A Flight of Golden Wings (17 page)

It was a beautiful spring day, but Lucy was oblivious to this. She was in trouble. The Hurricane she was flying sounded terrible, and the instruments had gone haywire, showing she was almost out of fuel, which she couldn’t be. She had been in the air less than half an hour. She had collected the plane from Rochester for delivery to the repair unit at Henlow.

A nasty crunch came from the engine, making it shudder. Lucy didn’t know how much longer she could keep this plane in the air. As far as she could see, she had two alternatives: find somewhere to land, or jump. She was reluctant to do the latter because there was no telling where the plane would come down. There was always the danger of hurting someone on the ground, and no ATA pilot liked to lose a plane.

The Hurricane was becoming hard to control. The noise from the engine didn’t seem to be getting any worse though, so she’d see if she could get the plane down. But where? It had to be quick or she was going to have to jump before she
lost too much height. That thought didn’t thrill her one bit!

Suddenly, a Spitfire appeared on her wing, and then another. They circled the Hurricane, obviously inspecting it, and then one flew in front of her and wiggled its wings. The other plane stayed on her wing, the pilot looking across at her. She was concentrating too much on holding the plane level to be able to see who it was, but she did wonder if it might be Dave. When she glanced across quickly, he pointed straight ahead, indicating that she should follow the plane in front. With a ragged sigh of relief she let them escort her to an airfield.

But her troubles weren’t by any means over. As she approached the airfield the undercarriage wouldn’t come down. Try as she might, it wouldn’t budge. Lucy had never been one to panic, and she didn’t now. You could lose your life like that. She’d never landed a plane without an undercarriage before, but her brother had taught her the procedure and she was sure she could do it. Anyway, there wasn’t any alternative; she was now too low to do anything else. She was committed to this landing.

The Spitfires stayed with her until she was almost down, and then shot up and away. Her whole concentration was on getting down without somersaulting the plane, but she knew they were up there watching. They couldn’t do any more to help; this was entirely up to her, but it was strangely comforting to know they were willing her on.

The plane touched down, tore along for what seemed like an age, then spun sideways before coming to a halt. But she was still the right way up. She was very aware of the danger of fire and pushed back the hood immediately. Hands reached in, released her harness and pulled her out.

‘Bloody hell!’ she heard a man exclaim. ‘It’s a woman!’

Now she had firm ground under her feet, she braced herself, standing straight, refusing to let her legs shake. Pushing a strand of hair away from her eyes, she managed a smile. ‘Thanks, guys. Where have I landed?’

‘Biggin Hill, miss.’ The man who had pulled her out was studying her with interest. ‘You ain’t English.’

The Spitfires had landed and the two pilots were walking towards her. One of them was Dave. ‘No, she’s American,’ Dave told him. ‘Nice flying, Lucy. This is Greg.’

‘Hi.’ Lucy shook hands. ‘Thanks for your help.’

‘You managed that landing well.’

She looked at the badly damaged Hurricane and grimaced. ‘Oh gosh, I’ve made a mess of that. There will be an inquiry over this.’

‘Nothing for you to worry about.’ Dave spoke confidently. ‘Now, I expect you could do with a strong cup of tea?’

‘Please, but first I must phone my ferry pool and report this.’

‘I’ll show you where the phone is and, while you’re doing that, Dave can get the teas.’

‘You’ve got that round the wrong way, old pal. I’ll show Lucy where the phone is, and
you
can get the teas.’

Greg shrugged and winked at Lucy. ‘Oh well, it was worth a try.’

Lucy got through and explained the situation. ‘I’m OK, but I’ve broken the Hurricane. What do you want me to do now?’

She listened to the instructions. As she was at Biggin Hill she had been hoping to be able to spend some time with Dave, but that wasn’t possible. It was a shame because it would have given her a chance to unwind. Nothing ever seemed to ruffle his composure and she found that soothing. After putting down
the phone she found Dave in the corridor waiting for her.

