by Griff Hosker
“You are right sir. My lads can only patrol the perimeter. If the insurgents are determined they could easily find a way.”
I saw Group Captain Wainwright before the meeting. “Sir, I would like to promote Davis to Sergeant Major.”
He looked surprised, “Is that necessary?”
“Sir, we need a senior NCO. Sergeant Major Jennings is not returning, is he?”
“No, I believe he is in a sanitorium.”
“Is there someone else we could promote?”
“Davis is the best chap for the job, I suppose but is there any need?” I sighed. I could not understand the delay. The sigh worked. “Very well, Harsker. You are a ball of fire, I can see that.”
“I am a combat pilot sir. Inactivity and indecision do not sit well with me. If something needs doing then …”
He looked suddenly old, “And I am a relic who is an armchair pilot.” Before I could apologize he held his hand up, “It is me saying that not you, Bill. If you see something that needs doing then do it.”
I went into the briefing room to meet the squadron leaders. I had my orders from Mr Churchill via Mr Balfour, in my hand. I laid them on the table. “Here are the orders under which the five squadrons will operate. I don’t propose to read them out line for line. You are all big boys and can read them yourselves.” I saw them smile and light pipes and cigarettes. It was a good sign. “In a nutshell, we are to support the ground troops while ensuring that the native population does not get too restless.”
Jack Thomson shook his head, “Easier said than done sir. I have been here two months and it is a nightmare identifying who is an insurgent and who is a friendly.”
“I know. Major Fox has some thoughts on that.” I turned to Ralph.
“The ‘Griff’ we have is that the Kurds are becoming a little agitated. We think that Sheikh Mahmud is at the bottom of it along with some mercenary advisers. I know that Sheikh Mahmud is supposed to be working for us but I have seen little evidence of it. Sulaimaniya is peaceful but everywhere else has Kurds causing trouble. Sulaimaniya is the centre of Kurdistan. According to the information I have there are both Germans and White Russians there.” He looked at me as he said, “I would suggest having air patrols to the north west, sir.”
I nodded, “There is a problem there. The Snipes and the Vernons have a shorter range than the Ninaks. Kirkuk is as far as we can reach and still get back here.”
Group Captain Wainwright had been smoking his pipe with his eyes closed. I began to wonder if he was asleep. He proved me wrong. “Well how about we have an airfield built at Kirkuk and use that to refuel. If Mr Churchill wants the land under our control then he will have to do something to help us.”
I nodded. “That is an excellent idea, sir.”
He nodded and rose, “Not quite ready to be put out to pasture. I will go and get this started. The sooner we get things moving the better.” He left.
Squadron Leader Harris shook his head, “You have put a rocket under him sir! That is the most positive I have seen him.”
“Arthur, he is not a flier like us. He is doing a damned fine job. I think it is an inspired idea. So, we use the Ninaks to patrol between here and Mosul. Jack, take your squadron out tomorrow. Henry, yours will be the day after. Alternate. Arthur, we will fly up to Kirkuk tomorrow and see if we can find a suitable site for an airfield.”
“From the air?”
I nodded. “It will be quicker. I will use some of my contacts in Heliopolis to get a couple of good N.C.O.s. Kirkuk might well be like the wild west!”
I spent the rest of the day finding my way around the airbase. Corporal Williams arrived at the office in the middle of the afternoon. He had with him Leading Aircraftman Billings. “Sir, Major Fox sent me. He reckoned we might need Sergeant Swanston for other duties so it is me and my oppo here who will look after you, sir.”
I gestured to the officer’s quarters. “You don’t need me to tell you what I need from you Williams.”
“No sir. Don’t you worry, sir. We will give you a service like they get at the Ritz!”
I felt happier knowing that we had two such fine fellows watching out for danger. I had enough to worry about.
The next day I met my pilots. While Arthur Harris had his Vernon loaded with bombs I briefed my eleven pilots. “We have not had much time to get to know one another. I am afraid we will have to hit the ground running. Today we fly to Kirkuk and back. We are looking for a suitable site for an aerodrome. At the same time, we are going to make our presence known. We fly low and we fly armed. If you see danger then open fire.”
