The Skylark's Secret - Fiona Valpy Page 0,122
I’m glad that they heard the song of the skylark and knew how good freedom can be. So good that it’s worth fighting for.
I gather Daisy to me and hug her tight, burying my face in her rose-gold curls. She’s the spitting image of her granny; everyone says so.
Then I settle her back in the carrier and hoist it on to my shoulders for the walk home.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
‘This is a God-fearing community and the local people are to be treated with respect.’
Winston Churchill, in an address to naval personnel on the arrival of the Home Fleet in Loch Ewe. 13th September, 1939
In writing this book, I have tried at all times to keep to Winston Churchill’s directive, treating the memories of the local inhabitants and their history with the utmost respect. For the purposes of the story, all the characters are fictitious. Any similarities to particular individuals are both coincidental and unintentional.
There is no Ardtuath Estate, nor was there an Ardtuath House that could be transformed from a shooting lodge into a music school. However, I am pleased to say that a thriving traditional music scene and a resurgence in the teaching of Gaelic ensure that the old songs live on in the Highlands. The idea of a school to help promote traditional Scottish music was inspired, in part, by the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music at Plockton, which offers residential places for students from all across Scotland. The Traditional Music and Song Association is a good starting point for finding out more about the songs included in this book:
As far as possible, I have tried to stick to the historical timeline of events during World War II. I have made up or altered the names of some of the ships that Alec serves upon for the purposes of the story but again, wherever I could, I have reflected the historical facts as accurately as possible.
Three thousand men lost their lives on the Arctic convoys. Those who served, undertaking what Winston Churchill described as ‘the worst journey in the world’, were finally awarded a special medal – the Arctic Star – in 2012. The medal was awarded to both military personnel and merchant seamen. Arctic convoy personnel are entitled to wear a white beret, earning them the nickname ‘Snowdrops’. In the garden of the Russian Arctic Convoys Museum in Aultbea, 3,000 snowdrops have been planted to commemorate those who lost their lives, re-emerging as a sea of white blooms each spring.
The vestiges of Loch Ewe’s pivotal role as the muster point for the convoys can still be seen today. In 1999 a memorial was unveiled at Rubha Nan Sasan, the point overlooking the entrance to the loch, to commemorate the courage of all who took part in the convoys, which played such a vital role in the Allied victory.
When I visited the memorial, among the poppies that had been left there in memory of those who never returned to the safe harbour of Loch Ewe, a stone had been placed, painted with a single word: Спасибо.
It is the Russian word for ‘thanks’.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks to the Russian Arctic Convoys Museum, Aultbea, a wealth of material has been preserved to keep alive the memories of those extraordinary years during World War II when that remote crofting community was suddenly transformed into a busy naval base and became home for over three thousand military personnel. The museum, staffed by welcoming and knowledgeable volunteers, is a treasure trove of information and well worth a visit. Its exhibits help to bring home just how terrible conditions were on the journeys to Murmansk and Archangel. Details of the convoys and the men who served on them are available via their website at www.racmp.co.uk.
Similarly, Steve Chadwick’s book Loch Ewe During World War II is a wonderful reference work, recording local people’s reminiscences as well as the historical facts.
All Hell Let Loose: The World at War 1939–1945 by Max Hastings has a chapter devoted to the Arctic convoys, which is a good starting point for anyone wishing to read more about their history within the wider context of the war.
I was extremely fortunate to be given access to several first-hand accounts recorded by people who served on the convoys. I am grateful to Vivienne Giacobino-Simon who shared extracts from the diaries of her father, Noel Simon, the author and African wildlife conservationist. During the war, Noel was a fighter pilot with the Fleet Air Arm, flying Wildcats from the aircraft carrier Illustrious, one of the escort vessels accompanying several convoys. He was mentioned in dispatches for his bravery.
Jamie Jauncey very kindly shared with me his grandfather’s book, the Random Naval Recollections of Admiral Sir Angus Cunninghame Graham, who commanded the destroyer Kent on Arctic convoys at one point during his illustrious naval career.
I am also grateful to Sandra Nicholl of Tamarac, Florida, for sharing photos and memories of her parents’ careers in the RAF and WRNS, including mention of the WRNS guard of honour at their Scottish wedding.
My neighbour, Ernie Carrol, told me stories of his father’s army career, which helped inspire some of the scenes in the book. I hope his dog, Braan, doesn’t mind me borrowing his name. I also appropriated the name of my friend Kiki Fraser’s dog, Corrie, with her kind permission. And my friends Peter and Wendy Miller very generously shared information about refugee children attending a west coast school during the war years.
Jamie Elder of West Highland Marine took me out on to Loch Ewe in his boat, the Striker, and gave me an excellent and informative tour of World War II sites around the loch from the water. He was very well placed to do so, having fished the waters all his life, along with his father before him, and – on one occasion – having found an unexploded bomb from the war years on the seabed.
Heartfelt thanks, as always, to my agent, Madeleine Milburn, and to her brilliant team for supporting and promoting my books around the world.
A massive thank you to my editors, Sammia Hamer, Mike Jones, Gill Harvey and Monica Byles, as well as to Emma Rogers for another stunning cover design, and to the rest of the Lake Union team at Amazon Publishing. You are life-changers.
Another big, heartfelt thank you goes out to all the friends and family who encourage me and keep the hugs coming. Especially: Lesley Singers and her family; my mother, Aline Wood; my aunt, Flora Crowe; Karen and Michael Macgregor for west coast inspiration; James and Willow; Alastair and Carey.
And, finally, I am so grateful to all my readers for their support and I would like to thank you personally for reading my books. If you have enjoyed The Skylark’s Secret, I should be very grateful if you would consider writing a review. I love getting feedback, and I know reviews have played a big part in helping other readers to discover my work.
With best wishes,
Fiona
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photo © Willow Findlay
Fiona is an acclaimed number 1 bestselling author, whose books have been translated into more than twenty different languages worldwide.
She draws inspiration from the stories of strong women, especially during the years of World War II. Her meticulous historical research enriches her writing with an evocative sense of time and place.
Fiona spent seven years living in France, having moved there from the UK in 2007, before returning to live in Scotland. Her love for both of these countries, their people and their histories, has found its way into the books she’s written.