‘Can you stay tonight?’ he asked.

‘They want me back at Ratcliffe and are sending a taxi for me. They’re going to start the investigation at once.’ She chewed her lips anxiously.

Dave placed an arm around her shoulders. ‘It wasn’t your fault, Lucy. We could see fuel streaming out. You did well to even get that plane on the ground. You send them to me and I’ll tell them.’

‘Thanks.’ Her worry lifted slightly. This was the first plane she had damaged, and she didn’t want to have a black mark against her record.

‘Let’s get that—Oh, damn!’

There was a bell ringing and the sound of running feet. Dave disappeared without another word. Lucy rushed over to the window and saw fighters already taking off and pilots clambering into others.

There was nothing Lucy could do now but to wait for the taxi aircraft to arrive.

Simon was about to enjoy a sandwich and a cup of tea when the operations officer found him.

‘Ah, good, I’m glad someone’s around. We’ve just received a request from Ratcliffe to pick up one of their pilots from Biggin Hill. She crash-landed there and they haven’t got a taxi available at the moment.’

Simon took a quick gulp of tea. ‘Do you know who it is?’

‘Lucy Nelson,’ they said. ‘She’s one of their Americans.’

‘I know her. I’ll go straight away. The Anson is fuelled and ready to go.’ Simon wasted no time in getting airborne. Lucy
must be all right or they would be calling for an ambulance, not a taxi. Nevertheless, he was anxious to see her.

She was standing on the airfield waiting for him as he landed, and walked straight up to the plane as soon as it came to a stop. He was relieved to see her looking calm after her experience. But she was a good pilot and, in his opinion, one of the best of the American women. She had a lively, outgoing nature, but once in the air she was unflappable and focussed.

‘Simon.’ She smiled when he jumped out. ‘Have you come to take me back?’

He nodded. ‘But first I want to have a look at the plane you were flying.’

‘They’ve dragged it over to the hangar.’ Her expressive face clouded with worry. ‘It’s a mess, Simon, but I didn’t have any choice.’

‘I’m sure you didn’t.’ He spoke reassuringly. No pilot liked to damage a plane, and Lucy was no exception. The first one was always the most worrying.

When Simon saw the plane his heart jumped uncomfortably. Lucy could have been badly injured or killed. The fact that she was unscathed was testament to her skill as a pilot.

‘I’ve never asked you before, but who taught you to fly?’

‘Jack.’

Simon nodded, satisfied. ‘You had a good instructor. Jack’s one of the most natural pilots I’ve come across. He’s almost as good as Ruth.’

‘Don’t ever tell Jack that,’ Lucy laughed. ‘It might dent his ego.’

‘I don’t believe he has one.’

Lucy was still grinning as they joked. ‘Do you know, I don’t
think he has. He’s always seemed to be unaware of how good he is, and has never hesitated to praise someone else for their skill.’

Seeing that Lucy was now more relaxed, Simon began to examine the plane. He checked the cockpit and climbed over every inch he could reach. He couldn’t get underneath, but the crash investigators would do that.

‘Dave and his friend said they could see fluid coming out.’ Lucy was following Simon round, looking at everything as well.

He straightened up. ‘Dave? Did he see you?’

‘Yeah, I was in real trouble. They flew beside me and guided me to this airfield. I was too busy trying to control the plane to take note of where I was exactly.’

‘Well, I’m pretty sure you had a fuel leak.’ Simon wiped his hands on a handkerchief. ‘And a lot more if you couldn’t lower the undercarriage. You won’t have any trouble over this, Lucy. In fact, you’ll probably be commended for getting down safely. The one thing the ATA hates more than wrecking a plane is losing a pilot.’

She blew out a pent-up breath of relief. ‘Gee, Simon, you don’t know how glad I am to hear you say that! This is the first accident I’ve had, and I don’t know how severe the investigations are. It would break my heart if they sacked me.’