Flight Lieutenant Barker asked, “Sir, what if we make a mistake?”
“Don’t!”
I watched him open and close his mouth. It was brutal but it was the truth. We could not afford to make mistakes.
“And another thing, make sure you have side arms with you at all times. If you have to crash land then we will get to you but you will be alone for a time. Defend yourself.”
I could see that my words had had a sobering effect. I went into the office while my bus was being started. I contacted Squadron Leader Jenkins. It was time to use the old boys’ network. Once I had made my request I clambered aboard the Snipe. I was going to war, again.
We flew north in three lines of four aeroplanes. Had there been any danger of enemy aircraft then I would have had them layered. However, with no enemy aeroplanes to worry about a large box looked more imposing from the ground and part of my job was to make the Kurds fearful of our air power. We needed to see as much of the ground as we could and so we flew in a large box. The Vernons of Squadron Leader Harris flew a parallel course. This ancient land of Persia was very much like Somaliland. There was a decided absence of green. The roads were made of earth. When the rains came then all movement ceased. The towns and villages were few and far between. This was not France. If we crash landed there would be no help forthcoming.
My Snipe was flying well. The DH 9A had a better top speed and a greater range but compared with the nippy little Snipe was unwieldy. If we spotted danger then my Snipes could be on the danger while the Ninak was still turning.
I spied the castle of Kirkuk. It was on high ground in the centre of the town. Nearby I saw the Union Flag which marked the British military presence. It was the Residency. The castle was just a ruin but I suppose it could be defended if it had to be. We deliberately flew low over the town. I wanted them to know that we were here. The huge Napier Lion engines would terrify the natives. I spied huge swathes of open ground to the east of the town but they looked to have too many outcrops of rock. In contrast, the land just to the west looked flat. There was not as much open land but it looked like it would do. I was tempted to try to land. Then I realised that would be a mistake. I had a squadron to lead.
We circled the town and then headed home. As we cleared Kirkuk I spied a dust cloud to the east. I signalled the rest of the squadron to return to Baghdad. I would investigate. I saw that the Vickers Vernon still lumbered south. I would be interested in what Squadron Leader Harris thought of my proposed site. The dust was slightly further away than I had expected. I was contemplating turning around when I saw that the dust was the result of horses. There were forty or fifty of them and they were circling what looked like a lorry. I recognised the solar helmets of the soldiers. They were British. I could not hear much over the sound of my engine but I knew that they were firing for I saw the flashes of their Lee Enfields.
I had no idea why they were not moving but I cocked my twin Vickers. I had some serious firepower. I banked as I passed the lorry. I saw faces looking up. I knew they would be wondering why I had not fired. I did not want to hit friendlies. Having located where the lorry was I dropped to fifty feet and zoomed at a hundred and five miles an hour towards the horsemen. I had been an air gunner and knew how to fire in short bursts. I opened fire with both guns. I fired for four seconds with a two second break. I had no idea of the effect I was having because of the dust. I ba
nked to the left and flew up the other side of the road. There was less dust and I saw a handful of riders. They raised their rifles to fire at me. I gave them a four second burst. Sixty cartridges sped towards the enemy every four seconds. As I banked I saw that I had destroyed the riders and their mounts. I saw the dust departing towards the east. The survivors had had enough.
I knew I had to leave or risk running out of fuel. I banked again to fly over the road. I saw the soldiers waving at me. I saw that they had a wheel off. They had a puncture. I waggled my wings and turned south.
My squadron had not left the runway. They were staring north, anxiously looking for me. I landed and, as I climbed out, saw the bullet holes in the wings. The rigger who ran up with the chocks looked at the holes and grinned, “Moths sir?”
“Something like. Can you repair them as soon as?”
“Yes sir.”
“What happened sir? We thought you had crashed!”
“I found a British patrol under attack. It was my fault. I should not have gone alone. From now on Lieutenant Marshall, you are my wingman. You watch sir’s backside for him!”
