1914 (British Ace) (28 page)

“I am a pilot like you now Gordy!”

“Well done.  What was the major saying?”

“He offered me the chance to go with Lord Burscough and fly the new single seater scout.”

“And you turned him down?  That’s daft that is.”

“Always half empty eh Ted? I know the Gunbus and I like it.  I would not be confident in a single seater; not yet anyway.” I waved a hand at the airfield.  There were just three aircraft fit to fly. “There are no aeroplanes left here to fly anyway.”

We now only had the young lieutenants left as pilots and they had the heavily damaged aeroplanes.  Until we received
either spares or new aeroplanes, than we would not be truly operational.  This last offensive had hurt us.

We waved a hung
over and bleary eyed Major Burscough goodbye. He was driven in a staff car sent for him by the colonel. As we turned to go back to our aeroplanes, the other officers who had just waved his lordship off, began to clamber aboard a lorry driven by Quartermaster Doyle.  Major Brack waved us over.  “Harsker and Hewitt; get your flying gear.  You are to go with the officers and pick up replacement aeroplanes and crew from England.”

As we ran to our tent I heard Ted grumble, “I have no luck. I shall have to stay here and repair these wrecks while you get to go to England.  There’s no justice in this world.”

There were just six officers in the back of the lorry.  We both felt self conscious as we clambered aboard. It was only when we sat down and looked at them that I realised they were all lieutenants.  Captain D
undas had stayed with the major.  They all had less air time than we did. I also saw that they were a little nervous too. Gordy made everything comfortable, “We hope you fine gentlemen don’t mind travelling with a couple of grease monkeys like us.”

They were young but they were pleasant chaps.  Lieutenant Donovan said, “No, of course not
, Flight.  Besides you two have more kills than us lot put together.  We were hoping you could give us some pointers on the way back.”

And so the journey to Calais was a pleasant one. Gordy told many stories about flying and then they all asked me about my trapeze stunt. By the time we reached the sea I felt as though I knew them all far better than I had done.  They were not lords
; they were ordinary chaps and they were keen to learn. That was all that you could ask.  I had been worried that they would turn out to be versions of Lieutenant Ramsden.

We had an hour before we could board the boat and Gordy managed to buy a few bottles of French brandy for the voyage. “We can enjoy ourselves now, Bill!”

In the event we did not.  The ship was taking home many of the wounded from the battle of Neuve Chapelle.  When Gordy saw the plight of some of the soldiers who had lost arms, leg, even eyes he could not, in all conscience, drink alone. Most of the brandy was doled out to soldiers who had a bleak future ahead of them. They would be cripples in a world which only valued the whole. He shook his head as we poured the last drop down the throat of a boy, who looked to be younger than my brother Albert. Gordy said, “I am coming round to your way of thinking Bill.  We should have killed more of the bastards on the road.  It’s now our lads or theirs and from now I will save our boys if I can.”

There was a lorry waiting when we reached Dover and we were driven to the same aerodrome at Dartford.  It was dark when we arrived and we were billeted in the sergeant’s barracks. It was a grim place. I suspect it was always used for transitory pilots and there was no sign of anyone leaving a mark upon it.  After the depressing crossing we both went to bed
with sunken spirits.  The euphoria of the first part of the journey had been forgotten after the horror of the boat and soulless barracks.

We were summoned the next morning to the briefing room where the station commander, Captain Dawes, sat at a table with a pile of papers before him. I noticed a group of men in new uniforms sat together.  I guessed they were our replacement crews. We were told to sit and Quartermaster Doyle plopped himself next to us.
He turned to speak to us. “I get to take back the new boys who aren’t flying! What a depressing journey that will be.”

“Are you taking anything else back?”

He tapped the side of his nose, “As many spares as I can manage to lay my hands on.” He chuckled, “They have so many aeroplanes and parts coming through here that they haven’t the first clue what we have signed for. I will pack the lorries to the rafters.”

