1917 Eagles Fall (6 page)

We tootled around for another thirty minutes and then I led us home. Relieved but aching from my arm which was telling me I should not have flown.

The other four aeroplanes had uneventful flights. I sat in the office, smoked my pipe and did the paperwork which mounted up every day.  Perhaps we could just send two aeroplanes a day up.  It would save wear and tear on the pilots and buses. Charlie asked, “What are you thinking sir?”

I told him and he said, “We could always keep two aeroplanes ready to go in case we needed them.”

He was right and I saw the advantage of an adjutant.  Another brain was always handy. For the next ten days, whenever flying was possible we used the technique.  We shot no more enemy aeroplanes down but we had no casualties either. I was changing in this long drawn out war.

I would be lying if I said I was unhappy with the return of the others in January.  I found the pressure of command just a little too much.  Charlie had been an excellent adjutant and showed a real skill. He liaised with everyone from the quartermaster to the cooks to ensure that everything ran smoothly.  His attitude and demeanour had changed dramatically following his meeting with Alice.  He was a different man. He could go far in the Corps after the war.

I spent an hour with the major and Randolph and told them what we had done while they were on leave. “You’ve both done well.  Do you think that Sharp is ready for promotion?”

“He does the same job as Gordy and Ted so I would say yes.”

“Well we are getting replacement pilots next week ready for whatever the brass hats have in mind for us in spring so I’ll put the paperwork through.” He smiled, “Despite your little spat with Captain Ebbs our credit with the General appears to be high. Don’t tell him of his promotion yet in case it doesn’t come through but you can tell Hutton that he has been awarded the M.M..” He laughed, “You are quite the double act; the only M.C. and M.M. in the whole squadron!”  

When I told Lumpy he was suitably modest.  “You should have got something.  We would both have died if it weren’t for you.”

“Don’t worry Flight, I am more than happy with my M.C.”

The weather gods smiled on us for we were unable to fly for the next ten days. It allowed us to meet with our new pilots so that we could tell them what to do once we were in the air.  They came directly from flying school and just wanted to get in the air and knock the Hun from the sky.  They could fly but they could not fight.

Flight Sergeant Lowery had had a couple of his lads make models of German aeroplanes as well as our own so that we could show them, in the safety of the mess, the tactics and moves we would be performing. We were also able to tell them a little more about the enemy aeroplanes we would be meeting. They had to know how deadly the new Fokker and Albatros fighters were.  Thankfully there only appeared to be a handful but with their twin guns they were a danger to be feared.

Charlie was pleased about the promotion, when it came through, but not as pleased as I had expected. “Don’t get me wrong sir, I think it is marvellous and the extra money will come in very handy.  The thing is I am not certain now that I will stay in after the war is over.  I mean there is Alice. You didn’t want to drag Beatrice around the country following you, well I can’t do that to Alice. She has a career.”

I was taken aback.  He had known her but a week. “You are thinking about marriage? Rushing things a little aren’t you?”

“With respect sir, life is too short not to take the bull by the horns.  We love each other and we want to be together.  I haven't asked her yet but there is an understanding.  Next time we get a leave I am going up to meet your parents and that might be a good time.”

“We won’t have another leave in Blighty now until much later in the year. You know that.”

“I know sir.  But I can plan.”

I knew that I couldn’t blame him but it all seemed a little hasty. I mentioned it to Bates that evening as he was laying out my clothes. “I know what you are saying, sir, but they do seem to be a lovely couple; much like yourself and Miss Porter. I envy you both. The other officers I served had had wives and enjoyed a brief family life.  From what I can see Mr Sharp has had none of that.  It would be cruel to deny him the opportunity. The war can’t last forever.”

“I know, Bates, but can we survive this war? It seems to me that the odds are now moving against us.”

He had hung up my tunic and said, “Yes sir but you and the other chaps seem to have the knack of evening the odds, don’t you?”

We now had four flights of five aeroplanes with Major Leach as a floating reserve.  Having done his job for a few days I understood why he did not fly as much as the rest of us.  The old Colonel had never flown at all. I had told him what Lord Burscough had said about the new German aeroplanes. As a result we flew in two flights of ten aeroplanes.  We needed protection in numbers. It was the middle of January when we began our patrols in earnest.