‘There isn’t the slightest danger of that.’ Simon took her arm. ‘You’re too good a pilot.’

She gave him a grateful look and squeezed his arm. ‘Do you know, you’re the nicest man I’ve ever met?’

He laughed. ‘I’m sure that isn’t true, but thanks anyway. Let’s get you back to the ferry pool.’

They were no sooner airborne than a Spitfire zoomed past, did a victory roll and then came up beside them.

Lucy began to wave frantically. ‘That’s Dave. I know his number now.’

‘Crazy bugger!’ Simon muttered under his breath, as the plane rolled away and out of sight. It was probably because of Dave Sullivan that Lucy was so anxious to stay in this country. He found that fact unpalatable.

When they landed at Ratcliffe, Lucy leant across and kissed Simon’s cheek. ‘You’re a pal. Thanks for the reassurance.’ Then she jumped out and headed for the ops to report in.

He sat there for a moment. Oh, well, a friendly peck on the cheek was better than nothing, he supposed. But he wanted to be more than a pal to her. But that was out of the question with the charismatic Dave in the picture. Feeling thoroughly disgruntled, Simon got out of the Anson. Every time he’d tried to eat today, an emergency of one kind or another had stopped him. He wasn’t going anywhere until he’d had something to eat and drink. He was blasted well starving!

There were two ATA pilots in the Mess. ‘You’re a welcome sight, Simon. Can you take us to Little Rissington?’

He nodded. ‘Give me fifteen minutes.’

It was late afternoon before he arrived back at White Waltham, and the first person he saw was Jack. He’d climbed into the plane, not giving Simon a chance to put his feet on the ground.

‘I’ve just heard about Lucy. Is she OK?’

‘She’s fine, and completely unruffled by the experience. The only thing worrying her is the investigation, but I saw the plane, and any lesser pilot would have had to bail out. You taught her well, Jack.’

Jack visibly relaxed, nodding in satisfaction. ‘She’s one
hell of a pilot, isn’t she? When she was a kid she used to beg and beg me to take her up. I’d only just earned my pilot’s licence then, and Ma refused to let me take her until I was more experienced. When I finally did fly with her, she went crazy, loving every minute. From then on she just had to become a pilot, and there was no way anyone could have stopped her. She was a big draw at the air shows.’

‘Not only is she a good pilot, but she’s also a very nice girl.’

Jack cast him a thoughtful look. ‘Dave Sullivan’s a fine young man, but somehow he doesn’t seem right for my sister. I’m sorry she ever met him.’

‘Me too, but she has, and is very fond of him. I just hope it works out for them.’

‘You English are far too polite. Most Americans would wade in and try to take her away from him.’

That made Simon laugh. ‘How do you compete with one of “the few”, as Winston Churchill has named them?’

‘Yeah, how indeed.’ Jack slapped Simon on the back. ‘Come on, chum, I’ll buy you a drink.’

A week later, Lucy was completely cleared of any responsibility for the crash. She was also highly praised for her handling of the stricken plane, just as Simon had predicted. She was ecstatic and Dave took her out dancing until the early hours. It was a lovely way to celebrate, and she couldn’t have been happier than she was at that moment. What more could she ask for than to have the crash worry lifted from her, and to spend the night in the arms of the man she loved?

‘Ah, good, you’ve made a pot of tea. I’m gasping.’ Ruth sat down at the kitchen table and closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again. ‘I haven’t stopped all day.’

‘Nor me.’ Gussie poured the tea and sat opposite Ruth. ‘Hope the weather’s as nice as this in two weeks’ time.’

‘What’s so special then?’

‘I’m getting married.’

Ruth coughed on a mouthful of scalding tea. ‘Say that again, Gussie. I don’t think I heard you properly.’

‘I’m marrying Harry in two weeks.’

‘Gussie!’ Ruth was on her feet hugging her friend. ‘That’s wonderful! When did he ask you?’

