The 306: Day

Oliver Emanuel

• Publisher: Oberon Books
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9781786821454
• eBook ISBN: 9781786821461
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Drama
• Index: Literature

The 306: Day is the second part of Oliver Emanuel and Gareth Williams' powerful new First World War trilogy, charting the heart-breaking journey of the 306 men executed for cowardice and desertion during the conflict and the devastating consequences for those they left behind. This part explores how the war affected women, families, and communities on the home front. Inspired by real events and first-hand accounts, The 306: Day follows the lives of three ordinary women fighting to be heard above the clamor of World War 1.

1.

NELLIE, MRS BYERS and GERTRUDE.

ALLWe are going forward.

You can starve us

put us in prison

kill us

but no matter what you do

our voices

will be heard.

We will be heard.

We will be heard.

2.

Glasgow. 1917. Late afternoon. A public meeting outside a factory.

NELLIE MURRAY, early twenties, a munitions worker, is handing out leaflets. Her friend AGGIE is helping while HELEN, a tall woman with a length of wood in her hand, keeps an eye on the crowd.

NELLIETake one of these… Here… Pass them along will you? Ta… Everyone got one? Good stuff.

NELLIE steps up to address the crowd.

NELLIELadies… and gents. Alright? Good to see you. Thanks for hanging about after a long day. I know a lot of you want to get away home so I won’t take up more time than I have to.

A woman shouts from the back of the crowd.

CROWD 1WHAT’S SHE SAYING?

NELLIERighty-oh. Hang on.

NELLIE turns over a box and stands on it.

NELLIEThat better? Can you hear me now?

Murmurs of ascent from the crowd.

NELLIEHow do you do. I’m Nellie. I work in this factory. Some of you know me, I’m sure. I’m here today to speak on behalf of the Women’s Peace Crusade. What’s that you ask? Well exactly what it says it is. Women fighting for peace.

The crowd shift and mutter.

NELLIEI know, I know. Our government tell us we can’t talk of peace. Not now. Not while our brave boys are fighting and dying across the Channel. They tell us we’re fighting for justice, for liberty, that it’s treason to say otherwise. But the government is lying. Aye. They are lying to each and every one of us. Once upon a time we were fighting to protect plucky Belgium, to save Europe from that bastard Kaiser Bill. But not anymore. This war is a war of aggression. This war is a war of Empire and it won’t stop, no, not until every last man is face down dead in the mud of Flanders.

A few murmurs from the crowd.

NELLIESo we must talk of peace now. It is time. Three long years it’s been going on. Who amongst us has not suffered? Who has not lost someone near and dear? How much longer will this slaughter go on?

AGGIE claps.

AGGIEHere here!

CROWD 2SHAME ON YOU!

AGGIEHere here!

CROWD 2GET HER OFF. SHAME! SHAME!

CROWD 1LET HER SPEAK!

The crowd argue with one another. NELLIE shouts above them.

NELLIEBut what can we do, you ask? How can the likes of us make a difference? Let me tell you.

The crowd are quiet.

NELLIEYou’ll all be aware of what’s happening in Russia, aye? A revolution. A new social order. Universal suffrage. Peace. And tonight we’re lucky enough to have one of our sisters come all the way from Moscow. Will you fetch her in, our Helen?

HELEN goes out before bringing in a plain Russian woman in overalls and a cap.

CROWD 2BOO! SHAME! BOO!

CROWD 1LET HER SPEAK!

CROWD 2SHAME!

NELLIEI’ll tell you what’s a shame, pal. It’s a shame that we’ve got a new Prime Minister that not a single woman here could vote for. It’s a shame women have to do their men’s work but everything in the home as well. It’s a shame a woman’s voice is ignored by a government that only cares about its own power.

CROWD 2BOO! BOO! TRAITOR!

NELLIECome up here and say that to my face.

CROWD 2COWARD! FRITZ-LOVER!

NELLIEWhy don’t you shut up for a minute? It won’t kill you. I’m here to tell you the truth, for God’s sake –

A wom...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Characters
• Chapters
• Afterword: Voices In The Dark
• Acknowledgements
• By the same author