They did army and air-force bases, and even once on board a battleship. Military hospitals were a frequent and favourite venue, not only because the damaged soldiers and airmen were hugely appreciative of the entertainment – it was the hope that they seemed to exude that made the performers feel that they were doing something worthwhile. Sometimes they performed in dark, busy factories, where weary-looking women loaded explosives into shells and bullet casings, and everyone pretended that they were working in car factories. The next day, the venue might be an open field, on a rickety, hastily erected stage, before hundreds of soldiers roaring out their approval. In the middle of July, Beau gathered the troupe together after they’d finished a lunchtime performance on a London dock. The show had gone well, particularly when the girls sang as a trio. The dockers cheered and drummed their feet on the wooden floor of the huge warehouse, causing clouds of dust to rise up and fill the air with choking particles from the ancient cargoes.
