Chapter Sixteen
There was a knot of excitement churning in Ruth’s stomach as she walked towards the Blenheim bomber. This was the last step towards her new rating, and then she would be able to fly all the twins.
Once she had strapped herself in the nerves vanished. There was nothing to worry about. All she had to do was take off, do a circuit around the airfield, and land. She wouldn’t think about all the eyes watching her.
A young RAF boy was standing with a group of others, his mouth open in disbelief. ‘She ain’t going to fly that, surely?’
‘Why not?’ Simon asked.
‘Well, she’s a blooming girl!’ He watched as the engines roared in to life and Ruth taxied for take-off. ‘My God, she is!’
Jack joined Simon as the Blenheim soared into the air.
‘Go girl!’ Jack murmured, never taking his eyes off the plane. ‘Nice smooth turn … that’s it … perfect …’
This was a tense time for any pilot, Simon knew only too well, but he had complete confidence in Ruth’s ability. He’d known from the start that she was going to be a competent pilot, and not only was that true, but she had surpassed all his expectations.
‘Now, start your approach.’ Jack was still murmuring instructions under his breath. ‘Wheels down … right …’
Simon watched with everyone else as the Blenheim touched down in a faultless landing, and taxied over to the parking bay. Captain Anders gave Simon a thumbs-up sign as he waited for Ruth to join him.
‘You can breathe now, Jack,’ Simon joked.
The tall man beside him gave a grunt of satisfaction. ‘Even I would have been proud of that landing. Our Ruth certainly has steady nerves. She did well.’
‘I never had the slightest doubt.’
‘Yeah.’ Jack watched Ruth jump down, walk beside the examiner and disappear into the building. ‘She’ll have passed. Do you know how Gussie’s getting on?’
‘She went up two hours ago and has her new rating.’
‘Great.’ Jack glanced at his watch and pulled a face. ‘I should have been at Cowley ten minutes ago.’
‘Had engine trouble, did you?’ Simon asked dryly.
‘Hmm, strange noise coming from the engine, so I thought I’d better land here and get it checked before continuing.’
‘Very wise.’
They gave each other knowing looks, and then Jack thumped Simon on the back. ‘We’d better get going then. Looks like we’ve got two more pilots for the twin-engine bombers.’
He started to walk away when Simon called him. ‘The American girls are about to be sent to their pool at Ratcliffe. They’ve all been passed as Class 2 single-engine pilots, and are ready to start work.’
‘Lucy told me. They’re raring to go.’ Jack was about to continue walking when an Airacobra swept low over the airfield.
‘What the hell?’ Simon shaded his eyes, watching the plane bank, turn, and fly over again at treetop level.
‘Trouble.’ Jack tipped his head to one side, listening. ‘Sounds OK. I’ll bet the instruments are saying that the nose wheel isn’t down. It happened to me in one of those. I took a chance and was lucky, but it’s a tough decision.’
‘Well, it’s down, but is it locked?’
‘That’s something the pilot will have to decide. It’s a choice between setting it down without any wheels, or risking a somersault if the nose wheel collapses.’
An RAF flight sergeant joined them. ‘What do you think’s wrong?’
‘Nose wheel,’ Jack stated. ‘Next time round we’ll have to signal somehow that it’s down.’
The plane came over again very low and the sergeant gave the signal. ‘Hope he understood that.’
‘Looks like it. He’s coming in this time.’ Simon noted that the fire trucks and rescue teams were already in place.
The Airacobra touched down and they held their breath, eyes fixed on the nose wheel.
‘It’s OK,’ Jack said in relief as the plane slowed to a stop.
‘I heard that we’re sending these to Russia.’ The sergeant glanced at Jack. ‘Sorry, mate, but the RAF boys don’t like this American plane.’
‘Not many do,’ Jack agreed. ‘It looks good in the air, but it’s got a few unpleasant habits.’
They all walked over to the plane and waited for the pilot to get out.
‘Hello, Sally.’ Jack helped her down. ‘Were you worried about the nose wheel?’
