Tears of the Moon - Di Morrissey [204]
‘What will happen to Ahmed?’ asked Toby. ‘Where’s his home?’
‘With me,’ said Tyndall. ‘He can move into the back of the house.’
Fearing an invasion, the Government purchased all the luggers, those deemed unseaworthy were destroyed. The aerodrome had been upgraded and was already a refuelling station for the RAAF and planes on the run to the Dutch East Indies.
By the end of February 1942, Broome was a shell of its former self.
When the Mettas announced they were leaving Broome for Perth, Olivia’s heart sank. Toby put on a brave face, his stout frame quivering with emotion as he embraced Olivia. Mabel seemed less composed, indeed as Olivia hugged her dear Ceylonese friend she felt that Mabel had shrunk. She seemed lost in her sombre maroon sari, and her long hair coiled at the nape of her neck was streaked with grey, but her smile was as dazzling as ever.
‘Don’t leave it too long before you join us,’ begged Mabel. ‘Get John out of here. You must.’
Several state ships already had left with families on board, and this would be the last. A few people were leaving by aircraft.
‘It’s not first class travel, we’re jammed in and it’s so hot, but we’ll have to make the best of it,’ sighed Mabel.
A lot of the men stayed behind, knowing they might be needed in Broome and it was heart-breaking to Olivia to see them waving farewell to their wives and children. As the ship pulled away, Olivia burst into tears against Tyndall’s chest. ‘I have this feeling I’m never going to see them again.’
‘Nonsense. You can go back to Perth any time. You still have a house there remember. Just say the word.’
‘I will not leave you, or Broome.’
‘Then dry your tears. You’ve made up your mind, my darling.’
The streets of Broome were silent, buildings deserted, Sheba Lane abandoned. And as evacuation ships headed out to sea, the men left behind got royally drunk in the pubs.
With the Japanese push through the Philippines and the Dutch East Indies, Broome suddenly became the transit centre for refugee families. Allied servicemen, and civilians and their families, American service personnel from the Philippines and desperate Dutch families from the Indies, were evacuated to Australia through Broome, mainly by air.
The Institute Hall was turned into a medical and care centre and Olivia worked tirelessly helping the refugee families. There were few women in the town, a nurse, the lady at the telephone exchange and several of the Sisters at the St John of God Convent. The hotels were full and the remaining families threw open their homes to cope with the thousands coming through.
Tyndall also poured his efforts into helping out at the harbour where there was little provision for the flying boats. The spring tides stranded many of the flying boats a mile from shore. It was a long walk through the mud to the jetty and then to the shore and many of the older people and mothers with children chose to stay on board the flying boats despite the cramped conditions. Ahmed worked beside Tyndall helping to put down moorings for the flying boats and running a stripped down lugger as a fuel barge.
‘The aerodrome is badly cut up. Those Flying Fortresses and the Liberators are so big, they have to make repairs after every landing,’ said Tyndall.
‘All the Malay and Koepanger boys out there fixin’ it up,’ said Ahmed. ‘They dig up gravel. Hard work for them livin’ out at the ’drome.’
‘Those pilots must be exhausted, refuelling and straight back for another load. I heard there were over fifty planes out there today. Those poor people. It sounds awful up in the East,’ said Olivia. ‘They’re shuttling them out just ahead of the Japanese.’
That evening Tyndall called Olivia to come out on the verandah. But instead of the tranquil sunset view they generally enjoyed, the