1916 Angels over the Somme

by Griff Hosker

  Once in his office I sat down and lit my pipe. It helped me to think. Randolph pointed to the photograph of me and the King cut from the newspaper. It was pinned to the wall. “Good photograph by the way. It did morale the world of good to see the King present you with the medal.” He pointed to my uniform. “They look splendid.”

  I had been called back and I did not need pleasantries. I needed to know the reason. “What’s up then?”

  He stood and went to the map. “As you know Verdun was a bit of a disaster for the French. Well truth to tell it still is. They are still fighting down there. The powers that be have decided that we should attack in this sector,” he pointed with his swagger stick, “the Somme, to relieve the pressure on our French allies. The offensive looks big. There are thousands of troops moving into position and we have to keep the German aeroplanes away from the front. We would like the attack to be a complete surprise.”

  “Have they any new aeroplanes yet or are they still relying on the Eindeckers?”

  “A couple of Fokker biplanes, the D1 but we can handle them. It seems the DH2 and FE 2 are the only British aeroplanes which can handle them.”

  “Any casualties?” It was a question I hated to ask but it was an important one.

  “ One of the new boys from Gordy’s flight caught it. We are expecting his replacement soon.”

  I gestured with my pipe, “The boy wonder is parking his aeroplane.”

  “From your tone I take it you are not impressed with our new recruit?”

  “He was my ride over.” I chuckled, “I was wearing a corporal’s greatcoat I had borrowed and he assumed I was his gunner. I went along with it to gauge him.”

  “And?”

  “And I am glad that he is in Gordy’s flight. He was late to the airfield. He had been out drinking all night. He hadn’t planned his route. He cannot fly in a straight line and he has no navigational skills whatsoever. He tried to fly to bloody Berlin! Apart from that he is perfect!”

  Randolph laughed, “Well Gordy is the man to sort him out.”

  “How has he been lately?”

  Gordy had had a slight drinking problem. It had affected him adversely and the colonel had asked me to have a word with him. It had tested our friendship but he had improved and we had become firmer friends as a result.

  “He seems fine now. Every time he gets a letter from home he is a different man.”

  “Aren’t we all?”

  “Well if you pop along to see the colonel, he will be pleased to see you.” He nodded to the window. “I think I see our new pilot coming. He does not look a happy camper!”

  I went to the last office in the building and tapped on the door. “Come.”

  Colonel Pemberton-Smythe was old school. He ran the squadron by the rules but he was a good commanding officer. When his son had been gassed he had spent some time at home but, since his return, he had had renewed vigour. He beamed as I entered. “Good to see you, Bill.” He held his hand out and I shook it. “Wound all healed?” I gave a shrug. “Yes, well we had no choice in the matter. We are one of the few squadrons which can hold its own at the moment and we have a big push on the Somme. It begins July the first. It will make Loos look like a sideshow.”

  “But will it succeed?” Loos had been successful but we had only gained a few miles of land. The cost in human terms was appalling.

  “Who is to say but we need to keep the skies clear of German aeroplanes. That is all that we can do; our job. We are doing better. Some chap shot down that Immelmann fellow; the ace the newspapers in Germany were going on about but they have another ace now, Boelke and he is downing our chaps at an alarming rate. We know we are winning because they are on the defensive. They intercept our chaps over No-Man’s land or their own lines and they never risk our guns. With the winds from the west it means the pilots who crash behind enemy lines become prisoners, while the German downed air crew are rescued. It is a difficult situation. Still, as I said, our squadron only lost one pilot since you left.”

  “I know it is only a couple of weeks but it seems longer.”

  He gestured with his pipe at my ribbons. “What is the King like?”

  “He seemed pleasant enough but he was only in the ward for fifteen minutes or so. Just enough time to give me my medal, shake my hand and have a photograph taken.”

  “Ah well one problem you may have now is that you are known as an ace. Some of the Germans seem to like hunting our better pilots. Seems damned unsporting to me but you should know this. You may find the enemy seeking you out once they know you are back in the air. I daresay they have intelligence chaps reading our newspapers just like we read theirs.”

