by Griff Hosker
The others were equally despondent when they landed. Archie, on the other hand, was quite cheerful having managed to teach the four young pilots how to fire in the air and change a magazine. “It can’t be that bad, surely?”
I shook my head, “It’s as though we didn’t damage their artillery at all and they have reinforced their batteries with machine guns and anti-aircraft pits. We will have to try high level bombing. If we try a low level run, it will be suicide.”
Captain Marshall said, “We are still trying to secure Delville Wood. I envisage another attack in the next few days, sir. It might be better to try and disrupt the guns. I will send a report to Wing about this.”
Archie nodded, “Very well then. We will try high level bombing runs tomorrow. Was there any sign of the Fokkers?”
Gordy shook his head, “Nary a one. I don’t know why though. If we had those Fokkers and Halberstadts we would have a field day! They are fast, small and can turn better than our lumbering beasts.”
“You want a new aeroplane for Christmas, Gordy?”
“I just want to have a chance to survive this war. We are such a big target I am amazed that they miss us. Our only saving grace is our gunners. If the Hun ever realises that all they have to do is kill the gunner then we will really be in trouble.”
Gordy was turning into Ted but he was right. Our weakness was the front of the aeroplane. The German engine protected the pilot. It gave him the chance to land and walk away from his aeroplane. We were operating over German lines. Even if we managed to land we would be behind enemy lines and that meant a prisoner of war camp. The front went from Switzerland to the sea near Ostend.
I gathered my pilots and gunners around me as we prepared to launch our attack. “Today we try high level bombing. This will be harder.” I turned to the sergeants, “You gunners, I want you to throw one bomb at a time and watch its flight. We will fly in a circle until all the bombs have been dropped. Pilots, watch for the Hun in the sun. They can fly higher than we can and this time we will be over the target for a longer period.” I looked at their young faces. They were like family to me now. “Any questions?”
As they clambered aboard Hutton sounded the bugle and they all gave a cheer. It was a silly and frivolous gesture but it worked. I know the other flights were jealous but I knew that it made my flight a closer band of brothers. That had helped me when I had been in the cavalry and I was sure it would help us here.
When we reached the batteries, some two miles or so from Delville Woods, we began to circle. Each gunner would drop his bombs when he was ready. I scanned the skies and flew over the target. Sergeant Hutton was in charge of this part of the flight.
Hutton shouted, “Bomb gone!” I glanced over the side and watched it plummet to the earth. It exploded between a machine gun pit and a large artillery piece. “Bugger! I’ll try again the next time around.”
As we flew in a circle I saw that some of the other bombs, dropped by the others in the flight, had been more successful. One machine gun was destroyed and one artillery piece was lying on its side.
“Steady sir. Bomb gone!”
I glanced over and saw that Hutton had corrected his aim. This time he hit the gun he had aimed at on the side and I watched in fascination as the huge piece rose into the air and then fell back to earth, shattered.
“That’s better!”
He carried on with his other runs successfully hitting one machine gun and damaging another large gun. I looked up and saw black dots in the eastern sky. “Germans! Get on your gun!”
I saw that the others were still circling and dropping their bombs. I began to climb to meet them. There were just six of them but they had the advantage of height. “Hutton take the one to your right and I will go for the one directly ahead.”
“Righto!”
It was a tried and tested technique. By blasting a hole in the middle of their formation it made them manoeuvre out of the way. We had heard of Germans flying into each other in the confusion. Germans like order. If you upset their order then you had an edge.
As we climbed I was acutely aware of how much smaller their aeroplanes were compared with the huge Gunbus I was flying. Our wingspan was almost twenty feet longer than the Fokkers we were fighting. That said, our longer wingspan meant we could take more damage. It was hard to knock down a Gunbus- unless you hit the pilot! The new wood around my cockpit was testament to the fact that the Hun had worked that one out!
It seemed a painfully slow climb and the Fokkers were approaching us at a much faster rate. I made sure my right Lewis was ready and held the trigger. The Fokker fired early. He used short bursts and I could see that he was aiming for Lumpy and me. His angle of attack meant that his bullets were going below the cockpit and I saw him begin to lift his nose. I fired when he was a hundred feet away. It was further than I would have liked but I wanted to put him off. The Gunbus was very stable and I had no propeller obscuring my view. I saw the sparks as my bullets struck his engine. They did not penetrate but a ricochet could cause damage to a wing or a cable.
Hutton began to fire at the second Fokker which had no target as yet. Lumpy emptied the magazine for he had struck the engine with his first burst. The Fokker peeled away; too badly damaged to continue. My Fokker tried to soar above me but I finished off my first magazine as he climbed into the sky. I could not miss and I saw his tail as it shredded. He began to spiral down to earth. He was behind his own lines and he would probably land and walk away. It meant we had punched our hole through their line.
“Banking left!”
I knew the other four would be desperately trying to get on my tail. They would not know if I was going left or right and that slight hesitation might just save us. As I banked I saw my flight climbing to come to my rescue. We outnumbered the enemy now but it would be some time before they reached me.