The others thought that was hilarious and from Lieutenant Marshall’ face, he was less than happy about it. I went directly to the squadron office. Sergeant Major Davis was there, “You had us worried, sir.”
I nodded, “I was worried too. Get on to Kirkuk and Sulaimaniya. Tell them there is broken-down lorry twenty miles east of Kirkuk.”
“Sir.”
I heard the Vernon as it began its approach. Ralph Fox joined me as I went out to meet Arthur. “Something up sir?”
“I just shot up forty or fifty tribesmen. I didn’t expect them to be bold enough to attack British soldiers.”
“That will be Sheikh Mahmud. He is based to the east of Sulaimaniya. He stirs up trouble everywhere but his town. I have no idea why Sir Percy doesn’t do something about him. There was a bomb in the Baghdad bazaar today. I think they were after British soldiers. They killed twenty civilians. Things are hotting up.”
I remembered Heliopolis. “Get barbed wire around the perimeter, Ralph. This could turn ugly.”
“Yes sir.”
Arthur Harris left his men to check his bus. “What happened, sir? I saw them repairing holes in your wings.”
I told him.
He nodded. “I am having a bomb sight fitted to a couple of the Vernons and bomb racks. Is it alright with you if I fit a couple of Lewis guns?”
“Whatever you need. What did you think of Kirkuk?”
“The only place I could see was that flat ground to the west of the town.”
I nodded, “I will borrow one of Jack’s Ninaks. Fancy a flight up there tomorrow? We can try to land it and have a word with the local chap there.”
“Suits me.”
I was writing up my report when Group Captain Wainwright came in. He looked more relaxed than the first time I had seen him. “Spoke to someone in Cairo. They are going to pass the message on to England and a Squadron Leader Jenkins is sending a couple of chaps in a lorry. Two more sergeant majors I understand.”
I nodded, “Good chaps both and they are more than capable of running an airfield at Kirkuk. If the Ministry send men then all well and good but we need a base there.” I took a breath. “Major Fox told me that there was trouble in the bazaar today. I told him to protect the field with barbed wire.”
“Good idea.”
“And if I might suggest?” He took his pipe from his mouth and nodded. “I think we should have all non-British personnel banned from the base until this trouble is over.”
“A bit drastic, isn’t it?”
“What do we actually use them for?”
“Dhobying, making tea, serving in the mess, cleaning out the cess pits, you know the sort of thing the Erks don’t like.”
“I think they would rather do those jobs than wake up with a knife in their guts, sir.”
“You might be right but I don’t think the Arabs will like it very much.”
“When the emergency is over we can re-employ those who are vetted by Major Fox. If you would like me to tell them…”
“No, of course not. My job.”
When I got to my quarters I saw that Williams and Billings had tidied my room and that my uniforms were pressed. I had not seen them and I guessed they were busy watching the locals. Soon that might be redundant. Jack and his squadron landed just after I had changed. They had had two hours more flying than we had. I strolled to the office to await his arrival.
“How did it go, Jack?”
He lit his pipe and sat down. Sergeant Major Davis made some subtle move with his head and a cup of tea appeared in the hand of Aircraftman Ganner.
“Rough country up there, sir. The mountains are close and there are precious few places to land. We saw plenty of tribesmen on horses.” I cocked my head to one side. “Well sir, I wondered what they were doing. We saw few animals which needed herding and they tend to use boys on foot for that job not mob handed with twenty horsemen. It struck me as wrong, that was all.”
“You didn’t shoot them up.”
“No sir. It was tempting and I am certain they were up to no good but orders are orders.”
I told him about the ambush and the attack in Baghdad. “I have recommended that the Group Captain lays off the natives until this emergency is over.”
Sergeant Major Davis had been busy cross-checking lists. He coughed.
I smiled, “Yes Sergeant Major?”
“Sorry sir, couldn’t help overhearing. We don’t need the natives back in the aerodrome, sir.”
“And why not?”