‘Yesterday. He’s finished his tour of ops and won’t be flying for a while. We decided to grab the chance and get married.’

‘I’m so pleased for you. Harry’s a lovely man, and you suit each other.’

‘Yes, we do. I’m very lucky, Ruthie.’ She gave her friend an understanding look. ‘There’s no sign of Jack popping the question?’

Ruth shook her head. ‘I doubt if he ever will. I’ve come to know him well now and there’s a part of him that is a free spirit. I don’t know if he could make such a binding commitment at this time. I know he loves me in his own way, but he won’t say the words – not even in the heat of passion. And he is a very passionate man. But Jack is Jack. This is how he is and I’ve accepted that now. I don’t know what will become of our relationship when the war is over. Only time will tell.’

‘You’ll be left with a broken heart, won’t you?’

‘Bruised, Gussie, not broken. I love that difficult man, and I’m making the most of the time we have together, just as you and Harry are. Nothing is certain in this war, but for the moment, I’m happy.’

‘Jack doesn’t deserve you, Ruthie. Not many women would be so understanding.’

‘Perhaps not, but he’s got me for the duration. Now, tell me about your wedding plans.’

‘I haven’t had time to make any.’ Gussie tapped Ruth’s arm. ‘You’re a good organiser, so I thought I’d enlist your help.’

‘Right.’ Ruth took a pen and paper out of the drawer. ‘Let’s get down to it. We haven’t got much time.’

The wedding was the first Saturday in June and the weather was glorious. They would all be in uniform, but Ruth had insisted that her friend walk down the aisle in a white gown.
She had managed to get hold of a damaged parachute and, with her mother’s help, had made Gussie a beautiful wedding dress. Ruth’s mother was expert with a needle and had embroidered golden wings over the bodice. Gussie, who had no close family to help her, had wept in gratitude when she’d seen it.

Ruth watched her friend walk up the aisle on the arm of her new husband, and she sent up a silent prayer that Harry wouldn’t have to go on any more bombing raids. Gussie had lost her parents when she’d been about fifteen, and this was a chance to have a family of her own.
Please let them have a long and happy life together
, she pleaded silently, and hoped someone up there was listening. There had been some girls who had married and found themselves widows in a matter of weeks.

One of the ushers was Jack and he was busy urging the guests outside so the photos could be taken. She wondered if he was right about not making a commitment while the war was still on. Would it be harder to lose a husband or a lover? That was difficult to answer, but she felt she was beginning to understand Jack a little better. She might not agree with him, but she could see his concerns.

Someone laughed and shook her out of her gloomy musing. This was a day to forget the war and be happy. She walked outside and joined everyone else. While the bride and groom were being photographed, Ruth pulled Jack and Lucy to one side. ‘I’ve got one precious film in my camera and I want photos of you together so I can send them to your mother.’

They couldn’t be serious, but she managed to take a couple of shots. Film was hard to come by and she didn’t
want to waste any of it. Once Lucy had arrived in this country, Ruth had begun writing to their mother, Bet, knowing how difficult it must be for her to have both of her children so far from home.

‘That’s enough of us.’ Lucy darted off, telling them to wait there. She returned with Dave and Simon. ‘Come on, I want a picture of my favourite men together.’

Ruth did this for her and then asked Dave to take one of all of them with her parents.

‘Mom will be so pleased with those. I hope they come out.’

The reception was being held in the church hall. It hadn’t been easy gathering enough food together, but there was a modest spread, and no one expected a sumptuous banquet. The cake was a simple sponge, but they’d put a frill around it and even found a bride and groom to place on the top.

Harry’s parents were there, pleased to see their son so happy. It was obvious that they approved of his choice of wife. And no doubt they were relieved that he was grounded for the time being. Listening to the bombers droning overhead night after night, wondering if your son was up there and if he would be coming back, must be a kind of purgatory.

The wedding had been a time of rejoicing. They all waved as Gussie and Harry left for a quiet honeymoon, refusing to tell anyone where they were going. They all had smiles on their faces. It had been a lovely day.

