by Alan Hlad
He looked into her eyes. “I never stopped thinking of you.”
A secret chamber of her heart, the one she’d kept closed for over half a century, began to open. “Nor I,” she whispered.
“You were always with me,” Ollie said.
Tears streamed down her cheeks. Waves of emotion flooded her body.
“It was your words and inspiration that gave me the strength to escape. To never give up.”
Together, they wept. The dam holding back the years between them collapsed.
Ollie wiped away her tears.
Susan looked into his eyes, then gently touched his cheek. “There’s something I need to show you.”
CHAPTER 60
HOME
Susan and Ollie peered down at a freshly dug hole at the edge of Epping Forest. A warm breeze filtered through the woods, causing branches to sway and creak, silencing the chirping sparrows. The scent of damp earth and moss filled the air. Ollie leaned the spade against a birch tree, its bark peeling like old wallpaper. Slowly, he lowered himself to his knees.
In one hand, Susan held a plastic container with Duchess’s remains; in the other, a small piece of paper.
Ollie looked up at Susan. His thin hair danced in the wind.
“She was a remarkable pigeon,” Susan said, handing him the container.
“An angel.”
She smiled.
Ollie lowered the remains into the hole, then filled it with soil. With his hands, he tamped the earthen mound. Then he located a flat rock, several inches in diameter, partially pushed up through the ground by the roots of a large elm. He pried up the slab and cleaned away the dirt. Too heavy to carry, he flipped the rock, end over end, until he reached the mound.
As Ollie placed the marker, Susan unfolded the deciphered message. And read it for the second time.
Ollie stood and wrapped his arm around her. “After all these years, she managed to bring us together.”
Susan nuzzled into him. “She’s home.”
He held her tight. “So am I.”
AUTHOR’S NOTE
While conducting research for this book, I became captivated by a 2012 British news report about the skeletal remains of a war pigeon that was found in a Surrey chimney, decades after the war. Attached to the pigeon’s leg was an encrypted message, which would baffle GCHQ code breakers for years. The mystery of this war pigeon and its indecipherable message served as inspiration for writing this story.
During my fact-finding, I also became increasingly fascinated by the extent pigeons were used in World War II. The National Pigeon Service, a volunteer civilian organization in Britain, delivered some 250,000 war pigeons to British Services between 1939 and 1945. Source Columba was the actual code name for airdropping 16,000 homing pigeons in German-occupied France and the Netherlands as a method for locals to provide intelligence to Britain, such as troop movements. I imagined Susan and Bertie to be dedicated members of the National Pigeon Service who believed that their extraordinary birds would help Britain survive.
In addition to war pigeons, I was intrigued to learn that over 200 volunteer American pilots served in the Eagle Squadrons of the Royal Air Force, prior to the United States joining the war in December 1941. These brave men made their way to Britain, usually through Canada, disregarding US Neutrality Acts. Charles Sweeny, a wealthy Londoner, and Billy Bishop, a Canadian World War I air ace, played significant roles in recruiting American volunteer pilots for the RAF. I envisioned that someone like Ollie, a crop-duster with British ancestry, would have the skills and motivation to join the fight.
During my research—in particular on the early stage of World War II—I discovered many compelling historical events, which I strived to accurately weave into the timeline of this tale. For example, Epping’s Sprigg’s Oak Maternity Home was bombed on October 9, 1940, killing eight expectant mothers who were seeking a safe place outside the city of London in which to deliver their babies. The destruction that Ollie finds when he arrives in Britain is the result of the bombings in Liverpool, specifically the Cleveland Square shelter, which took a direct hit, resulting in the death of at least sixteen civilians. Also, the Luftwaffe conducted numerous raids on North Weald Airfield in 1940, one of which I used to launch Ollie into German-occupied France. Additionally, I attempted to accurately reflect the various types of aircraft that were used by British and German forces during the early stage of the war, as well as the various equipment and pigeon-raising methods utilized by the National Pigeon Service. Any historical inaccuracies in this story are mine and mine alone.
While several historical figures make appearances in this book, it is important to emphasize that The Long Flight Home is a story of fiction, and that I took creative liberties in writing this tale. For example, I invented the secret meeting in London, where Susan receives the orders for Source Columba. There would likely have been a strict protocol for communication between the National Pigeon Service, British Intelligence, and the Royal Air Force, and my research found no instances of pigeon breeders of the NPS attending meetings in the Cabinet War Rooms. Also, escape routes through German-occupied France were less organized in 1940. Therefore, I based Ollie’s escape route on a variation of the Comet line, a resistance network that operated later in the war. Also, Ollie and Boar find refuge with Madeleine and her truffle hog, Louis, in Airaines, a village in northern France. While truffle hunting is more prominent in southwestern France, I simply couldn’t resist including a truffle hog.