‘Yes, there was a chance that it wasn’t down.’ She patted the wing. ‘Temperamental beast, isn’t it? I just prayed that the signal I’d received meant all was well and I could come in.’ She smiled at the sergeant. ‘Thanks.’
‘You’re welcome.’ He was eyeing her with some respect. ‘I’ll get it checked.’
‘Glad it turned out all right.’ Simon looked at his watch. ‘We must get going, Jack. Oh, and Sally, you’ll find Ruth and Gussie here. They’ve taken the final test for their new rating.’
‘Wonderful! I’ll find them at once – and I could do with a strong cup of tea after that flight!’
As they walked towards their waiting aircraft, Jack nudged Simon. ‘That young boy must be a new recruit. He’s staring at Sally as if he can’t believe his eyes. Girls flying combat aircraft is not something he expected to see.’
Simon’s mouth twitched in amusement. ‘Someone should have told him, but he’ll soon get used to it.’
Now there was a Hurricane making its approach and Jack couldn’t resist calling the boy. ‘Hey, buddy, here comes another woman. Better make a fresh pot of tea.’
The boy giggled. ‘Why don’t we scramble a squadron of women pilots? Jerry would run for his life.’
‘Cheeky sod,’ Simon snorted.
As soon as the Hurricane landed, Sylvia jumped down, spotted Jack immediately, and began waving frantically.
Simon gave Jack an amused glance. ‘I hear she’s been chasing you.’
‘She does have a habit of turning up quite often, but I’m not interested. Can’t you get her sent up north somewhere out of the way?’
‘Coward!’
‘You bet.’ Jack paused in the act of climbing into the Spitfire. ‘You interested in my little sister?’
‘Might be. Do you mind?’
‘Nope, she makes her own decisions. Good luck, though.’ With a wave of his hand he got in the plane and wasted no time taking off.
Simon followed in the Anson. He had pilots to pick up.
It was two hours later when Simon arrived back at White Waltham and found Lucy waiting for him.
‘Hi, teacher. We’re off to Ratcliffe in the morning and I wanted to thank you. You’re a great instructor.’
Simon nodded in acknowledgement of the compliment. ‘Where are the others?’
‘Off celebrating, but I wanted to see my brother and Ruth before I leave.’ She gave him a teasing smile. ‘And you, of course.’
‘Jack was here a while back, but you were all out on training flights. He should be back any minute now. He’s bringing pilots in the Fairchild.’ Simon glanced up. ‘Sounds like him now.’
Lucy watched the plane land and disgorge its pilots. There was a wistful smile on her face as her brother walked towards them, his parachute over his shoulder. ‘You know, Simon, he’s a different man now. I believe he’s truly happy for the first time ever. He loves this country, and feels he’s making a worthwhile contribution to the war effort by using his talent for flying.’
Simon said nothing as Jack reached them. He had the feeling that Lucy was right, and from what he’d seen today, it was more than the love of this country keeping him here. Ruth was another reason.
Before even greeting them, Jack turned straight to Simon. ‘Have you had confirmation yet about Ruth?’
‘Yes, Captain Anders phoned me. She passed with flying colours.’
‘Great.’ Jack smiled and said, ‘Hi, Lucy.’
She gave him a hug, and then stepped back, almost dancing with excitement. ‘Are you sayin
g Ruth has her new rating?’
‘Sure she has. We both watched her fly the Blenheim, didn’t we, Simon?’
‘She did well, and Gussie passed as well.’
‘Wow! We must all celebrate. Can we go over to Hamble now? It’s the only chance I’ll get because I’m leaving early in the morning.’
‘I was about to nip over there now the day’s flying is over. There’s a Lysander sitting there doing nothing.’
‘Let me check in and I’ll be right with you.’ Jack strode towards the ops room.
They were in high spirits when they took off, looking forward to seeing Ruth and Gussie.
The smoke was visible as they approached Hamble. Simon circled over the airfield to get a good look at the burning plane.
‘Get down!’ Jack ordered Simon between clenched teeth.
‘Not possible.’ The airfield was littered with wreckage, people were running around and fire trucks were on the scene. ‘It’s only just happened by the look of it.’
‘There’s a field over there. Use that.’