Over the next week Ruth was very busy. She was getting a few four-engine bombers now, and some men still shook their heads in disbelief when she climbed out, but mostly they
were glad to get the replacements and didn’t care who was flying them. Unfortunately they were going to be short of a few pilots now as in America there was a new organisation called the Women’s Air Force Service Pilots (WASPS). A few of the women were preparing to return home and join them. Lucy was staying though. Another milestone for the ATA women had been reached. They were now receiving the same pay as the men. But in Ruth’s present mood, even that couldn’t bring a smile to her face.

She hated coming back to an empty cottage at night. It seemed strange not having anyone to talk over the day’s work or have a laugh with. In the beginning this place had always been full of girls, now she was the only one living here, and she missed the company.

She wandered out to the kitchen and put the kettle on to boil. She ought to ask if any of the other girls would like to share, but it would never be the same.

She had just made tea when there was a knock on the door, and she was delighted to see Jack standing there. She hadn’t seen him since the wedding.

‘Hiya, can you spare a thirsty traveller a drink?’

‘I’m sure I can manage that.’ She stood on tiptoe to kiss him, loving the feel of his arms around her, then she stepped aside to let him in. When she saw the strange car outside she couldn’t help grinning. ‘Where did you borrow that from?’

‘It’s mine. I bought it yesterday. Not bad, huh?’

After studying the small Austin for a moment, she pursed her lips. ‘Can you actually get in it?’

‘Sure, and it’s easy on the gas. I’ll get something bigger soon, but it’ll do for now.’

He followed her into the kitchen. ‘Did you get the photos printed?’

‘Yes, Dad took the camera home with him.’ She handed him an envelope. ‘These are for you and Lucy, and I’ve sent a set to your mother.’

He shuffled through them, smiling. ‘They’re great. Mom will just love these. Thanks, honey.’ He drew her close again and studied her face. ‘You look glum. Had a tough day?’

‘Before you arrived I had been feeling lonely here on my own, and I was wondering if any of the other girls would like to share with me.’ Her eyes gleamed with mischief. ‘I would have asked Sylvia, but she’s been moved to Cosford. I wonder how that happened …?’

‘Nothing to do with me.’ He kept a perfectly straight face. ‘Someone in charge must have thought she’d be useful there.’

‘Hmm,’ was Ruth’s only comment. Sylvia was a nice enough girl, and a good pilot, but she did love the men. Many didn’t mind, of course, but others, like Jack, found it tiresome. She was rather persistent when she set her eyes on someone.

‘Why don’t you wait a while before asking someone else to share with you?’ He gave her an enquiring glance. ‘You could let me stay.’

‘You can’t move in here with me, Jack. My God, think of the talk that would cause! And—’

He held up his hand to stop her. ‘That’s not what I’m suggesting. I was hoping that you’d let me stay overnight now and again. We haven’t had much time together since we were in London, and I’d sure like to make love to you again.’

The very thought made her heart leap. He was right. This was a good opportunity to be alone, something not easily achieved with the kind of life they led. ‘I’d like that too. Can you stay tonight?’

He reached across for her hand and squeezed it. ‘I was hoping you’d say that.’ Standing up, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her lingeringly. ‘Let’s go out and eat first, shall we?’

‘Good idea. I’m starving.’

‘Me too!’

When the photographs fell out of the envelope, Bet gave a cry of delight. Ruth had written names on the back to show who they all were. She had even included one of the bride and groom. As Bet studied the smiling faces, especially those of her children, her vision blurred and tears trickled down her cheeks. She had been so worried when they had gone to a country fighting a desperate war, but Jack and Lucy looked happy. She missed them so much. They had been her whole life for many years, but she would never have tried to stop them from doing anything they thought was right for them. Ruth was such a thoughtful girl sending her regular letters to give assurance that her children were OK. There had never been the slightest hint of a romance between her and Jack, but Bet couldn’t help hoping that there was. She was just the kind of girl Jack needed.