As I banked I caught a glimpse of a black cross and I took a snap shot with my left hand Lewis. I hit his tail but did no serious damage. However, the bullets striking him made him bank to the right. As I came around I saw the last Fokker on this side of the formation heading for me. Hutton opened fire and I fired the rest of my magazine. He was struck by a wall of bullets. I suspect we hit his propeller for he veered off course and began to drop slowly below us.
“Get on the rear Lewis!”
Hutton stood and manned the gun as quickly as he could. I knew there was a Fokker on our tail for he began to fire straight away. I heard the parabellums hitting the engine and I winced. I kept looking ahead and flying as straight as I dared for I did not want Lumpy to fall nor did I wish to fly into one of my flight who were climbing to our rescue.
Freddie was leading the other three in a line abreast to maximise their fire power. As soon as their gunners fired I breathed a sigh of relief. I saw Sergeant Hutton grin and he shouted, “Mr Carrick nailed him, sir. The other one has buggered off home!”
The tuning we had performed on the engine had helped us to fly faster when we were attacking but the bullets striking our engine had caused some damage. We were losing power. I saw Delville Woods ahead and knew that, even if we crash landed we would be behind our lines. I coaxed and eased the damaged engines all the way home. The bus struggled to stay in the air and I worried that the engine would cut out. When the wheels touched the grass I patted the instrument panel, “Well done, Caesar!”
We checked the damage to the bus. There were numerous holes in the engine. Senior Flight Sergeant McKay shook his head. “It’s a new engine for you Mr Harsker. It will take at least two days for us to replace it and test it.”
Lumpy and I trudged away from the field feeling both deflated, we would not be flying for a couple of days and pleased that we had fought off so many Fokkers.
Archie was happier. “Excellent! You can take the Avro up and train these new pilots and I will lead your lads.”
I made my way back to my quarters. I didn’t mind training the young pilots but I always preferred leading my flight. Bates was posi
tively bouncing when I reached my room.
“I have your bath ready sir.” He nodded to the side cabinet. On it was perched a letter. “I took the liberty of fetching your mail sir. I believe it is from your young lady, from the perfume.”
My day suddenly brightened up and I too felt as happy as Bates. I did not luxuriate in my bath as long as normal. I just wanted to read the unexpected letter. As I dried myself I deduced that this must be in response to my first letter. I wondered if our letters would ever become synchronised.
Bates closed the door, “I’ll see that you are not disturbed for a while, sir. Enjoy you whisky and your letter.”
I lay on the bed and slowly opened it with my knife.
Hyde Park
July21st 1916
Dearest Bill,
My joy was unbounded when I opened your letter. By now you will have received mine and wondered what this scatterbrained young girl was thinking! Simply put, I was not!
I am so happy that we both feel the same way about each other. We can begin to plan for a future after this madness is over. I have spoken to Captain Hewitt’s young lady, Mary, and I know that you soldiers do not like to plan; your existence is so parlous. Let me do the planning for both of us. You just need to know that I will be here for you when you need me and I shall plan on finding somewhere for us when the war is over.
I know that you are a brave officer and care for your men but please, my love, care for yourself too. I am happy that we have found each other. I would hate to lose you. You are more valuable to me than life itself.
I now see your sister Alice and Mary once each week. It makes it seem like I am closer to you. Your sister tells me the stories of you growing up and Mary tells me of the esteem in which you are held by your men. It is not the same as holding you in my arms and listening to your voice but, until you come home again, it will have to do.
Your loving and devoted,
Beatrice
xxxx
xxx
I read and re read it. I folded it and placed it in the tin my mother had given me with some fruit cake on my last leave. The cake had been a godsend; the letters were better, they were my treasure.
Chapter 17
The four pilots had all had their session in the gunner’s cockpit and I did not need to cover that. I decided to teach them air combat. I chose one at random, “Lieutenant Griffiths I want you to be flight leader for today. The rest of you follow him as though he were. The best of you can be flight leader this afternoon.”
I looked up at the sky. The day was cloudier than it had been in the last couple of days and there was enough cover for me to find somewhere to hide. “Lieutenant Griffiths in thirty minutes I want you to take off and climb to five thousand feet. You will patrol the perimeter of the airfield.”
They all looked at me expectantly. Lieutenant Griffiths said, “And where will you be Captain Harsker?”
I grinned, “Why I will be with Flight Sergeant Hutton and we will be attacking you!”
The sergeant was up for this and after we had taken off we flew high into the clouds. “Do I get to use the gun sir?”
“Yes but for God’s sake don’t hit them!”
He snorted indignantly, his professional pride punctured, “Sir, as if I would!”
I headed east and then turned. I looked at my watch and estimated when they would be in position. When we were at eight thousand feet I began to scan the sky beneath me. I glimpsed the tail of one of the Gunbuses and I began to descend. I did not use full power as I wanted to be as quiet as I could. The clouds ahead of me parted and I saw them in a straight line. They had no one on the rear Lewis and all eyes appeared to be fixed forward or looking up; no one was watching behind. Despite the lack of cloud cover in this part of the sky I was coming from the east and the sun was behind me. I dived at full throttle towards the rear FE 2. It was Lieutenant Gerard.
Hutton asked, “Now sir?”