‘Jack—’ Simon protested, but got no further.
‘I don’t bloody care where we land. Just get down!’
Lucy gripped hold of her brother’s arm when it looked as if he might try and take over the controls. ‘Easy, big brother. Simon’s right. We can’t land there.’
Jack closed his eyes for a moment to steady himself. ‘Dear God, it’s damned stupid to get fond of people in this war. Sorry, pal.’
‘It’s all right, Jack, I know how you feel.’ Simon circled again, noting two other planes doing the same thing. ‘We’ll hang on. They’ll clear the field as quickly as possible.’
Jack nodded, not taking his eyes off the frantic scenes below. ‘Whoever was in that didn’t stand a chance by the look of it.’
‘It’s a risk we all take.’ Simon spoke calmly as he banked to go round again, not voicing the fear they all held, knowing it was going to be someone they knew. A picture of Ruth’s parents flashed before Simon’s eyes. They would be inconsolable if they lost their daughter as well – and it would be his difficult job to tell them … He blanked out the thought and focussed his whole attention on flying.
‘Can you make out what plane it was?’ Lucy asked in hushed tones.
‘A twin.’ Jack wiped a hand over his eyes to clear his vision. ‘Could have been a Hudson.’
Two more circuits and enough room had been made to allow the waiting aircraft to touch down. Simon allowed the others to go in first in case they were low on fuel, and then he followed them in.
As soon as Simon cut the engine, they all jumped out and stood silently as a stretcher was loaded into an ambulance – a stretcher completely covered.
Lucy held on to her brother and Simon as they made their way to the operations building. Like the two men, she was silent.
There were a group of people standing around and Simon scanned the faces anxiously for someone who was missing.
‘Over there,’ Lucy pointed, a quiet sob in her voice. ‘By the doorway.’
Without a word, they all walked towards the two women. They were wearing the one broad and one narrow stripe of a second officer – a recent promotion. Their heads were bowed and they didn’t look up.
‘Who was it, honey?’ Jack asked, reaching out to grasp Ruth’s hand.
She shook her head, unable to speak.
Gussie spoke. ‘It was Rob.’
‘Oh, dear God, no!’ Jack gasped.
Ruth seemed to recover enough to say, ‘Tricia’s parents are going to be devastated. They were fond of him. We all were.’
‘I’ll go and break the news to them.’ Simon didn’t relish the task, but it had to be done.
‘I’ll come with you.’ Jack ushered them all inside, away from the scene of the accident.
All thoughts of celebration were forgotten. This was the time to grieve for the loss of a fine man.
Chapter Seventeen
It was nearly midnight when Simon and Jack arrived back at White Waltham. Tricia’s parents had been so upset by the news of Rob’s death they hadn’t wanted to leave them alone. They still hadn’t recovered from the loss of their only child, and now the man who had comforted and supported them through that dreadful time was also dead. They were distraught.
Neither Jack nor Simon had wanted to go back to their lodgings – sleep would be impossible – so they’d headed for the Mess. There were still a few people on duty in the ops room preparing the list for tomorrow’s deliveries, but apart from that the place was quiet.
‘I don’t know about you, Simon, but I could do with a stiff drink.’
‘I’ve got a bottle of whisky in my locker. I’ll get it while you scrounge a couple of glasses.’
Jack soon found them and sat down, staring into space, still not able to believe that Rob was gone. He closed his eyes, hurting so much it was like a physical pain. Rob had been liked and respected by everyone. What a waste.
‘Jack?’
The sound of his sister’s voice made his eyes snap open. ‘What are you doing here? You should be asleep.’
She sat opposite him and rested her arms on the table. ‘I guessed you’d come back here. I stayed with Ruth and Gussie for a while.’
‘How are they?’
Lucy shrugged, giving her brother a puzzled look. ‘I don’t understand. They clearly thought a lot of Rob, and were shocked by his death, but there were no tears, no sobbing, no anger at a life cut short.’ A large tear trickled down her face. ‘I didn’t know him very well, but I cried. They didn’t.’
