大象传媒

While serving in the ATS on a gunsite, I was asked to take several ATS girls at another gunsite to form a guard of honour for a Royal personage at yet another place. The reason was that th first transport had broken down and they needed to get the girls to the appointment quickly as they wear already behind schedule. It was pouring, but as it was urgent, I chose to use a shortcut to their camp. It was a very steep lane, wide enough for one car, with a laybay half-way. The village custom was that cars would toot at top or bottom to warn any other car to take advantage of the layby. With the girls safely on board, we got to the short cut and I tooted as usual and proceeded slowly down the lane with rain lashing down, making the lane very muddy and slippery. At the same time, I saw a van advancing up the lane and to my surprise and dismay, it passed the layby and came on towards me! I put my foot on the brake but the car just slid forward. I then put on the handbrake but we continued travelling. The crash was quite spectacular. Headlights and radiators damaged and also for the poor Baker, the impact caused his van's back doors to fly open and all the shelves of bread etc shot out and down the lane in all the mud and rain.
One of the girls ran back to the camp for help and fresh transport for the girls. I wonder if the Royal Presonage ever did get her guard of Honour?

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