A Flight of Golden Wings (4 page)

‘No, I haven’t got enough petrol so I’ll leave it here. I’ll go by train.’

‘Stay and have lunch with us and I’ll take you to the station.’ George picked up her case. ‘I’ll put this in my car.’

Ruth agreed to stay for lunch, although she was eager to be on her way – eager to become a part of the war effort and get back in the air again.

After a rather lengthy lunch, Ruth arrived at her destination later than expected, so she booked a room for the night in the local pub. She dumped her case and went straight downstairs to see if she could get a meal, and while she was enquiring, Tricia came into the bar with another girl.

‘Ruth, isn’t it?’ Tricia smiled broadly when Ruth nodded. ‘Nice to see you again. This is Ellen.’ Tricia introduced her friend, then said, ‘I’m guessing that you’ve been accepted for the ATA?’

‘Yes, I start in three days’ time, but thought I’d come early and find somewhere to stay near the airfield.’

‘You can share with us, if you like,’ Ellen offered without hesitation. ‘We rent a cottage just down the road.’

‘Oh, thank you!’ Ruth was delighted, called the landlord over and cancelled her room right away. He then rustled them up a meal of homemade vegetable soup with hunks of bread.

All conversation stopped while they enjoyed the meal.

‘Oh, that’s better,’ Ellen moaned as she mopped up the last of her soup. ‘I haven’t had anything but a quick sandwich since breakfast. I’ve done three deliveries today and a lot of hanging around.’

Tricia laughed. ‘The longer the daylight hours the more we can fly, and the way things are going we’ll get even busier.’

Ellen nodded, then turned to Ruth. ‘We need more pilots, so you are very welcome, but you don’t know what you’re letting yourself in for.’

‘I don’t care. I just want to fly.’

‘Same as all of us, and we love every minute of it. We are now going to be allowed to ferry all types of non-operational aircraft, like Tigers, Oxfords and Masters.’ Tricia gave a satisfied nod at Ruth. ‘You’ve come in at the right time because we can now go to the RAF Central Flying School at Upavon for conversion courses.’

Ruth’s eyes opened wide at this news. ‘I didn’t know that. What are the chances of getting on the course?’

‘Ah, another eager one. Just what we want,’ Ellen said. ‘I expect most of us will eventually do the course because they want to take the men off the trainers so there will be more of them to ferry the operational planes.’

‘It’s a step in the right direction.’ Tricia stood up. ‘Come on, Ruth, collect your bag and we’ll get you settled in.’

The cottage was small, with two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs, a tiny kitchen and lounge downstairs. There were two single beds crammed in each upstairs room, and a put-you-up in the lounge. Just outside the back door were four bicycles – for anyone’s use, she was told. The whole place had a disorganised but homely feel about it, but the garden was another matter. It
was a riot of beautiful flower beds and a lawn her mother would have been proud of.

‘My goodness!’ Ruth gasped. ‘Who’s the gardener?’

‘Not us.’ Tricia held up her hands in horror. ‘If I dare touch a plant it withers and dies. Our next-door neighbour, Jim, looks after it for us between his Home Guard duties. He takes a fatherly interest in his flying girls.’

They went back to the kitchen and Tricia put the kettle on to make a pot of tea. ‘Take any bed you like, Ruth, while I make some tea.’

The front door slammed and a girl walked in. After tossing her bag on to a chair, she said, ‘Oh, good, you’re making tea – I’m gasping. Can I bunk here tonight?’

‘Of course you can.’ Ellen found enough cups and put them on the table. ‘Gussie, this is Ruth. She’ll be joining us soon.’

‘Great to meet you.’

Ruth tried hard not to wince as they shook hands. Tricia and Ellen were not quite as tall as her five feet six, but Gussie was a tall, strong girl with pale blonde hair, and blue eyes that gleamed as if everything was a big joke.

With cups of tea in their hands they trailed into the lounge and settled down. The rest of the evening was hilarious and Ruth couldn’t remember when she had laughed so much. She heard tales of getting lost in bad weather, dodging barrage balloons – the pilots weren’t allowed to mark such defensive positions on their maps for fear they’d fall into enemy hands – not being allowed to stay at operational airfields because there weren’t any facilities for women, and the astonishment of the ground crew when they saw a woman climbing out of a plane that had just
landed. But underneath the laughter, Ruth could detect the determination of the women to prove they were capable of the job – and more, if they were allowed the chance. They flew with care to get the planes to their destinations without damage. They had to prove they were as good as the men, if not better. As she listened, Ruth was proud she was about to become a member of this extraordinary group of women.