‘Lucy,’ Jack reached over and took hold of her hand, ‘you must remember what the British people have to cope with. Their young men are dying on land, at sea and in the air. Young and old are being killed in air raids. This is the reality of their lives, and they are dealing with it in their own way. They grieve quietly, and I’m positive that many tears are shed in private. They keep their feelings to themselves, but they hurt just like everyone else.’
She drew in a deep breath. ‘You have to be here before you can grasp the enormity of the struggle against the Nazis, don’t you?’
‘And until now it’s been a struggle they’ve had to face on their own.’ Jack released his sister’s hand and sat back. ‘Get some sleep, Lucy.’
‘You do the same.’ She stood up and wrapped her arms around him, giving him a fierce hug. ‘You’re a different man now, do you know that?’
‘Am I?’
‘Yeah, you’re quite something, big brother. No wonder Ruth’s crazy about you.’
When he just raised his eyebrows, she lifted her hands in surrender. ‘I’m not prying into your love life, but the pair of you are no good at hiding how you feel about each other.’
Jack sat back and folded his arms. ‘You’re imagining things. We’re friends, that’s all.’
‘That’s a shame.’ Sadness flashed across Lucy’s face. ‘Gussie told me that Rob had been in love with the girl who got killed. Perhaps they’re together now.’
‘Who knows.’
‘It’s a nice thought though, isn’t it?’
‘Yeah, now get some rest. You’ve a busy day ahead of you tomorrow.’
‘OK.’ She gave her brother an affectionate tap on the shoulder. ‘I’m glad I came over here. I missed you.’
Lucy had just left when Simon appeared with a bottle of whisky. ‘Sorry I took a while. I was talking to Jane. Was that your sister I caught a glimpse of?’
Jack nodded, took the bottle from Simon, poured two generous measures, then screwed the top back on. ‘One will do. We’re both flying in the morning.’
‘I’m going to ask you to take on some of Rob’s pupils, Jack.’
‘Sure. God, but we’re going to miss him.’
‘We certainly are.’ Simon emptied his glass in one go. ‘It’s a bloody tragedy. But he isn’t the first ATA pilot we’ve lost, and he won’t be the last.’
‘True, and something we have to face.’ Jack took a mo
uthful of whisky and grimaced. ‘Lucy was puzzled because the girls didn’t wail and cry over the loss of Rob.’
‘If we did that every time someone was killed in this country, we’d be forever weeping into our beer.’ Simon’s mouth was set in a determined line. ‘But it hurts, Jack. Believe me, it hurts.’
‘That’s what I told Lucy.’
Early next morning, Lucy and the other American girls were ready and waiting to be taken to the No. 6 ferry pool at Ratcliffe, near Leicester. They were now all eager to get on with the job.
‘Do you know who’s taking us?’ Pat asked Lucy.
‘No, it would probably have been Rob …’ Her words tailed off.
‘He seemed like a great guy.’ Pat glanced around. The airfield was buzzing with activity. Pilots were leaving to pick up their first ferry of the day, and various planes were taking off and landing. ‘But everyone’s just getting on with the job. I sure admire that. It’s something we’ve all got to learn to do if we’re going to win this war.’
‘We’ll win.’ Lucy was adamant. ‘It’s going to be a long, hard struggle, but at least we’ll be doing something to help. Who would have thought women would get the chance to fly operational aircraft during a war!’
‘Yeah, this organisation is quite something.’ Pat nodded with satisfaction. ‘I think I’m going to like it here.’
‘Me too.’ Lucy watched Simon walk towards them and felt a warm glow of pleasure. He was one lovely man. She just adored his quiet sense of humour and air of calm efficiency. He was someone she felt you could lean on in difficult times.
‘Ready, ladies? Number 6 ferry pool is awaiting your arrival with anticipation.’
That caused a laugh as they followed him out to the Anson.
On arrival they were taken to a large house and allotted rooms. This was to be their home while they were at Ratcliffe.
Once they’d stowed their luggage, they made their way back to the airfield to meet some of the other pilots. They were a mixed bunch of different nationalities, but there were still a few Americans, and they were the first to welcome the girls.
A Flight of Golden Wings Page 14