  “I see.” I shrugged. I can’t see how it makes life harder. As far as I was concerned every German was trying to kill me anyway.”

  We both heard the throb of Rolls Royce engines. “Looks like the chaps are back. No rest for the wicked I am afraid, Bill. You will be up in the air tomorrow. It is the twenty seventh of June. The big show kicks off in a day or so. We need to drive the Hun from the skies. Tomorrow we have to keep an umbrella of wings over our infantry.”

  I could see from the look on his face that he was thinking about his son and the men he had fought alongside. “We won’t let our lads down. I saw enough of their injuries when I was in the hospital in Blighty. The nurses were like angels caring for them. We will become the angels in the skies and watch over them.”

  Chapter 2

  I went to the field to watch my comrades land their aeroplanes. As I passed Captain Marshall’s office I could hear Lieutenant Carstairs getting a ticking off from Randolph. Young pilots had to learn. This was neither a public school nor a university. The air war was far more brutal and unforgiving than the newspapers made out. If you read the reports we all had a lie in, flew for an hour or so, shot down a couple of German aeroplanes each and had a nice meal when we landed. The reality was that if we landed safely without losing an aeroplane we felt we had succeeded.

  I noticed, as they landed, that a couple of the Gunbuses had suffered some damage. I counted just eight returning. It was selfish of me I know but I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Johnny Holt and Freddie Carrick land safely. I recognised the rotund figure of Lumpy Hutton as he clambered from the front cockpit. My gunner was safe. I looked astern and saw my old gunner, now a pilot, Charlie Sharp. With the new pilot and me we had just ten aeroplanes and no spare air crew. I could see this offensive being more difficult than Loos had been.

  I waited until the pilots and gunners had checked their buses. It would determine the work schedule. I was lucky, I had no doubt that Lumpy would have been keeping an eye on our bus and we would just need an hour or so to make sure everything was as it should be.

  They strolled over together. I tapped out my pipe on the heel of my flying boots and put it in my pocket. When they saw me Lumpy, Freddie and Johnny ran over to me.

  Flight Sergeant Hutton looked delighted to see me. “Great to see you sir!” He turned to Lieutenant Holt, “Looks like you’ll need a new gunner Mr Holt.”

  Johnny shook his head, ruefully, “I know Lumpy. I hope you will give him some of your sage advice.”

  “Of course sir.” Lumpy looked at me. “I’ll get changed out of my flying gear and check the bus sir.”

  “Get something to eat first. There’s no rush.”

  Freddy pointed to Major Leach, “We have been in the major’s flight.” He hesitated, “But we will be glad to be back with you sir.”

  “And I am glad that you are both in one piece.”

  “It has been a little hairy sir but, from what we hear, we are having an easier time of it than many others.”

  “You are right. I think we have got the best of the aeroplanes here. They might look a bit strange but they have the beating of the Fokker.”

  “Yes sir and they have a new one; a biplane. It is a little faster than us at lower altitude but it turns better than the Eindecker.”

  “You are seasoned pilo
ts now boys. I am lucky to have you in my flight.”

  They went to the mess with their heads held high. Major Leach waved as he and Sergeant Sharp passed. “We’ll catch you later, Bill. We have to do some paperwork now. Charlie here has just made Second Lieutenant.”

  “Well done Charlie!”

  “Thank you sir.”

  Ted and Gordy had crept up behind me and both of them slapped me hard on the back, “Well done Captain, sir! A medal from the King!”

  If the day ever came when my success started to give me an ego my two friends would soon puncture that particular balloon. “You know I could have you two on a charge of assaulting a senior officer.”

  Gordy rubbed his hands, “Lovely stuff. A week in my tent waiting for a court martial would be just the job.”

  “And now you are reminding me of my court martial, I don’t know with friends like you two who needs enemies!”

  They both put their arms around me and Ted said, “Seriously it is good to have you back. We lost two more new pilots today. It is getting serious.”