The captain stood up.  “Gentlemen we have a little paperwork to do here.  The pilots,” he glanced in our direction, “will need to sign for their aircraft and check that they are airworthy.” Gordy and I groaned while the loots looked confused.  They would soon find out what that meant. Three hours
of walking around the aircraft with a checklist.

“When I call your name then come here and sign for the aeroplane.  You will pick up your checklist and log book and then the Squadron Sergeant will allocate
you your observer.”

The captain looked to be a man who did things by the book… no matter how long that took. Gordy and I were in the middle of the alphabet and I was called before him. The captain gave me a supercilious look as though I could not read and then said,
“Sign here, Flight Sergeant Harsker.” He emphasised the Flight Sergeant part.

I smiled, “I’ll just read it through sir, if you don’t mind.”

As I was reading it I heard him say to the young lieutenant next to him, “We must be scraping the barrel if we are letting sergeants fly now.”

I gritted my teeth and ignored the barb.  If this man had been any good he woul
d have been in Flanders. “Thank you sir.  That appears to be in order.” I signed and picked up my documents. 

As I passed the squadron sergeant he shouted, “Private Sharp. Here’s your pilot!”

I saw a young and eager looking boy who picked up his bag and threw it over his shoulder. “Right private let’s go and find our aeroplane.” As we wandered out into the cold spring morning I asked, “Have you flown much?”

He looked embarrassed.  “Today will be my first flight, Flight Sergeant.”

That somehow, brightened my day.  I had been in his position a few months ago and now I was a pilot.

”Don’t worry son, you will love it.” I saw that the aeroplane had just two Lewis guns fitted.  When I looked inside I saw that there were no spare magazines. “Stow your gear here in this front cockpit and then have a wander around it.
It will all seem strange at first. I have to do something.”

I saw Quartermaster Doyle at a large building loading his lorry. He turned when I ran up.  “What do you want?  Coming back with me now that you’ve seen your crew?”

“No Quartermaster, it’s just that there are no spare magazines. Any chance of getting one?”

He grinned, “You’ll get me shot.” He nodded to a box. “They are there but only take the one!”

I felt much better when I reached my aeroplane. I handed the magazine to Sharp. “Know how to change one of these?”

He smiled, “Yes Flight.”

“Then change it now and humour me.” He did so successfully and I rubbed my hands.  “Right grab the checklist while I do the guided tour.” I remembered that Captain Burscough had not really shown me the aeroplane when I had been in Sharp’s position. I did not want him to look the fool I had when I had tried to start the beast. In the end the checklist and the tour went hand in hand.  I discovered that there was not enough oil in the engine.  That could have been a disaster over the Channel. I hoped that the young lieutenants would be as diligent as I knew Gordy and I were. We had the advantage that we had worked on the engines and knew what to look for.  They were just chauffeurs. Everything else appeared to be in order. Private Sharp appeared to be diligent and keen. He paid attention to everything I said and his questions were intelligent.  I  had been lucky; they had assigned me a decent observer.

When we were finished I sent Sharp to wash up while I returned with the checklist.  The captain did not appear surprised that there was oil missing
but by the same token he did not appear to be bothered.  I handed him the signed checklist and he gave me a lazy wave. “Have a good flight then, Flight.” He seemed amused by his own wit.  I shook my head and returned to the bus.

Gordy was on his way in. And he waved a thumb at the others. “Do we have to wait for them?”

I shook my head and laughed, “Do you want the poor sods to end up in the drink? Of course we wait for them.  We have, at least, done this once before.”

“I suppose. 
The same route?”

“It is safe.”

He shook his head. “Not any more.  The Hun has been bombing Dover with Zeppelins and Aviatiks. One of the new lads comes from there and he was telling me.”

“In that case we will have to arm the guns well before the coast. I’ll go and tell the loots what we are about.”

They were all in a huddle watching the mechanics and observers checking the aeroplane.  They would soon learn that you did that sort of thing yourself. “Sirs!” They all turned.

“Yes Flight?”
Lieutenant Donovan appeared to have the most about him.