The picture of Lucy smiling up at the RAF pilot, Dave, made Bet sigh. He looked such a lovely boy. She picked up another picture. Ah, and here was Simon. He was constantly mentioned in letters from all of them, but this
was the first time she had seen what he looked like. Bet wished the pictures were in colour, but saw he was quite good-looking and more mature than Dave. She liked him. Her children had obviously made some fine friends, and she was very happy about that. She was also delighted to have a picture of Ruth’s folks. It was lovely to see the couple who were being so kind to Jack and Lucy.

Her neighbour, Kathy, would love to see these. Her son was in the army and somewhere in England. Scooping up the photos, Bet hurried across the yard and into Kathy’s kitchen.

Bet sniffed appreciatively. ‘I’m just in time. You’re making pancakes and I haven’t had breakfast yet.’

Kathy rolled her eyes. ‘I don’t know how you do it, Bet. I’ve only got to start mixing, and there you are.’

‘No one makes pancakes like you.’ Bet sat at the table and waited. They had fallen into the habit of doing this on a Saturday morning. They made a joke about it, but the truth was, they were both a little lonely and enjoyed talking about their children over pancakes and maple syrup. Kathy was a widow like Bet, and only had one son, Al. He wasn’t much of a letter writer, so Bet shared any news she had.

‘Ruth sent me some photos and I thought you’d like to see them.’

‘Oh, yes please! But let’s eat these before they get cold.’ Kathy put a plate of hot pancakes on the table and they started on them straight away.

When the plate was empty, Bet sat back and sighed with pleasure. ‘Mine never taste as good as that.’

Kathy began clearing the table. ‘Al always liked them.
Do you think they’re getting enough to eat over there?’

‘Of course they are. Lucy says the food isn’t anything like ours, but they aren’t starving.’ Bet spread out the pictures for Kathy to see, pointing to each one in turn and giving their names.

‘They’re great, Bet. And they look as if they’re having fun.’

‘My two have only ever wanted to fly, and the ATA is giving them the chance to do that with lots of different planes. Lucy flies Spitfires,’ Bet said proudly. ‘Jack is working as an instructor, and Ruth flies bombers as well. Jack says she’s very good.’

‘Nice-looking girl.’ Kathy studied the picture carefully. ‘Do you think Jack’s in love with her?’

‘I’d be really happy if he was, but as far as I can tell, they’re just friends. You know my Jack, he wouldn’t say anything even if there was a romance between them.’

Kathy nodded understandingly. ‘Your Jack’s always been too difficult to pin down, though one or two girls have tried.’

‘Yeah, that’s true enough. Lucy says he’s changed, but I doubt he’s changed
that
much. It’s a shame, though. Ruth seems a real nice girl, and her family have been good to my two.’

‘Your Lucy looks taken with that RAF pilot, doesn’t she?’

‘That’s Dave Sullivan, and from the way she goes on about him, I’d say she’s in love.’

‘I had a letter from Al yesterday.’ Kathy beamed with pleasure. ‘He said the local people are very friendly and
often invite them into their homes. Though they’re careful not to eat too much, because of the food rationing. It’s hard to imagine what it’s like not being able to go out and buy what you want, isn’t it?’

Bet nodded, and let Kathy continue.

‘And they throw a party for the children sometimes, and invite all the young girls to their dances. They’re doing all right, aren’t they?’

‘Sure they are.’ Bet squeezed her hand. ‘They say the war will be over by the end of next year, and then they’ll all be coming home.’

‘Won’t that be great? It’s tough having them so far away, but we’re not the only ones, are we? Families are separated all over the world.’

Bet gazed at the photos, a wistful expression on her face. ‘Yeah, it’s hard, but we’ll get through it. We’ve got to.’

Kathy nodded glumly. ‘We don’t have much choice.’

‘Isn’t that the truth!’