Chapter 1 – Beginning of the End Part 2
Hyde Park, London. 16th May, 1936
Edward was looking aimlessly up to the sky. The sun was beaming down onto him, a rare feeling in any part of England. He remembered his dream to be in the RAF, to soar through the skies. But he preferred army life, even though the only excitement in the day was some Sergeant shouting at a hopeless Private. Edward, however, had become good friends with his Section Leader, Corporal John Steele. Steele and his family were Yanks that moved over to Britain, so his parents could fight in the Great War. Steele, like Edward, was carrying on his father’s legacy, and joining the army. Edward’s thoughts were disrupted by a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see a young boy, holding a newspaper out to him. He took it, and glanced at the front page with horror. Edward quickly handed the paper back to the boy, gave his thanks, and rushed away.
The Spanish Civil War, between the Nationalists and Republican factions, began on the 16th May 1936.
Hyde Park Barracks, London. Late night, 16th May 1936
Steele snatched the bottle away from Edward, and gulped down its contents. The Heaywood brothers, Jack and Josh, were rolling some dice on the floor. The other 6 beds in the Section’s tent were empty, their owners still out partying.
“We all sufficiently drunk?” Steele slurred. “If not, you’ll want to be. I’ve got some good and bad news.” The group nodded, and eagerly waited for their Corporal to continue. “Good? Good. So, as we know, the Spanish are, for some reason or another, killing each other.” He belched loudly, before continuing. “We have been told to leave the Spanish to their fate, because apparently some high ups said so. No fighting in Spain boys.”
Edward sighed. “So, a war has broken out, and we are just going to sit a watch. God save the King and all that. What was the good news?” At the question, Steele shrugged before collapsing into a heap on the floor, fast asleep. Before long, the Heaywood brothers followed, until Edward was sitting alone, with nothing but a bottle of wine and some sorrow to drink away…
The months of June, July and August had been productive for all branches of the British Armed Forces. The Royal Navy gained the Tribal Class Destroyers (of which 16 were built), the George V Class Battleship (of which 5 were built), and the Triton Class Submarine (of which 15 were built). On the other hand, the Army had licensed the production of Matilda Light Tanks, and the RAF had gained the new Hurricane Fighter for their air wings.
Houses of Parliament, 9th December 1936
The Abdication Crisis of 1936 shook the British nation to its core. Churchill’s support for King Edward led to what many believed to be the end of his political career.
“You must give King Edward time, damn it! You are rushing him into abdicating! Let him consider the options. Or, better still, let the public share their voice, their opinion! He is the King of all of us, and the public should help us decide! Delay the choice between the options, damn it! The delay may, at the very least, lead to him losing his love for the woman!” Churchill protested with the force of opposing MPs, but most of them refused to listen. Most of them. Another man stood up, the same one that argued with Churchill earlier that year.
“For once, I agree with Churchill. We need to let the King decide, without being rushed. Let him consider all the options. He who insults the British Crown thus insults the history and achievements of the British race. He deserves, after many years faithfully fulfilling the role of Prince of Wales, to live in private happiness with the woman he loves.” The man sat down, and Churchill stood up to continue their seemingly effective, yet improvised, argument against rushing the choice. Before a word could exit Churchill’s mouth, however, disapproving shouts from almost every MP in the room caused his body to tense, and his mind drifted back to the last time he felt so much hatred against him. Knowing that he could do nothing to sway this crowd, he silently left the room, understanding that this was his last day in politics for a while. Upon leaving the room, he smiled to himself. This may be the end of his political career for now, but he would never surrender…
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Hi all, hope you enjoyed this part! So far, no one has correctly guessed the mystery MP, but you get another clue to his identity. The next chapter will take us through '37, and then hopefully one chapter for each '38 and '39 before the war. Once the war begins, however, things will really get interesting! Good luck on guessing the mystery MP, and see you for the next part!