“Whenever you are ready.”
As we zoomed beneath the tail of Lieutenant Gerard Hutton fired a burst behind us towards the east. I then flew underneath the four aeroplanes and Hutton continued to fire at the side. When I reached Lieutenant Griffiths I flew next to him and signalled for them to land.
We circled while they landed. I wanted to see if the experience had daunted them. They managed to land quite well and then I joined them on the ground.
“Well gentlemen. If I had been a Fokker D111 then you would have all been dead. Lieutenant Gerard, why did you not have your gunner on the rear Lewis?”
He looked shamefaced, “I forgot sir.”
“Well you are honest at any rate. If you are the last aeroplane in a flight you must keep a gunner watching the rear once you cross the enemy lines. To be honest we have been attacked on our side of the lines. These are a good bus but they have a weakness. They can be attacked in the rear and they are not quick. The Avro is almost ten miles an hour slower than you and twenty miles an hour slower than a Fokker. You are bright lads, you do the sums. Now after we have refuelled we will go up again. Lieutenant Chapel you are flight leader.”
We went through the exercise six times until I had them drilled into what to expect. I led them in loops and banks. I showed them how to fly so low that you risked clipping the tree tops and finally I demonstrated the Lufbery Circle. After we had landed, Sergeant Hutton took the gunners away to explain how to be a better gunner while I went to the mess to find out more about the young pilots and their background.
When the rest of the squadron returned I felt exhausted. Teaching was more strenuous than fighting in the air! That first drink of the day was looking more and more attractive.
The day had been frustrating for Archie and the squadron. The clouds had obscured their view of the ground and they had had to be wary of German fighters pouncing on them. They returned without having engaged anyone. I did not feel so bad about having spent the day teaching.
We sat with Archie after dinner. Ted grumbled, “This is bloody August! I thought it was supposed to be nice here on the Continent?”
Gordy nodded his agreement, “Back home we would expect this.”
“You are right, on the estate they would have harvested by now.” I tapped my pipe out and began to clean it. “Major Leach when do you think there will be a leave?”
He laughed, “You know, Bill, before you met that young lady I can’t remember you ever using the word ‘leave’. Ah to be young and in love.”
I felt myself colouring as they all laughed but I caught Gordy’s eye, “It isn’t really me I was thinking of, sir. I had time off when I was recuperating but you and the others have gone since Christmas without a leave.” I gestured at the skies, hidden beyond the mess walls. “It was Ted’s comment about the weather. If we get an October or November like last year we won’t need all the crews here will we?”
He smiled and patted my knee. “You are right Bill and I was only joking. I don’t think we will get the chance to grant leave until this Somme Offensive has run its course.”
Charlie swallowed the last of his beer and waved his glass for the mess orderly to bring a refill. “Surely it has stalled sir. There has been little movement for a week or so.”
Captain Marshall tended to listen more than he spoke but he was Intelligence officer as well as adjutant. “You are right Charlie but the Somme offensive has produced a sort of bubble sticking into the Germans lines. The French did not take their objectives and so the generals want to get the line as straight as we can before winter sets in.” He sipped his whisky. “Realistically I can’t see us being granted leave before the middle or end of November.”
Ted groaned and Gordy said, “The thing is, sir, I plan to get married on my next leave and Mary, well Mary will need a little time to plan it.”
“I see.”
Archie looked at Randolph who said, “We could grant a special leave to get married.”
Gordy shook his head, “No sir, I want Ted and Bill to be there too.” He looked apolo
getically at Charlie. “I would have you too Charlie but I know that we will need to leave a Flight Commander here.”
Charlie grinned, “I am honoured that you would even think of inviting me. No sir, the three of you have always been the Three Musketeers.”
Gordy nodded his thanks, “So you see, sir, if you are telling me that the first week in December might be the time when we can get leave that is fine. I will make the arrangements with Mary.”
Archie looked at Randolph. “Well if you three had the first two weeks in December then the adjutant, Charlie and I could have the last two weeks.” Gordy’s face lit up. “A word of warning though; that means you three will be here over Christmas and New Year.”
Ted and I nodded our agreement, “That is fine, sir. We will live with that.”
And so Gordy wrote to Mary to ask her to make the arrangements. I wrote to Beatrice too although I knew that Mary would tell her. It was strange to think that an offensive in France determined the date of a wedding in London. Such was the world of 1916. No one’s life, at home or at the front could avoid the icy grip of the war.
The last days of August meant that we did not fly at all. It rained. There were localised floods although we were spared that horror. I dreaded to think what it would be like in the trenches. The rain we had had earlier had made small lakes and large ponds. The trenches would be inundated. I guessed that the plans to consolidate the front would be put on hold.
It did mean, however, that we had a full squadron with Gunbuses which had been well serviced and repaired. We had not lost a pilot for a couple of weeks. Sergeant Hutton and Senior Flight Sergeant McKay had consulted on the adjustments we had made and implemented them on the entire squadron. We would have a mile or two more an hour at our fingertips. With these faster Fokkers that was vital. We were also issued Buckingham tracer ammunition which would help us to see where our bullets were going. It was an innovation and we were all keen to try it out.