Read Online 1916 Angels over the Somme (British Ace Book 3) by Griff Hosker - Free Book Online
Authors: Griff Hosker
Ads: Link
firing to change a magazine he held up three fingers. He shouted, “The foot sloggers got the last one!”
I felt happy about that. It would do the morale of the poor infantry the world of good to see such a tangible trophy tumble to the ground. The landing was bumpier than I had expected and as we rolled to a halt the whole aeroplane lurched alarmingly to the right and the tip of the wing crumpled.
I leapt out to see what the damage was. As soon as I saw the branches and leaves stuck in the remains of the wheel I knew what had happened. We had hit the trees when we had been machine gunning the Germans. We were the last flight to land and a crowd gathered around. I could hear Freddie and Johnny regaling them with the story of our attack.
Ted came up to me shaking his head, “You want to watch out, you know some Germans still have the Pickelhaube. That would make a right mess of your undercarriage.”
Everyone laughed at our expense. The chief mechanic, Senior Flight Sergeant Mackay shook his head. “You’ll no be flying tomorrow sir. That’ll take some repairing, all right.” We had such huge wings that damage to the ends required much repairing.
It was a high price to pay for alleviating the suffering of those men who were attacking but it was worth it. While I was reporting to Captain Marshall and telling Randolph what we had seen the colonel joined us. “So you won’t be flying tomorrow then?”
“No sir. A bit of bad luck that.”
He nodded and said, “Perhaps not. I thought we could pop up to the front and see that Colonel of the Liverpool Battalion. Headquarters suggested it might be useful for us to see what it was like on the ground. The experience might inform our reconnaissance a little better.”
“Good idea sir, could I bring Hutton?”
“Of course. In fact he can drive eh? It will give us a chance to chat.”
Chapter 5
It felt strange to be watching the rest of the squadron take off the next day for a patrol to the front. Hutton was delighted to be driving the colonel’s motor car. Before we left Captain Marshall stopped us. “Apparently you need to take your gas masks and steel helmets.”
The colonel looked perplexed, “But we don’t use them!”
Randolph grinned, “I know. I got some from Quarter Master Doyle.” Sergeant Lowery put them in the front seat next to Lumpy.
He winked at him, “You are in charge of these Flight Sergeant Hutton I do not want you coming back with two officers who are gassed or have head injuries. Right?”
“Right, Flight. I’ll look after them.”
I was not certain of the protocol and so I had my Sam Brown with my service revolver. Lumpy had his Lee Enfield and Mills Bombs. As we drove through an ever more depressing scene of destruction and wounded men in ambulances the colonel began to talk. Ramble would be a better word to describe it because he did not stay on one topic for long.
“If it wasn’t for the war you know, Bill, I would be back in Surrey tending my garden and looking after my son.” He waved a hand around. “I am too old for all of this. I did my fighting in a different time. Travelled all over the world: India, Afghanistan, West Indies and Sudan. My wife and I travelled the world. Most of it was peace time work. Even when we fought, well, we thought the South African wars were bad but they were a picnic compared with this. This is not a proper war. This is a slaughter.” He sounded depressed.
We had been stopped by a military policeman at a bottleneck to allow a field ambulance to pass us. The colonel pointed out of the window at a piece of barbed wire some fifty yards away. There we saw a hand hanging from the wire. “Shocking.”
There was nothing for me to say and I sat back in the seat. Like the colonel it depressed me too.
“I hear you have a young lady now? A nurse in London?”
“Er yes sir, Beatrice.”
“Are you keen on her?”
“Well, er , yes
I felt happy about that. It would do the morale of the poor infantry the world of good to see such a tangible trophy tumble to the ground. The landing was bumpier than I had expected and as we rolled to a halt the whole aeroplane lurched alarmingly to the right and the tip of the wing crumpled.
I leapt out to see what the damage was. As soon as I saw the branches and leaves stuck in the remains of the wheel I knew what had happened. We had hit the trees when we had been machine gunning the Germans. We were the last flight to land and a crowd gathered around. I could hear Freddie and Johnny regaling them with the story of our attack.
Ted came up to me shaking his head, “You want to watch out, you know some Germans still have the Pickelhaube. That would make a right mess of your undercarriage.”
Everyone laughed at our expense. The chief mechanic, Senior Flight Sergeant Mackay shook his head. “You’ll no be flying tomorrow sir. That’ll take some repairing, all right.” We had such huge wings that damage to the ends required much repairing.
It was a high price to pay for alleviating the suffering of those men who were attacking but it was worth it. While I was reporting to Captain Marshall and telling Randolph what we had seen the colonel joined us. “So you won’t be flying tomorrow then?”
“No sir. A bit of bad luck that.”
He nodded and said, “Perhaps not. I thought we could pop up to the front and see that Colonel of the Liverpool Battalion. Headquarters suggested it might be useful for us to see what it was like on the ground. The experience might inform our reconnaissance a little better.”
“Good idea sir, could I bring Hutton?”
“Of course. In fact he can drive eh? It will give us a chance to chat.”
Chapter 5
It felt strange to be watching the rest of the squadron take off the next day for a patrol to the front. Hutton was delighted to be driving the colonel’s motor car. Before we left Captain Marshall stopped us. “Apparently you need to take your gas masks and steel helmets.”
The colonel looked perplexed, “But we don’t use them!”
Randolph grinned, “I know. I got some from Quarter Master Doyle.” Sergeant Lowery put them in the front seat next to Lumpy.
He winked at him, “You are in charge of these Flight Sergeant Hutton I do not want you coming back with two officers who are gassed or have head injuries. Right?”
“Right, Flight. I’ll look after them.”
I was not certain of the protocol and so I had my Sam Brown with my service revolver. Lumpy had his Lee Enfield and Mills Bombs. As we drove through an ever more depressing scene of destruction and wounded men in ambulances the colonel began to talk. Ramble would be a better word to describe it because he did not stay on one topic for long.
“If it wasn’t for the war you know, Bill, I would be back in Surrey tending my garden and looking after my son.” He waved a hand around. “I am too old for all of this. I did my fighting in a different time. Travelled all over the world: India, Afghanistan, West Indies and Sudan. My wife and I travelled the world. Most of it was peace time work. Even when we fought, well, we thought the South African wars were bad but they were a picnic compared with this. This is not a proper war. This is a slaughter.” He sounded depressed.
We had been stopped by a military policeman at a bottleneck to allow a field ambulance to pass us. The colonel pointed out of the window at a piece of barbed wire some fifty yards away. There we saw a hand hanging from the wire. “Shocking.”
There was nothing for me to say and I sat back in the seat. Like the colonel it depressed me too.
“I hear you have a young lady now? A nurse in London?”
“Er yes sir, Beatrice.”
“Are you keen on her?”
“Well, er , yes
Similar Books