“There’s been thieving going on, sir. Fuel, bullets, food.” He pointed to the door, “Ganner go and fetch me four more manila files. They are in the stores.”
“Sarn’t Major.”
As the door close Davis continued, “And there has been sabotage, or attempted sabotage at least. It was why we put the sentries on the aeroplanes, sir. The mechanics found that as well as fuel being stolen it was also being contaminated. They were clever about it, sir. You need eyes everywhere.”
It confirmed what Major Fox had told me. “Thanks Sergeant Major.” I turned back to Jack, “So things are going to get harder. Arthur and I found a suitable airbase. I would like to borrow one of your Ninaks to go and have another look see.”
“Of course, sir. I’ll go and sort one out now and then tell Henry what he can look forward to.”
When he had gone Ganner returned with the files and he also had a sheet of paper, “This is from the radio room sir. They said it was for you.”
He handed me the sheet. It was from Kirkuk. I read it and handed it to Sergeant Major Davis. “Better file this, Sergeant Major.”
He glanced at it as he took it. “Those lads owe you their lives then sir.”
“So, it would appear. At least we can expect some friendly faces when we fly there tomorrow.”
It was some time since I had flown a DH 9A. Fortunately, there are a very forgiving aeroplane. I wished we had had them earlier in the war. Arthur was more than happy to be gunner. I often wondered how he ended up flying transports. He was a bomber pilot at heart. The flight north was uneventful. It was a clear morning. There was no dust. I circled the town first. I saw waves from the sentries at the British base. I was lower than I had been the previous day and I saw the armoured cars and barbed wire. I headed for the putative airfield. The area I had chosen to land would be long enough for us and the Snipe but I was not certain about the Vernons. Unlike the Snipe and the Vernon, the Ninak had a huge engine obscuring the pilot’s view. I came in heavy and cursed myself. I hoped I hadn’t damaged Lieutenant Foster’s bus.
As the engine stopped I turned, “Sorry about the landing, Arthur.”
I heard him chuckle, “These are not the easiest aeroplanes to land.”
We clambered out. I waved a hand around the flat area. “There is plenty of room for buildings. There is nothing close by but how would your t
ransports cope?”
He knelt down and patted the ground. “This is a good surface. In fact, it feels like bed rock. We might have to extend it a bit but I think we could manage.”
We looked up as an armoured car pulled up and a Captain and a Sergeant climbed out. They saluted. “Captain Willoughby and Sergeant Hughes, Ox and Bucks Yeomanry.”
“Wing Commander Harsker and Squadron Leader Harris.”
The Captain’s face lit up, “You’re the chap who saved our lads yesterday sir. Good show! Lieutenant Enderby and his fellows would not have lasted long if you hadn’t arrived. What brings you here? Engine trouble?”
I shook my head, “We need an airfield here where we can refuel.”
Captain Willoughby’s face fell, “This is dangerous country sir. There are some Russians and Germans stirring up the locals. We can’t patrol the road between here and Sulaimaniya. I am not sure that they will be able to hold out. Everything comes through Baghdad and then us.”
“Is that why you have to tootle around in an armoured car?”
He nodded, “They use twisted nails on the road. That is how they got the lorry yesterday. Seems they used them hundreds of years ago against cavalry. They are still effective today.”
“Nonetheless we will need to build an airfield here. We will have our own chaps to protect it. I will have our aeroplanes patrol the Kirkuk to Sulaimaniya road. If you coordinate your supply columns with us I will guarantee that we can protect you.”
“And Mosul sir?”
“And Mosul. It will take a week or so to get the men here to build the airfield but we will start the patrols tomorrow.”
We turned the Ninak around and headed south. I had much to think about. We would not have the luxury of a day off between each patrol. Arthur must have been thinking the same for he said, as we landed. “Look, sir, it makes no sense to have a squadron of Vernons sitting on the ground doing nothing. We can patrol the road from Baghdad to Kirkuk. I have bomb sights and racks. We have a couple of Lewis guns for each Vernon.”