We were given the sector north of Cambrai.  I was the one who had flown over here when we had fled the Germans in the autumn and I had ridden the land when in the cavalry.  It looked to be a jungle of icy jarred spikes and water filled craters.  The winter had frozen the scene of death and destruction. Everything looked black, white or grey. Nothing seemed to move. When the weather eased and it became warmer I knew that it would be a morass of mud.  I pitied the Tommies trying to hold that let alone advance across it.

The fact that we were patrolling meant that the Generals were planning a spring offensive. Our first patrol was just to acclimatise us to the new sector.  It proved to be a baptism of fire.

We reached our sector and I led A and C flights north, in the general direction of Arras.  Gordy led B and D flights south towards the Somme. Lumpy flashed signals to the ground to identify us.  We would be liaising closely with them and it was important that the signallers on the ground and Lumpy got to know each other’s signalling idiosyncrasies. There was low cloud that day.  It made Lumpy’s job easier but made our life more precarious.  I was glad that it was Freddie who was at the rear of our line.  Although I had the most experience flight we still needed everyone’s attention on the grey clouds scudding in from the east.

“Righto sir. We have established communication.  They say it has been quiet over this sector for a while. We can carry on with the patrol.”

“We’ll go north for twenty minutes and then turn around.  No point risking anything if this has been quiet.”

It was almost peaceful as we chugged north west along the front line and No-Man’s Land. We could see tendrils of smoke as the foot sloggers brewed up. We saw nothing of the enemy and I banked right to begin us on a reciprocal course. It was as we banked that I caught a flash of light.  Some stray shaft of sunlight must have flickered off the small windscreen of a German aeroplane.  There was a flight of six of them.  They must have been doing the same as we were and had banked at the same time.

“Lumpy, eyes to port. Try to identify the Hun over there.”

“Will do, Captain Harsker.”

I began to climb.  If they stayed on their side of the lines then I would leave well alone but if they were inclined to cross No-Man’s Land then we would jump them.

“They look like the Halberstadt D.V. sir.”

They were marginally faster than we were but they only had a single forward firing machine gun. They had a greater ceiling but if we gained the height advantage then that would negate its effect. I waggled my wings to let the other aeroplanes know that I had seen the enemy. 

“Looks like they are heading west sir.” I looked and saw that he was right.  This made no sense unless they had spotted something interesting.  Lumpy’s sharp eyes spotted it.  “It looks like Captain Thomas is nursing one of the new lads back sir.  His bus looks to be smoking.”

The six Halberstadt aeroplanes had seen two easy victims and were ready for quick kills. “Right Lumpy let’s go.”

I armed my Lewis as Lumpy armed his. I pushed the stick forward as I banked left.  It would bring us on to the rear quarter of the flight of six. The Gunbus was such a huge aeroplane that I knew they must have seen us. Their speed meant that they could outrun us unless we could cut them off.

I saw that they were closing rapidly with Ted who was taking his young pilot as low as he could. I could imagine the terror for the young lieutenant.  This was his first patrol, he had a dodgy engine and there were six fast German aeroplanes on his tail. I watched as Ted’s gunner stood and manned the rear firing Lewis. I brought us round a little more to starboard.  We were now less than a mile from them and they were so intent on their helpless victims that it appeared that they had not seen us. They were single seaters and had no observer. I knew that my flight would know what to do and all Charlie’s flight needed to do was copy us.

The rattle of German guns showed that they were in range.  The single Lewis, which fired in reply, seemed inadequate somehow.  I saw holes appear in the rudder of Ted’s aeroplane. The six Germans were flying in two formations, line astern. “Lumpy, I am going to take the front two.  You concentrate on the second two eh?”

“Yes sir.”

