“But they won’t want air gunners, will they?”
“No! But maybe I could remuster, let’s say to a Met operator. I’m sure the training wouldn’t be too difficult, I’m picking up lots of gen from the crews I’ve been flying with which could stand me in good stead for the future, if I survive that long,” he laughed.
Aileen Hamilton looked at him and smiled back. “I’m sure you will lad, I’m convinced of that.”
Their discussion was suddenly cut short by the arrival of Dave and his father carrying two trays loaded with drinks.
“Grab your pint Will and follow me, there’s a lassie over at the bar who wants to meet you.”
“Now just one moment David Hamilton and who might that be?” his mother asked, sharply.
“It’s Catriona MaCullough, she’s taken quite a shine to Will here, so I said I would introduce him to her.”
His departure didn’t go unnoticed as he was steered through the throng to the far side of the bar to where two young ladies stood huddled together in a corner and although he did his best to look interested during the course of the evening, he was glad when they said they had to leave early as they were going on to a private party, but promised to meet them the following evening in the Argyll for a drink at eight o'clock .
Dave winked at him as they watched the two girls go. “We’re in there tomorrow night Will, not bad looking either of them,” Dave chuckled, finishing off his pint. “Your round I think Will?”
“Right, I’ll get them in, go and see what your mum and dad want Dave?” he answered, as he watched Isobel Hamilton make her way round to where he was, stopping briefly to say something to her brother en-route. “What would you like to drink?” he asked, conscious that he had been making eye contact with her throughout the evening.
“Whisky and water with ice will be fine,” she said sternly, obviously annoyed with him for spending so much time talking with Catriona and her friend. “Are you seeing them tomorrow night?” she asked, sharply.
“We are supposed to be meeting them in here,” he answered.
“You don’t sound too enthusiastic about the prospect; she’s a nice girl is Catriona, I went to school with her, we’re both the same age.”
“Maybe she is nice, I’m not disputing that!” he said, quietly, as he watched Dave heading in their direction. “The thing is I don’t fancy her,” he just had time to say, before her brother arrived. “What are they going to have to drink Dave?”
“The same as before Will, a pint and a whisky with ice. You okay Issy?”
“Yes! I’m fine. And how many more times have I got to tell you to stop calling me Issy… Oh! I'm going over to sit with mum and dad, the company is better there,” she said, angrily.
Dave lifted his eyebrows. “What on earth got into her?” he asked, as he watched her take her seat next to her parents.
“I think we had better go over and join them Dave, we have rather neglected them during the evening.”
Chapter Eleven
SUNDAY MORNING dawned bright but cold and after washing and dressing he made his way down to the parlour and was surprised to find the room empty of any of the Hamilton family, so walking through to the kitchen. He was just about to fill the kettle when Aileen made an appearance from the direction of the shop.
“Morning Will, did you sleep well?” she asked, spooning a modest amount of tea from the caddie into the teapot.
“Yes, thanks. Aren’t the rest of them up yet?”
“No, nary a one, you’re the first down lad, probably nursing hangovers from the amount of drink that they went through last night,” she answered.
Giving her a hand to lay out the breakfast table, he had been given the task of toasting the bread when Isobel came in, looking remarkably refreshed from her night’s sleep.
“Morning!” she said, coyly, glancing quickly at her mother then in Will’s direction.
Her mother didn’t answer but carried on with what she was doing so the acknowledgement was left up to Will to reciprocate. “Morning Isobel, would you like some toast?”
“I will, that’s if it’s fit for eating,” she said, sarcastically, examining the two slices. “Not bad to say a man’s done them,” she announced, dropping them on her plate, heavily.
Will could see by the way her mother was looking at her that she was thinking the same as him. “Well, under the circumstances I think the best thing for you to do in future is to make your own,” he retaliated, drinking down his tea. “I’ll not have any breakfast thanks,” he said, dryly, picking up his greatcoat. “Dave said there was a nice walk along the cliffs if I walk to the end of town?” he asked, looking at Aileen Hamilton.
“Aye that’s right lad and be careful up there, the path in places runs close to the edge and it can be dangerous when it’s windy,” she smiled.
“Thanks. I will.”
Isobel was annoyed at his outspokenness as she watched him leave, so decided to get her mother on her side. “His last remark wasn’t very nice was it and him being a guest here as well?”
Her mother looked at her for a few moments and shook her head. “You only got back as good as you gave Isobel, there are certain people who you can only push so far and I think Will is one of them; you were trying to pick a fight with him last night.”
“No, I wasn’t,” she answered, annoyed that her mother was taking Will’s side.
“Yes, you were Isobel! You haven’t had a civil word to say to him since he arrived; you can’t go taking it out on Will for what Trevor Roach did, can you?”
Sounds of footsteps coming down the stairs curtailed any further discussion on the matter, which left an uneasy peace in the room when her father came in, so she decided under the circumstances that a walk would be the best solution.
Will had reached the point on the headland where it overlooked Melruish Bay. Stopping to take in the panoramic view that had unfolded around him he shielded his eyes from the sun’s glare as it shimmered on the surface of the ocean.
