Suddenly Nancy laughed hysterically, “You’re the limit, Mabel.”
Mabel giggled and their tension was broken. “Let’s put on our helmets and go out in the hall where we can keep up with what’s happening,” Mabel suggested. “I always feel better in a thunderstorm when I’m standing where I can see the lightning strike.”
They went out to the passage nearest their lifeboat, and felt more comfortable. Almost immediately after they stationed themselves there, however, the attackers were driven off and peace descended once more on the dark flotilla.
Not until next morning did they learn that a ship some distance behind them had been struck and sent to the bottom. She was a tanker, and only about half her crew were picked up by neighboring vessels.
“But for the grace of God that might have been us,” said Nancy sadly.
When they were approaching the end of their dangerous voyage, the nurses learned some details of the situation they were to face. Their destination was Koshu Island, half of which had already been taken from the Japs. The prolonged struggle to gain complete possession of the area had caused many casualties, making a hospital unit imperative.
There would be many more casualties they knew from this reinforcing armada of which they were a part, to replace those being sent out from the island by plane.
Excitement rippled over the transport when the troops and nurses sighted their destination, a fluted outline of ragged palms silhouetted against a white-hot tropical sky. The beach-head which they were to occupy had been taken weeks ago, so the landing would not be as dangerous as it had been for the earlier force.
About a mile offshore the flotilla came to anchor. All morning Nancy and her companions watched the landing craft of many types push in close against the beach, putting men and munitions ashore. Much of the infantry had come all the way from Australia aboard the larger landing craft. When these boats had discharged their passengers they returned to the transports, and filled up again. On one of these landing craft for infantry, Nancy’s unit went ashore.
While they waited their turn, watching the maneuvers over the wide theater of action, Major Reed proffered Nancy his field glasses. She shared them with Mabel, who stood at her side.