It was an advantage I would take. We could fire at two targets. Smoke was now pouring from Lieutenant Tinkler’s aeroplane.  He would be lucky to get home in one piece regardless of what the Germans did. I was forced to fire earlier than I would have liked.  I needed to distract them. The tracer arced towards the nearest Halberstadt.  The bullets missed but he jerked his aeroplane around to face the new threat.  I gave a longer burst at the second aeroplane as Hutton sprayed the next two. I heard the chatter of the Lewis guns of the buses behind me.  They were dealing with the first German whom I had missed.  I struck the engine of the second Halberstadt and I emptied the magazine. The propeller stopped turning and the doomed aeroplane began to dive towards the ground. I banked left to enable Lumpy to continue firing.

As I tried to change magazines my injured arm sent waves of pain and I had to stop.  I could not fire.  It was up to Lumpy now. I saw that he had managed to damage a second aeroplane.  As I came around the first Halberstadt I had missed was tumbling to the ground and the remaining Germans were fleeing; they were outnumbered.  There was little point in following for they had a greater speed than we did.  I banked right and followed Ted and his wounded chick. It was fortunate that we had come upon the enemy unawares and that they only had a single machine gun.  The newer fighters would have made mincemeat of us.

Lumpy took out the bugle he kept in the cockpit and which he used to announce our departure.  He blew the cavalry charge.  I wondered what the men on the ground and the new pilots would make of the sound. It was good for my flight for we were the cavalry flight with all the connotations the word brought. My Gunbus had the rearing horse painted by Freddie. It was still new and sharply painted.

Lieutenant Tinkler was flying as well as he could and when I saw the airfield in the distance I knew that he would make it.  Ted’s flare told me that he had someone wounded.  I hoped it was not him. We allowed the damaged craft to land first and then Ted. Finally we landed in two lines.  The airfield had been repaired since the German bombing raid.  We parked the aeroplanes and the gunners and mechanics began to service both the guns and the aeroplanes.  It was a handy routine and enabled the pilots to make their reports.

I saw that it was Ted’s gunner who had been wounded.  It looked as though he had had his hand mashed by a bullet.  He would be invalided out now. Ted was smoking a cigarette when I wandered up to him. “Thanks Bill.  It was getting a bit dicey up there.”

“What happened?”

“Young Michael’s engine started to smoke.  It is a new aeroplane and he has not had a chance to put the hours in the air. It must be a Friday afternoon engine.” It was probably unfair but when we had an occasional mistake in a new Rolls Royce engine we put it down to the last shift on a Friday.

“We were just fortunate that it was the old Halberstadt.  The new German jobs would have had you both before we could have reached you.”

“And don’t I know it.”

We went to make our report.  I head Lieutenant Kay chuntering on at Charlie. “But sir, if we had chased them over their lines we could have got them all!”

I let Charlie answer.  They were his flight and he needed to establish his authority over the new pilots. “First of all you obey orders.  Captain Harsker has shot down more German aeroplanes than you have had hours in a Gunbus. Secondly we would have had to risk German anti-aircraft fire and, possibly, the new Albatros. Today was a good result.  Our flight did not score any hits but the squadron did.  This is a team, Sonny Jim.  There is no room for prima donnas!”

“Sorry sir.  I didn’t think.”

“That’s all right.  Until you are a first lieutenant then we do the thinking for you.” His men laughed and I knew his flight would be better after this.  Perhaps Alice was good for him.  He had far more confidence now than before Christmas.

It was frustrating for we were grounded the next day due to low cloud. I had wanted to build on the success of the previous day.  We made up for it by going through the different German aeroplanes we would be meeting. Randolph had managed to acquire some pictures of some of them but not the two new ones.  They looked remarkably similar to the old ones; the Albatros had the sharp nose and ugly radiator and the Fokkers all looked identical. As we went through the aeroplanes Gordy said, “The thing to watch out for is the two guns.  If you see them then get into a circle or get out of there or it will be the Fokker Scourge all over again.”

We took off the next day and I saw chastened pilots.  The new ones had listened, over dinner, to the stories of the arrival of the new aeroplanes and their effect. We knew that we had not suffered as much as most but we were not complacent; our time would come.

It was one of the best days for flying we had had so far and visibility was clear.  We could see clear to the rear of the German trenches. I took us up high. I saw a grey snake moving towards the front.  It looked like German troops. “Flight Sergeant Hutton, can you see any Hun about?”

He did his job scrupulously. “No sir.”