Toward the end of the war, Pamela’s father, divorced from her feckless mother, discovers his child’s whereabouts and takes her to live with his sister in Ireland. She revels in her scent: “She smelled warm, salty, of new-baked bread.”

The childless Ellen develops a fierce maternal love for this small girl, who becomes a source of great joy. Pamela had been sent outside to hold a place in the bus queue while the adults quarreled inside.Įllen and her husband, Selwyn, take Pamela to live with them at the mill they already have charge of three boys evacuated from London some time earlier. As it turns out, Pamela’s mother was killed along with her lover when their Southampton hotel was leveled by a direct hit. No one knows who the girl is, but she tells them her name is Pamela. After Ellen has seen the last woman off the final bus, she finds a little girl abandoned on the back seat, fast asleep. Ellen, wife of the local miller, is assisting those bused to safe haven in Upton’s village hall, all of whom must be housed for the night and offered numerous restorative cups of tea.

We must act quickly and persist.We Must Be Brave opens in 1940 during a devastating bombing raid on Southampton, a port in the south of England. We need a free and courageous Europe that will not be intimidated by anyone or anything. We want to know that we all have done the utmost maximum in these fateful hours. We fully support our European leaders in taking brave decisions on the toughest measures against Russia, Belarus, and all those who join Putin.We are determined to bear the consequences of any measures, even if they are painful for us. As Europeans, we are prepared to face the economic consequences and the impact on energy supplies, including energy prices.Ukraine, although not now a member of NATO or the European Union, is part of it. We support extensive economic, material, armament, humanitarian, and human aid to Ukraine, as well as support in the field of international agreements.Įconomic interests must not outweigh the necessity to defend free Europe. We, the citizens of the European countries,Ĭondemn the aggression unleashed by Vladimir Putin against Ukraine, which calls for an uncompromising reaction.

We must be brave