“
I have just heard the Hun has been bombing Dover and that is on our way home. We might run into Zeppelins or aeroplanes.  I would suggest we all have our gunners cock their Lewis guns when we have taken off. It will just be a precaution but we don’t want to get jumped do we?”

“Thank you for that suggestion, Flight Sergeant.”

They looked at each other with a mixture of fear and excitement. I knew that some of them would fancy their chances against a Zeppelin; for me I wanted a quiet trip back.  However I was a mere Flight Sergeant and they all out ranked me. I looked at the sky.  It was getting on for afternoon.  “And we had better get a move on, sirs.  Unless you fancy landing in the dark.”

All thoughts of Zeppelin hunting disappeared as they began to chivvy their crews
into action. I returned to our aeroplanes.  Gordy was there with his observer. “Well?”

“I told them.  I guess they will hurry up now.” I saw
Sharp looking intently at the Lewis gun.  “If we have to fire this on the way back then wait until I give the order.”

“Sir.”

“And just a short burst; four or five shots at a time.”

“Sir!”

Gordy laughed.  “I see becoming a pilot has made you an old woman now.”

“Better to be safe
than sorry.”

The officers returned.  Lieutenant
Donovan approached us. “None of us have flown over the sea before.  We wondered if you chaps could navigate?”

I nodded, “It is simple enough. We head down the Thames and then fly south to Dover.  Once there we head directly for Calais and then we are almost home.”

They looked relieved.  Gordy said, “Better keep it at six hundred feet unless we get low cloud cover, sir.”

“Righto, Flight.”

There were more mechanics at the aerodrome and Sharp was saved the ordeal of spinning the propeller. We had not rigged up the tubes and so I said, “Keep the map open and follow our route. It will be good practice. I will tap you on the head when I want you to do anything.  If you have to open fire then you will hear me, believe me!”

As we bounced and trundled down the grass I could feel the butterflies in my stomach. I was not
just leading three aeroplanes this time, I was piloting one. I had only flown the Gunbus once before but I knew that every aeroplane, even the same type, had their own idiosyncrasies. I was relieved when we pulled up into the air and I steadily rose to six hundred feet. As we flew down the Thames, slowly reaching the correct altitude, I listened to the engine and played with the controls. I needed to know the different sounds the aeroplane made. I wondered if Sharp was worried by that.  I noticed that he had tightened his belt and held on to the sides as we had taken off.

Once we reached six hundred feet I tapped him on the head.  When he turned around I mimed cocking the gun. He nodded. I tried to keep the aeroplane as leve
l as I could.  He had to take off his belt and stand to do so.  I remembered what an ordeal that was. When it was done he turned and grinned boyishly.  I smile back my reassurance.  I mimed for him to sit down and I saw the relief on his face.

I cocked my own Lewis.  I hoped I would not have to fire it for I had not briefed Sharp about keeping his head to one side.

When I saw the sea ahead I waved my left hand from the cockpit.  Gordy would see that from his aeroplane and would know the turn was coming up. As we passed over Dover I saw the smoke and flames.  They had been bombed.  That was sad for Dover but good news for us.  It meant that we would not meet any German aeroplanes or Zeppelins coming west. I used the harbour as my marker and turned east.  As I did so I glanced astern and saw the line of aeroplanes. Gordy was perfectly positioned but the others were struggling to maintain their altitude.  Some were higher and some were lower.  Major Brack would not be happy with such sloppy flying.

We were approaching Calais when I saw smoke below me.  It was an Albatros and it looked to have been damaged.
It was wave hopping. We needed to descend anyway and I put the stick forward to get to a better altitude.  We picked up speed as we did so and Sharp turned around in alarm as we drew nearer to the German.  He mimed firing and I shook my head. I saw the observer turn around and then tap the pilot on the head. Gordy and the others had descended and the pilot waggled his wings to show that he would surrender. I flew next to him and mimed putting his aeroplane behind mine.  I wanted Gordy’s gunner to have him in his sights. As I overtook him I could see that his tail had been damaged and his engine had been struck. He wanted to make sure that he could land and there were too many guns between him and home for that in such a damaged aeroplane.  He was happy to sit between our buses.