The next two days were an education for Ruth. Tricia and Ellen disappeared, but there was a steady trickle of women coming and going. It seemed that this was an open house for any female pilot stranded for the night.

On her first day, Ruth reported early and after having assured those in charge that she had digested the standing orders – she would stay within sight of the ground at all times and not fly when the weather was bad or go above the clouds – she joined the rest of the girls to await instructions for the day’s work. She didn’t have a uniform yet, but she was wearing a pair of navy blue slacks and a light blue blouse.

Everyone was just hanging around, talking, reading, and a couple were even knitting away as fast as they could. After staying at the house, Ruth now knew a few of the women. There was a tall, red-haired woman standing on her own with her hands in her pockets and gazing up at the sky. Ruth walked over to her and smiled. ‘Looks like good flying weather today.’

‘Yes, it does.’ The girl tore her gaze away from the sky and turned to face Ruth. ‘I’m Harriet. Have you been with the ATA for long?’

‘My name’s Ruth and this is my first day. How about you?’

Harriet rubbed her hands together in anticipation. ‘Mine as well, and I can’t wait to get going.’

They grinned at each other, understanding the eagerness.

Suddenly there was activity as the chits were handed out. Ruth had to collect a Tiger Moth from the manufacturers and deliver it to Luton.

A Fairchild had just landed and when it came to a halt they all piled in. These were being used as taxies to take the pilots to the pick-up points, and would, hopefully, bring them back here at the end of the day’s work. But there was no guarantee of this. Many things could happen. If the weather closed in at any time they might have to land at the nearest airfield and stay overnight, continuing their journey when flying conditions improved. On the advice of the more experienced women, Ruth had packed a few essentials in a small bag – just in case.

One of the senior women was flying the taxi and they were soon at de Havilland’s – the manufacturers – as it was quite close to Hatfield. After dealing with the necessary paperwork, they collected their aircraft and set off. Ruth couldn’t resist a yell of delight once she was airborne, not just because she was flying again, but because she was also doing something to help in this war.

The next three weeks raced by, and Ruth couldn’t remember when she had been so happy. At first they had given her the shorter trips, but now she was delivering all over the country. It often entailed nights away and the necessity of finding lodgings, but she didn’t care: it was all part of the job. On one occasion she’d even had to get back to Hatfield
by train. And she had been chosen to go on the conversion course at Upavon. After that she would be able to fly more types of planes.

Ruth frowned and peered through the windscreen of the Magister. Where had that front come from? The weather ahead looked wild and the rain was already pattering down. Mindful of the directive that they must never ‘go over the top’ of the clouds, Ruth had no option but to turn back. The damned front followed her, being driven by a strong wind, and by the time she reached Cosford, her nearest airfield, the plane was being buffeted about. It was going to be a tricky landing, but the only sensible thing was to get down. The weather had closed in all around her now and she was losing height all the time in an effort to stay below the clouds.

Finally the airfield came into view and she breathed a sigh of relief. She could easily have missed it in this weather. Landing in some farmer’s field was not something she fancied attempting.

Using every ounce of her skill, she made a fairly good landing and silently thanked Simon for his excellent teaching.

She taxied towards the buildings. The rain was coming down in sheets by now.

An aircraft engineer yanked her door open as soon as she had come to a stop. He muttered something under his breath when he was confronted with a woman, then said out loud, ‘Blimey, miss, this ain’t no weather to be flying in! Not even the birds are leaving the ground!’ He laughed at his own joke.

She smiled politely, and then they both ran for the building. Just inside the door the man peered at the golden wings on her newly-issued uniform.

‘Ah, you’re one of them ATAs. We got another one stranded here as well.’

After shaking the rain out of her hair, Ruth looked up to see Simon walking towards her. ‘Simon! You’re stuck here as well, then. This weather came up so suddenly …’

‘I’m afraid so. You handled that tricky landing well.’

‘Look who taught me.’ She was pleased to see him. ‘Where were you going before the weather closed in?’

‘Back to White Waltham. And you?’

‘Shawbury. Hope the weather clears enough so I can finish the journey tomorrow.’