“It’s a lovely view, isn’t it? I often stop here when I’m out walking,” a voice said from behind him.
Turning around to see who had broken in on his solitude he was surprised to see Isobel walking slowly towards him.
“Isobel, I’m in no mood for argu—.”
“I know, I’m sorry about earlier,” she interrupted. “Mum had a go at me after you left, I’ve been wrong to take it out on you and that brother of mine for what Roach did, I’m sorry.”
Will smiled at her. “Don’t tar us all with the same brush, we’re not all the same as he was.”
Returning his smile she removed her mitten to push a strand of her hair back under her woolly hat and suddenly thought of the wreck; maybe it would be a good way for them to become friends. “Would you like to see the remains of the Asrai? It’s a cargo ship that was wrecked when its engine broke down during a storm; it’s in a cove about fifteen minutes’ walk from here?”
“Yes, I would!” he said, enthusiastically.
“So what are you going to do about tonight?” she asked, as they set off walking.
“Tonight? Oh, you mean Catriona?”
“Yes.”
“If she turns up, I’ll tell her the truth,” he said, calmly.
“That won’t go down too well knowing her as I do, she’s a very good looking girl,” she laughed, not realising that he had stopped walking.
“She’s not as good looking as the one I’m with now.”
His remark stopped her in her tracks. Turning, she looked at him. “Thank you, that’s the nicest thing anybody has said to me in a long time.”
“It had to be said,” he answered, as he walked towards her. “So where’s this wreck you were going to show me?”
Reaching the cove Isobel led him down a narrow path to a good vantage point that looked down into what Will could only describe as the pit-of-hell. Sheer cliffs dropped straight down on to razor sharp rocks, battered by centuries of wind and rain and pounding seas
and snared upon them half-submerged was the rusting remains of a large freighter.
“How long has it been there?” he asked, looking at the weather-beaten hulk.
“Since that bad winter of 1928.”
“Were there any survivors?”
“The lifeboat managed to rescue a few, I think it was four? If you go into the lifeboat station there is the whole story as to what happened, the names of those rescued and who perished. There are also pictures of the lifeboat crew and their names, also pictures taken the following morning; they were taken from here where we are standing, it must have been terrible,” she told him.
“Yes, the sea has no mercy,” he said, reflecting back to his own experience.
Isobel sensed what he was thinking. “David told us that you came down in the sea earlier in the war, was it very bad?”
Will could see the pity in her eyes over the past incident. “I don’t think I have ever been so cold in my life as I was during those fourteen hours waiting to be picked-up.”
“Yes! It must have been awful to be wet and cold like that for so long,” she answered, taking the lead up the narrow pathway.
Following the cliff path along for a short distance, it eventually separated, the left-hand path turning back towards Melruish which Isobel followed.
“This way will take us across the headland to join up with the path that goes back into town. I used to play ball with my dog along here until I lost him.”
“What was his name?” Will asked.
“Bobby! He was a beautiful black Labrador, I miss him so much, even after all this time.”
“How long has he been gone?”
“Oh, just over two years now,” she answered, softly.
“Do you think you will have another one?”
“Maybe, but not until this damn war is over, then I might think about it.”
They walked in silence for a few minutes while they negotiated a tricky part of the path that went down a small depression with a stream flowing along its base with stepping stones that warranted them walking in single file.
“How do you feel about David going on the Air Sea Rescue boats?” he asked, catching her up so they could walk side by side.
“Well I know it can be dangerous, but I think there’s less chance of him being hurt on them than flying in bombers, and he is familiar with the workings of a boat with my father having one.”
“Yes, he told me he used to go out a lot with your father fishing.”
“Both of us did, every chance we got, like David I love fishing and even now I won’t pass up a trip if I get the chance, although dad is a bit nervous about taking me now with all the strange things that have been going on around this area of late.”
Will stopped and looked at her. “What kind of strange things?” he asked, curiously.
“Strange lights being seen out at sea and around the islands, aircraft engines being heard and reports of submarine periscopes being seen by the fishermen, all sorts of weird things.”
“Have the military been told about all this?”
“Oh yes, several times. But you know what they are like, keep everything close to their chest and tell you nothing – most likely it’s our own forces up to something.”
“It could be,” he said warily.
Isobel noticed the tone of his reply and the frown on his face. “Have you seen something unusual while you’ve been flying?” her eyes holding his until he answered.
“Well, as a matter of fact I have,” he replied, and went on to tell her about the strange incident with the lighthouse on Stracandra Island.
“So you don’t think it was lightning reflecting on the lens?”
“No, I know what I saw and it wasn’t that.”
“How odd! Do you mind if I tell dad about it when we get back? He knows those waters well around that area.”
“No, not at all.”
When they got back Isobel had been seconded by her mother into helping in the shop so he found himself wandering down to the harbour to join Dave who was on his father’s fishing boat.
“Hiya Will, had a good walk?”
“Yes thanks,” he shouted over the noise of the boat’s engine being started.
