Saturday, 21st July, 1945

This is an entry in a year-long project to post-blog the demobilisation experience for British servicemen at the end of the Second World War. See here for an introduction to the project and here for a brief overview of the demobilisation process.

The Admiralty reports (in the Times) that by mid-October male ratings up to Group 22 will have been released from the Royal Navy. The demob of officers will be considerably slower; by the end of October Groups 7 and below ought to have been discharged, though engineers, supply officers, and other key personnel will still be deferred. All remaining married WRNS officers will be released by the end of August.

Also in the Times: the British Chief of Naval Information in Washington has revealed that all major modern British warships not refitting in home waters are now in the Far East in support of military operations there. These include the battleships HMS Howe, HMS Duke of York, and the Illustrious-class aircraft carriers.

In the short story “Plan for Perfection” by Katherine Merson, in this week's Woman, “Lauraine had made such wonderful plans for Robin’s homecoming – she couldn’t understand his unhappiness.” Lauraine overplans everything – assiduously reading pop psychology books like Marriage Under War Conditions: Its Physiological and Psychological Aspects; trying to set Robin up with a job, thinking she has his reunion with their young son Alan prepared. But Alan dislikes his father and Robin dislikes the job he is being elbowed into. Finally he rebels:

“I’m speaking plainly, Lauraine. You did too much planning, darling, and I hadn’t the guts to push you off the bridge and take command … do you know what finally brought Alan to his senses about me? The hair-brush, gently but firmly applied to his tough little behind. And the hair brush method goes for everybody in the house, whenever I consider it necessary. Is that understood?’ ‘Y-yes, dear.’ … ‘You know now that a man can have courage for himself and his wife and his children – but he hasn’t the courage to stand up to a wife who has no faith in him. But it’s working itself out.”

Comments

[Erik Lund]

The hair-brush, gently but firmly applied to his tough little behind. And the hair brush method goes for everybody in the house, whenever I consider it necessary. Is that understood?’ ‘Y-yes, dear.’
Well, _someone_ is a little preoccupied with waiting for the men (or, this being 2009, WRNS) to get home....

[Alan Allport]

This was about as smutty as Woman got in 1945 ...