Many books, newspaper articles, and historical publications were important to me in my research. The Eagle Squadrons, Yanks in the RAF 1940–1942, by Vern Haugland, was especially helpful in understanding the motivation and journey for US volunteer pilots who joined the RAF. WW2 People’s War, an archive of World War II memories—written by the public and gathered by the BBC—was a tremendous resource for gaining insight into the fears and struggles of Londoners during the Blitz.
It was a labor of love to write this book. I will forever be inspired by the resiliency of the British people, who endured eight months of relentless bombing—from September 1940 to May 1941—which resulted in the deaths of 43,000 civilians. It is my hope that this story will honor the men, women, and children who perished in the Blitz.
This book would not have been possible without the help of many people. I’m eternally grateful to the following talented and hardworking individuals:
I am honored and humbled that John Scognamiglio selected this book for his imprint. I deeply appreciate John’s editorial wisdom and enthusiasm for bringing this story to life.
Many thanks to my wonderful agent, Mark Gottlieb, for his support and guidance in finding a home for this book. I’m lucky to have Mark in my corner.
My deep thanks to Akron Writers’ Group and my network of critique partners: Betty Woodlee, Becca Orchard, Ken Waters, Karl Ziellenbach, David Rais, Krissie Lynch, Dani Turos, John Stein, Sharon Jurist, Conrad Detweiler, Rocky Lewis, Suzanne Hodsden, Christine Wright, Shannon Waller, Carisa Taylor, Cheri Passell, Anna Bialik, Kat McMullen, Kristen Weber, and Valerie Brooks. And a special heartfelt thanks to Betty—without her intuition and encouragement, this book might not have been written.
Last, but not least, this story would not have been possible without the love and support of my wife, Laurie, and our children, Catherine, Philip, Lizzy, Lauren, and Rachel. Laurie, you are—and always will be—the love of my life.
A READING GROUP GUIDE
THE LONG FLIGHT HOME ABOUT THIS GUIDE
The suggested questions are included to enhance your group’s
reading of Alan Hlad’s The Long Flight Home.
1. Before reading The Long Flight Home, what did you know about homing pigeons used in World War II? Can you name additional animals that have served in times of war? What were the views on animal rights during World War II? After reading this book, do you feel the same about pigeons?
2. What are Susan’s fears during the Blitz? Why does she believe her pigeons c
an help save Britain? What did you learn about the German bombing offensive against Britain in 1940 and 1941?
3. What are Ollie’s motivations to disregard US neutrality and attempt to join the Royal Air Force? If Ollie’s parents had not been killed in a car accident, do you think he would have embarked on a quest to join the fight? How does his encounter with an air marshal for the Royal Canadian Air Force, as well as being robbed in a train station, influence his decision to defer college and travel to Britain?
4. Describe Susan. What kind of woman is she? When Susan attends the Source Columba meeting in London, she is the only woman in the group. Describe Susan’s courage, compared to other members of the National Pigeon Service, in confronting a senior military officer on the mission’s errors. What is meant by the affirmation Be an egg? Describe her relationship with her grandfather, Bertie. What role does Bertie play in shaping Susan’s values and beliefs?
5. While working to prepare pigeons for the mission, Susan and Ollie fall in love. What brings them together? Why does their relationship develop so quickly? At what point do you think Susan realized she loved Ollie? How is the war, particularly the nightly Luftwaffe bombings, a catalyst for their affection? What are Susan and Ollie’s hopes and dreams?
6. Duchess is Susan’s loyal and devoted pet. What characteristics make her unique? Although Duchess is not trained to fly back and forth, she delivers messages between Susan and Ollie. Why do you think she’s able to make the flights over the English Channel?
7. Describe Flight Lieutenant Clyde Boar. Why does Boar dislike Ollie? Does he have any redeeming qualities? When Boar intercepts Duchess, carrying Susan’s message to Ollie, he’s in a rage after learning that he’s lost an eye and will never fly again. If Boar would have known the tragic outcome of deceiving Ollie and Susan, do you think he would have acted differently?
8. What are the major themes of The Long Flight Home?
9. Why do many readers enjoy historical fiction, in particular novels set in World War II? To what degree do you think Hlad took creative liberties with this story?
10. How do you envision what happens after the end of the book? What do you think Susan and Ollie’s lives will be like?