“Can you let go the bow and stern ropes for us? Then come aboard, dad has had some work done on the engine so we are taking her out for a spin just to make sure everything is on top line.”
Doing as he had been asked, he jumped aboard and took up a position by the wheelhouse door and watched as Duncan Hamilton skilfully manoeuvred the boat away from the harbour wall and out into the deep water channel.
“Are you a good sailor Will?” Duncan asked, meticulously filling his pipe with tobacco.
“I think so, although I’ve not had a lot to do with boats,” he grinned, becoming conscious of the cold wind and spray on his face as they rounded the headland which made him retreat into the warmth of the wheelhouse as Dave arrived, beaming a smile of satisfaction.
“Everything alright below David?” his father asked, relighting his pipe.
“Aye, everything seems to be fine dad, but it will be as well if you check for yourself then you’ll be settled in your own mind.”
“Okay, I’ll take a wee look, here, take the wheel son.”
“Bit different from flying in the tail end of a Halifax Will?” Dave laughed, as a deluge of spray hit the wheelhouse windows.
“It sure is. I was up on the headland with Isobel earlier and from up there the sea seemed quite calm but now I’m on it, I’m amazed how rough it is.”
“Aye it’s surprising. So that sister of mine is talking to you is she? Now that is amazing, she was as moody as hell last night for some reason,” he chuckled.
Will didn’t mention the little skit Isobel and he had during breakfast. “Yes, she was fine with me Dave, in fact she took me to see the wreck of the freighter and we had a good old chinwag as we walked along.”
“Oh! The Asrai, there weren’t many rescued off that by all accounts.”
“Off what?” his father asked, coming into the wheelhouse and sliding the door closed behind him.
“The Asrai, there were four taken off weren’t there dad?”
“Aye that’s right, only four, it was a wild night, how the lifeboat managed to get them off is a miracle, it was a fine bit of seamanship by Hamish Ballard to get in as close as he did with the sea running like it was. So, what brought up the subject of the Asrai?” he asked, patting the used tobacco from his pipe into his hand while switching his gaze between Will and his son.
“Isobel took Will along to see it this morning, he reckons she’s mellowed a bit since last night,” Dave chuckled. “There’s the wreck now!” he said, pointing. “Here take a look,” handing Will the binoculars.
“I’ll bet that was quite a big ship in its day?” he said, focusing on the distant remains.
“10,800 tonnes,” Duncan Hamilton answered, refilling his pipe with fresh tobacco. “Better bring her about David, we don’t want to run off too much fuel.”
Arriving back alongside the dock, they found Isobel waiting for them with an urgent message for her brother telling him to report for duty immediately.
“Did they say what it was about?” he asked, looking up at her.
“No, only that you had to report there as quickly as possible.”
“Right! There must be a bit of a flap on, I’ll see you all later.”
After securing the boat, the three of them walked back together and on entering the shop found Aileen Hamilton on the telephone.
“It’s David, he wants a word with you Will,” she said, handing him the phone.
“Hi Dave, what’s up?”
“Can’t say much on the phone Will, but do you fancy making up a crew as a gunner?”
“Yes, certainly.”
“Okay, get yourself over here to the marine craft unit as soon as you can. You will be going out on 120 and someone from the crew will meet you at the guardroom when you arrive and take yo
u over to operations. We are just about to get underway so I’ll see you later when we get back.”
“What is it lad?” Duncan Hamilton asked, as he watched him replace the receiver on the telephone.
Will frowned, “I don’t know, but they want me to make up a crew on one of the boats, sounds as though they are short of gunners,” he replied, heading for the stairs to go up and change, closely followed by Isobel who took hold of his arm and pulled him back gently.
“You be careful out there,” she told him, with a look of concern on her face.
“I will,” he smiled, patting the back of her hand.
*
Kitted out against the cold, Will found himself on-board a 63ft Type 2 High Speed Launch otherwise known as the ‘Whaleback’ from its distinctive curved hull and humped cabin. With a crew of nine and a range of 500 miles HSL 120 was being pushed to its maximum speed of 36 knots by its three Napier engines to rescue the crew of a ditched Halifax of Coastal Command after an encounter with a heavily armed surfaced U-boat.
“Tea sir!” a voice said, breaking in on his thoughts about walking on the cliff path that morning with Isobel and how she had looked at him when he was leaving her parent’s house.
“Yes, please,” he replied, looking into the eyes of the young medical orderly. “Been on the boats long?” he asked, wrapping his hands around the mug as he took a drink.
“This is my third trip.”
“This is my first, I’m usually up there,” he laughed, pointing upwards with his finger.
“Yes. I heard that sir.”
“So did you make a pick-up on the two previous ones?” he asked, bracing himself against the bulkhead as he felt the launch begin to make a high speed turn to starboard.
“We made a pick-up on the first but no luck on the second I’m afraid, some you win and some you lose,” he added.
Will nodded. “Yes that’s true.”
“How long have you been flying sir?”
Stracandra Island Page 9