  “Well I was flown in this morning by your new pilot, Gordy, and I have to tell you that he did not impress me. Lieutenant Carstairs has many faults. You will have your work cut out with that one.”

  “Well at least he is a body. The major and I have just one other pilot in our flights. We knew it was bad news when they recalled you.”

  Ted who was, without doubt, the most pessimistic man I had ever known was also one of the kindest men and he asked, “How is the wound by the way?”

  My hand went to the shoulder. “It is fine but I reckon it will ache in the damp and the doctor said I am now destined for arthritis and rheumatism.”

  We walked in silence. Gordy said, “They are old men’s complaints. Personally I shall be quite happy to get those two.” He looked meaningfully at our small stand of graves which were clustered at the far end of the field. “Because that means I will have survived the war.”

  I changed into overalls and I spent the afternoon with Lumpy. The ground crews had had a couple of weeks to replace all the damaged parts of our damaged bus and cannibalise some of the parts from crashed aeroplanes. The result was that she was as good as new. We had the advantage that the engine was now well run and Lumpy and I knew all her idiosyncrasies. We took her up for half an hour. She didn’t need it but I did. I had barely managed to land the aeroplane after I had been wounded and I knew that it was like riding a horse after a fall. You had to get back in the saddle as soon as possible. When the propeller stopped turning I breathed a sigh of relief.

  Lumpy waited for me next to the wing. “Well done sir. That couldn’t have been easy.”

  “It wasn’t.”

  He pointed to the medals. “They look good sir.”

  “I am sorry that you didn’t get one. You deserved it for saving my life.”

  “I was mentioned in despatches and that will help me get promotion.”

  When I had been in the cavalry I had served with many soldiers like Lumpy. They were what made the British Army what it was, the best in the world. He was one of the reasons that I knew we would not lose this war. It might take time but we British, and especially the likes of Lumpy, were stubborn and dogged fighters. We just didn’t give in. That evening I went into the mess feeling more optimistic than I had for some time.

  That evening I made sure I was dressed for dinner. Sometimes we were a little casual but I had made myself smart for Beatrice for the past week or so and it had become a habit. It made me walk a little taller.

  I noticed, as I sat next to my two best friends that Charlie was sitting with the other flight lieutenants. They were all talking in an animated fashion except Second Lieutenant Jamie Carstairs who did not look happy. Randolph had told me that the young man had not taken criticism well. He made excuses for all the things he had done wrong. I had warned Gordy. That was the worst kind of attitude. My view was that if you did something wrong you owned up to it, changed and then moved on.

  I soon forgot him when the Colonel stood and spoke. “Gentlemen you may smoke.” He turned to the sergeant, “Keep the doors closed eh Flight? We have things to talk about.”

  There was a buzz of anticipation in the mess. I knew that I had been privy to more information than many. It would be interesting to see their reactions.

  “Gentlemen, tomorrow morning is a momentous day for the British Army. We will be beginning our first major offensive since Ypres and Loos. Tomorrow eleven divisions of British Infantry and five divisions of French will advance towards the Albert-Bapaume roads. Our job from dawn until the battle is over is to maintain air superiority. We must deny the Germans the skies over the Somme.” He smiled and pointed his cigar at me. “As Captain Harsker said, we must be the angels protecting the infantry. I like that metaphor. You need to see yourselves as the men who protect our brothers in arms on the ground. We will fly two patrols a day. Major Leach will lead his and Lieutenant Thomas’ flights in the morning and Captain Harsker will take the other two flights out in the afternoon. In the second week, if the battle is not won we will reverse the timings. I know we are short of pilots and aeroplanes but I have been assured by General Henderson himself that we will be given everything that we need to wrest control of the skies from the Hun. We are expecting more pilots and aeroplanes when they become available.”

  There was much cheering and banging of glasses. Major Leach stood and his Scots’ voice boomed out, “Shut up you noisy buggers!”

