1915 Fokker Scourge (British Ace Book 2) (20 page)

I knew that we had a better rate of climb at altitude and I wanted to drag the Fokkers away from Carrick and Holt. I began to think we had succeeded when I felt bullets striking the underneath of the aeroplane.  We could not use the rear Lewis.  Hutton would have fallen to his death.

“Lumpy, there is a Fokker underneath us.  Can you get him with the Lee Enfield?”

I saw my gunner peering below us. “Not a chance sir, I would have to be a contortionist but I can try something sir.  You keep us steady.”

I saw him reach into one of the pockets of his coat and take out a Mills bomb.  I had heard of this new hand grenade but never seen one.  I would ask later where he got it. I saw him pull the pin and then drop the grenade. The bullets continued to hit us.  I dipped the nose and then jerked back to throw off the German’s aim.  It must have worked for the bullets stopped striking us and then there was a crack and we were buffeted by the explosion.  We were struck by tiny pieces of shrapnel from the grenade but they just punched a couple of tiny holes in the wings.  I levelled out and saw the stricken aeroplane tumbling from the sky.

“Well done Lumpy.  Now get that magazine changed.”

“Yes sir.”

I changed mine as we flew dangerously straight and level. The explosion and our climb meant that the other Fokkers were some way behind us but, as I looked at my compass, I saw that we were heading east! We were going the wrong way. The fuel gauge was also heading in the wrong direction.

“Hang on I am going to bank and dive.  When I level out get ready to fire the rear Lewis.”

“I’ll try sir but it is a tight fit here in the front.”

His layers of clothing, while keeping him warm made him less mobile. That decided me.  We would hedgehop back to the airfield.  That way they could not get below us.

I gave the bus all the power that was available.  If I ran out of fuel I would glide. We were still descending when I saw the rear German trenches.  As we levelled out, thirty feet above them they began to fire at us. I heard Hutton say, “Cheeky beggars!” I saw another Mills bomb dropped over the side.  This time we were travelling so fast that we did not feel the concussion but I knew that the Fokker following behind would.  It would buy us a few seconds.

Now I felt the engine labouring.  I could not see behind me but I knew that we had been hit.  I was losing oil or fluids.  The fuel gauge was dipping towards empty as we zipped over No-Man’s Land. When I saw the Tommies waving I knew we had reached our own lines.  The question was, where would we land?

“Look for somewhere to land, Hutton.  We have been hit and we are running out of fuel.”

“All I can see is trenches and wire, sir.  It’ll make a right mess of us if we try and land here.”

“If we run out of fuel we may have no option.  Let me know when you see anything vaguely flat.”

Even the roads had been destroyed in the barrage and all that I could see was pock marked with craters.  They would be as lethal to us as the Fokkers which had given up the chase now and returned home.

“Sir, straight ahead! I can see a patch of green.”

Even as he said it the engine began to cough and splutter.  I too saw the patch of green.  It was not as flat as I would have liked but it was the earth and we were going to hit it anyway.

“Brace yourself”

I heard him mumble, “For what we are about to receive…”

The engine cut out and we struck the ground.  Without power I had no control over the craft and I just fought the stick and the rudder to avoid obstacles. Hutton and our height meant that I could not see directly in front of the aeroplane.

“Sir! Rock!”

We struck the rock with our nose wheel. The rear of the aeroplane rose alarmingly and then, thankfully crashed down. I heard something crack and break. We both clambered from the Gunbus. I reached the ground before Hutton who was struggling with his layers.
We had broken the propeller, the nose wheel and the tail had broken off.  However, as we walked away from the Gunbus I remembered what Ted had first told me when I had started to fly. 
‘Any landing you walk away from is a good landing
.’

There was a farmhouse close by the field.  We wandered over on the off chance that there might be an occupant.  Although the wrecked door suggested that the farmer and his family had fled.  The cupboards were bare and anything soldiers might be able to use had been taken.  The only items which remained were the armchairs and couch and a couple of broken down beds. There were a couple of broken picture frames showing the family at a beach somewhere; they were dressed in their finest. It was a sad reminder of happier days.

“Well someone robbed these poor people and no mistake.”

“I think, Lumpy, that the family would have taken everything of value.  Their lives would be more important than possession.  I reckon when this war is over some people at home might realise that too.”

“For me they always have been
, sir.”

We found a road not far from the field and we waited. The road had to lead to the front and, sooner or later, a vehicle would come by. Eventually I heard the rumble of a lorry.  It pulled up next to us and a young head popped out. “Captain Harsker! Bert’s brother! What are you doing out here?”

“Do I know you?”

“You bought us a pint in Boulogne
, sir.”

“Ah yes.  We crashed over there.  Any chance of a ride back to our field?”

“Of course, sir.  Jump on board.”

After we had given him directions we headed along the road. “We saw your aeroplane not long ago sir.  You were trailing smoke.  The lads all wondered if you would make it. Bert will be made up when I tell him I met you.”

I felt relief.  I had wanted to ask the question but dreaded the answer. “How is he?”

“Oh he is fine.  He is a Lance Corporal now.” His face became sad. 
“We lost a few lads in the attack.  The Hun countermined our tunnel and twenty of the lads were buried alive. Bert showed he could lead men when the chips were down and they made him a Lance.”

I shuddered.  That was a horrible way to go.  Ther
e were no pleasant ways to die in this war but it seemed to me that with gas and tunnels we were making more horrible ways for a man to die than in the past. It only took twenty minutes to reach the field. Another five minutes in the air and we would have been home.

“Thank you for the lift
, private. Tell our Bert to be careful!”

He laughed, “That is a bit rich sir, if you don’t mind me saying so sir.  You have just crash landed in a field and you are telling him to be careful.  But I will pass on your message.”