‘Hmm, the forecast isn’t good. You’ll certainly be stuck here for the night.’

She pulled a face. ‘I don’t suppose they have any facilities here for women?’

Simon shook his head. ‘You’ll have to look for digs.’

‘’Scuse me, miss.’ The man who had met her plane approached them. ‘My mum will give you a bed for the night. I’ll take you in my truck, if you like.’

‘Oh, thank you very much.’ She was pleased she wouldn’t have to trail around in the rain trying to find somewhere to stay.

‘I’ll just go and get the—’ He stopped and tipped his head to one side, listening intently. ‘Blimey, there’s someone else up there, and that plane don’t sound none too healthy.’

They all rushed to the window and scanned the sky.

‘Another trainer,’ Simon remarked, knowing the sound
of just about every engine. ‘Do you know of anyone else coming this way today, Ruth?’

‘Several, I think. The manufacturers wanted to clear the planes as quickly as possible. It’s a busy day, but I don’t know who it might be.’ She clenched her fists. Someone was in trouble up there. It was only three o’clock, but very gloomy.

‘Get some lights out there,’ an officer shouted. ‘And the fire truck.’

Ruth watched the men running to obey orders, knowing just how difficult it would be to make out the airfield in this weather. She had been lucky and beaten the worst of the storm. If it was a trainer, as Simon said, then it was more than likely to have a woman pilot, possibly one of their group from Hatfield. But who?

‘There it is!’ Simon pointed to a speck in the gloom, very low and obviously going to try a landing at the airfield.

‘Thank God!’ Ruth ran to the door with Simon right behind her. ‘Finding this place in such terrible weather is like looking for a needle in a haystack.’

The station commander had a pair of binoculars to his eyes, watching the approach. ‘There’s smoke pouring out of the engine.’

Ruth was sure her heart stopped beating for a moment. She knew just how dangerous the situation was, but all the women were excellent pilots and hand-picked for their skill, so if it was a woman in that stricken plane, then she’d have a damned good try at landing it.

‘Here she comes,’ Simon murmured. ‘The controls are giving trouble by the look of it.’

They watched in silence as the plane hit the field,
skidded along sideways and ended up on its side.

The men were swarming all over it as soon as it came to a halt and were pulling the pilot out. Ruth recognised the blonde hair at once and sighed in relief. ‘It’s Gussie, and she appears to be all right. Don’t shake hands with her, Simon, she’s very strong.’

The tall woman reached them and grinned at Ruth. ‘Wow, what a ride! The weather was bad enough, but the poor little darling decided it had had enough. Wouldn’t do anything I asked. Couldn’t gain enough height to bail out.’ Gussie studied the crumpled plane with concern. ‘I’m sorry I broke it, though. Where are we, by the way?’

‘You don’t know?’ Ruth noticed a group of men listening intently to their conversation.

‘Not a clue, Ruthie. I saw lights and headed for them.’

‘This is Cosford.’

Gussie looked at Ruth in astonishment. ‘Good Lord! I was a bit off course – I was heading for Luton.’

‘Gussie!’ Ruth burst out laughing, feeling the tension leave her. ‘Stop teasing or the men will believe you. You knew exactly where you were.’

The only answer was an amused chuckle as Gussie studied the man standing next to Ruth. ‘I don’t believe we’ve met.’

Simon held out his hand and introduced himself. He didn’t even wince when Gussie shook his hand. ‘I’m pleased to see you’ve come out of the crash unscathed.’

‘In five years of flying that’s the only mishap I’ve had. Are you the Simon who taught Ruthie to fly?’

Simon nodded and flexed his hand, giving a slow smile. ‘Ruth warned me you were strong.’

‘Sorry, I keep forgetting that I’ve got a grip like a vice. Good job I have, though, because I had to fight that plane all the way down. She just wanted to nosedive on me, but I told her I wasn’t having that.’

A young man brought two mugs and held them out to Ruth and Gussie. ‘The commander said to give you both some hot, sweet tea.’

‘Oh, thanks, we’re gasping.’ Ruth drank gratefully and noticed that Gussie’s hands were not quite as steady as usual, but the trembling was quickly brought under control. She was more shaken by the crash than she was allowing the others to see.

The young man was still there, eyeing the golden wings on their uniforms. When Gussie smiled at him, he said quickly, ‘I want to fly, and I’ve asked to be trained. Have you all been flying for long?’