months in the mid part of the year Thomas found his new sea legs onboard HMS Doris before being moved to a shore establishment, Vivid II, for a week and then back to the Defiance. Florence had difficulty keeping abreast with at times, and in understanding, the reasons for the apparent constant movement of Thomas from a ship which wasn't a ship but a naval barracks, to another ship which was a ship. But she was content that all was well, and that her Tommy was not being moved around due to any misconduct on his part, quite the opposite in many ways, so it appeared. His talent and hard work ethic gained during his previous time working in Bolton repaid him well, resulting in him being moved from ship to ship and shore establishment to shore establishment on a regular basis, to enable him to become an expert in his field, which became torpedoes and armaments.
The Defiance was followed by service on HMS Devonshire, then back to Vivid II, then the Indus and Vivid II again. Finally, half way through December 1905 came the posting which was to mean the greatest upheaval for Florence. Tommy was posted to the flag ship of the Australia Station based in Sydney, New South Wales, HMS Powerful, where he became a fourth rating Electrician. For him, a major change in status, and the first opportunity to show his worth in the rapidly growing fleet of the Royal Navy.
For Florence the final move from her home to Devonport had been a difficult time. She had finally caught the train from Bolton with her one large suitcase containing her worldly possessions, and sat alone on the train until it came into the station at Devonport. Alone with her thoughts she watched the scenery change minute by minute through the journey from mill houses and mills, to farms and wild countryside through the length of the country, until finally the sight of the sea raised her spirits with the thought that with the sea came her dear Tommy. The train slowed with a grinding noise as it arrived at the station and Florence rose from her seat to take her case from the overhead luggage rack and pushed open the door into the corridor, allowing the door to slide back closed with a bang, which made her jump. She looked guiltily along the corridor, but no one took any notice or seem to have had heard or saw her embarrassment. Then, hanging onto the brightly polished bar beneath the window she craned her neck to watch the station platform appear with its wooden canopy overhang the station platform. Tommy was waiting for her on the platform in the darkness. His outline was illuminated by the round overhead gas light under which he had positioned himself, to give her an early chance to spot him in the small group of people waiting impatiently for passengers from the train. With a jerk which made her stumble and almost fall to the floor of the corridor, Florence clung to the bar for support as the train finally jarred to a stop at the station platform. Thomas spotted her waiting in the train and stepped forward to open the door to the carriage, then waited patiently until she had made her shuffling way along the corridor to the end door, struggling to walk with the weight of her suitcase and handbag. Beaming a wide smile she stepped carefully off the train onto the platform and immediately set her case down on the floor as Tommy stepped forward to take her into his arms. Ignoring the people moving around them to leave the station they kissed and hugged each other, only losing their grip on the other when most of the other passengers had finally made their way around the couple, some of them smiling fondly whilst others tutted their annoyance at being forced to negotiate a path around them. Florence fished in her coat pocket for her ticket to show the station master standing at the exit from the station. The tall uniformed man smiled broadly at the young couple, he in his flat capped artificers uniform, she dressed in her new overcoat and shoes, both obviously fondly in love with each other. He took the ticket from her outstretched hand and barely looked at it, let along inspect it. They passed through the barrier and walked from the station to find a cab to take Florence to her new, temporary home.
It was dark when Florence arrived at the front door of the house he had chosen, but she was immediately able to appreciate the sudden and major improvement in the standard of her living accommodation.
Thomas picked up her bag and carried it into the room of the house run by Mrs Lomas; her heart sank a little. To be married and then separated from her dear Tommy so soon did nothing to raise her spirits, in fact quite the opposite. As he elbowed open the door into the room she looked around the hallway. It was longer and wider than the hall at home in Bolton and led straight to a flight of stairs going to the rooms on the first floor; it was a little like Mrs Watson's house. She edged her way past Mrs Lomas who had welcomed them at the front door, and looked around the room which was to be her home for as long as it took Tommy to find his feet in the Navy. How long that would be she could not even guess, not having any knowledge of the machinations of the Royal Navy. Perhaps they would not post him to Australia despite his wishes, perhaps he would be posted to the north of Scotland which he had also mentioned.
Tommy dropped her suitcase onto the bed; a bed which occupied about a quarter of the room. A bay window at one end of the room faced out onto the street with its small front garden, and to the houses opposite. The other furniture in the room was restricted to an armchair and a small wardrobe. Florence started to pull her few clothes from the case and
which stood against the back wall of the room. Soon the case was empty. She closed it and looked around the room for somewhere to store it. Tommy glanced down at the watch on his left wrist and with a grimace said,
'I'd better be getting back to the ship' Florence nodded her head silently and stood looking out of the window at the dark sky outside. He came over to her and gently turned her round to face him, and then bending his head down kissed her on the lips. 'I'll see you tomorrow night then love,' he whispered. Florence nodded her head silently, the tears started to flow again. She sniffed as she pulled away from him, and wiped the tears from her cheek with the cuff of her sleeve.
Later that night Florence lay alone in bed, turning over again in her head the events of past few months, and particularly the past days of her life. The trips she had made to and from Bolton via London and all the other towns she had seen had become almost commonplace.
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