  Silence fell in the smoky mess. “Now a word of warning; Intelligence has told us that the Germans have reorganized their squadrons into Jastas, or hunting packs. We know that they like to stay on their side of the lines but they will attack in numbers. They will have plenty of fuel and support. That will make life difficult for us. Our skills as pilots will make life impossible for them.”

  This time Major Leach gave up as the buzz of conversation drowned out anything else he might have said.

  Gordy lit a cigarette, “Well, Bill, it looks like you are stuck with me.”

  “I am not worried about that. I know you and Ted better than almost any pilot in the squadron. I am happy to be given the afternoon flights, it means the Germans will have the sun in their eyes.”

  Ted groaned, “And that means we will have it in our eyes in the morning. Great!”

  “We will need to watch the front line; from what the colonel told me they are trying to draw us over their lines.”

  Gordy nodded, “That’s how they got my new lieutenant. It was his second flight over their lines and he followed one of them.” He shook his head. “He never stood a chance. He forgot my orders not to go chasing them.”

  “Remember we will be outnumbered. We might have to use the circle.”

  “With just five aeroplanes? Will it work?”

  “We will have to wait and see.” I suddenly noticed the new officer out of the corner of my eye. He was sitting alone. “He is the joker in the pack. You will need to keep your eye on him.”

  “As he is the only one left in my flight that shouldn’t be a problem.” Poor Gordy did not seem to have much luck with his new pilots. He had lost three whilst I still had both Carrick and Holt. They were almost the most experienced pilots in the squadron now and yet a few weeks ago they had been nervous young men just out of flying school. You grew up quickly at the front; or you died.

  As I left the mess I wasn’t too sure about Gordy’s assessment of Carstairs but I had other things on my mind. I had letters to write and the first one would be to Beatrice. Our walks in Hyde Parks and hurried conversations in the ward were not enough. I needed to tell her how I felt. We lived a precarious existence. I did not want to die before telling her how I felt. When I had written Beatrice’s letter I would write home.

  I was woken by the shelling at the start of the offensive. I heard later that it could be heard in Hampstead Heath. All I knew was that it woke me. I sat up with a start. The constant cracking told me it was not a summer storm. I stoo
d and looked at my table; I saw that I had just written the one letter to Beatrice. I had fallen asleep after signing it. I felt guilty. I would write home when I returned from this afternoon’s mission. I addressed the envelope and took it to Randolph’s office. As Adjutant he got to censor all of the letters we sent. He was a gentleman and a fine chap but I was not sure I would want him reading my innermost thoughts. I had, however, no choice in the matter.

  He was at his desk when I entered. “A letter home.”

  He took it and was about to put it with a pile of others when he saw the address and felt the weight. “A girl you met in Blighty?” I nodded. “His face softened. He was a married man as was the colonel. “I will be discreet, Bill. You can trust me.”

  “I know Randolph it’s just… you know?”

  He smiled, “I know. I had the same thing with Gordy when he met his young lady.”

  I felt better after that. I was not the only love struck young pilot. I knew, however, that all such thoughts had to be expunged from my mind or else I would be jeopardising not only my own life but also the lives of my pilots!

  We watched Major Leach and the other flights as they took off. The five aeroplanes seemed a pitifully small number to me. Ominously, we heard the constant crump of artillery shells as the German lines were pounded. We would have a better idea of the success of the attack when we flew over in the afternoon.

  I spent the morning with the pilots and gunners I would be leading. Carstairs apart, the pilots had all flown with me before and knew my ways. I was aware, however that we had two new gunners. They deserved to have the same information as their pilots. “Today we begin the first of many such patrols over the battlefield. We will fly in two columns. Lieutenant Hewitt will lead his flight and I will lead the other.” I pointedly looked at Carstairs. “You, Lieutenant, will play follow my leader with Lieutenant Hewitt. Where ever he goes you follow. You do not deviate one inch from that position.”

  “What if I am attacked?”

  Gordy snorted, “You have a gunner, Sonny Jim and a gun fore and aft. You stick to my tail! If I look around and find you are not there then you will be in for it my lad!”