As we walked towards the mess tent Lumpy said, “He is right, sir.  You do take some fearful risks.”

We watched as Gordy’s flight landed. The other pilots and gunners waiting had not noticed us, walking in from the road, and they crowded around the three aeroplanes as the crews descended.

We were thirty yards away and I saw Lieutenant Holt run up to him, “Any sign of Captain Harsker.”

Gordy shook his head.  Hutton cocked his head in their direction, “Shall you tell ‘em sir or me?”

“Let me. Have you chaps lost someone?”

They all turned and stared.  Ted shook his head, “Where’s your bus then?”

“The field here was too crowded so we left it twenty minutes away.”

Freddy Carrick said, “How on earth did you get away?  When we looked back they were all swarming around you.  We were convinced you had bought it.”

“It was a little close but Airman Hutton here had a surprise up his sleeve.  He has downed a Fokker with a Mills Bomb.”

That brought a mixture of laughter and applause. He looked a little abashed by the attention from the other gunners. “I’ll just go and change
, sir.  These layers are a bit warm when you are on the ground.”

“Righto and well done, airman.  Today you were outstanding.”

I strode to the mess tent with Gordy and Ted. Major Leach had heard the commotion and he walked from the Headquarters’ tent. “I suspect you have an interesting report to write, Captain Harsker.”

“That I have sir.” I gestured behind me to Lumpy Hutton who was now surrounded by his peers. “I would like to recommend Hutton for promotion and a medal. He downed a Fokker with a Mills Bomb.”

“Did he by George? I think we might well manage the promotion but I don’t think they have medals for other ranks; apart from the V.C. that is. The colonel had already mentioned promoting him and Laithwaite anyway.  It seems an anomaly to have those two just as airmen when all the other gunners are Flight Sergeants. Come inside and tell us all about how you managed to escape.”

The colonel came to listen to
o.  When I had finished he said, “What could have turned out to be a disaster has been somewhat salvaged.  Lieutenant Hewitt, what did you discover?”

“By the time we reached the front there were just a few burning aeroplanes and I could see the Fokkers heading east.  We assumed that Bill had bought it as there was
no sign of his aeroplane.”

“I was hedgehopping.  I was almost out of fuel. I hope they can repair her.”

“Don’t worry they will give it their best efforts. Well if you would write your report and then you can have a rest for a while. I think tomorrow we will just send out half the squadron and stay on our side of the lines. Their bombers were badly shot up by Lieutenant Thomas here.”

Ted looked embarrassed.  “We managed to shoot down three and damage two.”

“Well done!”

“I know but we left you in the lurch.   We could see them swarming all over you and knew that you were keeping them off our backs.”

“Don’t worry about it, Ted.  It all worked out for the best. I was just worried that Johnny Holt and Freddy Carrick would have bought it.  They took some punishment.”

“Don’t worry Captain, they will be mentioned in despatches.” The colonel pointed
to the tent wall, as though it was a window, “If the weather deteriorates much more then we will not have many more opportunities for such patrols.  It will give us time to build up our strength again. Anyway gentlemen, thank you for your efforts today.”

As we stood to leave, Ted asked, “Sir,
is there any chance of some wooden huts for the winter? It is a bit cold for tents.”

“I thought that myself.  We have some Royal Engineers coming next week.  They will make our home a little more permanent.”

“And that, of course, means no one thinks the front line will be moving any time soon.”

“Quite right Lieutenant Hewitt.  The Loos offensive gained more ground than most but it was still only a couple of miles and bought with the blood of too many Tommies.”

It took three days to dismantle and bring my wrecked aeroplane from the field and it lay forlornly on the grass while we waited for spares.

Before the Engineers arrived we received a missive from Headquarters.  It did not affect us directly but it showed the way the war had changed.  There was to be no fraternising with the Germans over Christmas.  I remembered that the first year of the war had seen Christmas Day football matches and the exchanging of gifts. That would not happen again.
The war had become too serious. If we fraternised we might realise that we had much more in common than we knew.

The arrival of the Royal Engineers was greeted like a visit by the King.  We were all keen to have them start work and so we watched their lorries as they arrived. To my delight I saw Lance Corporal Albert Harsker jump down and set to work. I decided not to embarrass him.  I would wait until they had a brew and then speak with him.

Lumpy Hutton had become quite a celebrity since the hand grenade incident. He had proved himself to be a resourceful and resilient airman. Even some of the older and more experienced gunners sought his advice.  He was a man who knew many things. He seemed to be a fountain of all knowledge; both useful and useless.  Although as he told me ‘There’s no such thing as useless knowledge.  It’s just stuff you haven’t needed yet!”

I suppose having been a miner he
relished the open air more than most and took everything in good part. Life above ground suited him. Nothing seemed to get him down.

Our poor Gunbus was looking very sorry for herself. There was no propeller and her undercarriage
was wrecked beyond repair. Laithwaite and a couple of mechanics were helping Lumpy who was whistling happily as he worked. He saw me coming.  “Sir, this bullet proofing; it works but I can’t move.  I am going to just use the bully beef tins and one layer of cardboard.”

“I’d hate to lose you
, Lumpy.  It works you know.” I pointed to the holes we could see in the nacelle and the three 9mm bullets in the bottom of the cockpit.

“I know sir but I couldn’t get to the rear Lewis and that nearly cost us.  I won’t take as many layers next time.  Besides Jack here reckons thinner layers are better anyway.”

“I leave that to you.  Thank you Airman Laithwaite.  I appreciate your efforts.”

He smiled, “We Donkey Wallopers have to stay together sir!”

I heard the cooks shout, “Tea and Jippo!”