We had the advantage of altitude. The Germans had taken off from their own field not long earlier. We found ourselves heading into a flurry of sleet. The shower had come from nowhere but it made the visibility poor. I knew it would be as hard for the Germans but, as it was coming from behind them, it was adding to their airspeed and slowing down ours.
They came up at us in two banks of four. The biplanes were at the fore. They were the Albatros D. IV. I began to sway my bus from side to side to make myself a more difficult target. We were small and the sky behind was still a little dark. The longer I could delay their fire the better. I was already planning my next move. When we were amongst them I would not turn to either port or starboard as I normally did; I would take us up and use our superior climb to loop and come down upon them again. If they knew who we were then they would expect either a left or right flight and I might just throw them off.
I saw the flames from their Spandau as they all fired at me. It was a waste of ammunition from the ones the flanks and the two in the middle merely hit my wings. I turned slightly to port and fired at forty yards. The Albatros was so big at that point that I could not miss and smoke began to pour from his engine. I returned to my course and braced myself for the gauntlet of fire from the Fokker Triplanes. These were a smaller target. Their bullets were more accurate. I felt a couple ping off my engine cowling and then I fired. I hit the undercarriage of the leading Fokker and saw it judder. No matter what happened next that was one Fokker which would not be flying the next day.
As soon as I had fired I pulled my nose up. As I did so I saw the four triplanes split into pairs and go to port and starboard. They had anticipated my next move. Had I turned in either direction I would have found myself attacked by three or four aeroplanes for the Albatros had done the same. As it was they had to try to avoid each other. As I climbed I looked in my mirror. There were just three Camels behind me. One was missing. I could not worry about the lost chick. At least the other three would find it easier to hang on to my shirt tails.
I banked to port as I turned to dive on the German fighters. There was confusion below me as the seven remaining aeroplanes tried to regain some sort of formation. I saw an Albatros come into my sights and, as I screamed down upon him I fired a short burst. I had to pull up to avoid hitting him and, in my mirror I saw George Jenkin finish him off. Then I was on the tail of a triplane. I fired a burst and missed for he began to dive towards the earth. I pushed my stick forward and followed him. I suddenly realised that he was not running away from me. I was gaining on him. I had found another weakness in the Fokkers; they had a slower rate of descent. Later I realised it must be because of the three wings which would act as a giant air brake. It gave me the opportunity to wait a little longer to fire.
He kept twisting and turning and still I closed with him. The ground seemed to be looming up and I knew that he would have to pull up soon. I waited until I saw the small profile become large and I fired at a range of forty feet. I scythed through his fuselage and his tail simply fell off. The front half plummeted to the ground and I fought to pull up the nose of my Camel to avoid the same fate.
As I rose I saw that I was alone in the sky with my three Camels. The sky was empty and when I looked at my fuel gauge I saw that my Camel was also nearly empty too. We headed home. I was able to identify the missing pilot by looking in my mirror. It was Stephen Hickey. He had been a good pilot with five kills to his name. I had hoped not to lose any more young men but another had joined Charlie and Bert.
My engine was coughing and spluttering as we finally landed. I rolled the last ten yards without power. The fight had taken us to our very limits.
Although we had done well and exceeded our expectations the ground offensive came to a halt and we had begun to lose ground as the Germans counterattacked. The French had also attacked, successfully at Verdun and overall we had more ground now than before. However the loss of so many men and the new tanks did not seem a fair swap. Randolph had been to Headquarters and discovered that the Brass Hats were more than pleased with themselves. They saw it as a victory. It seemed largely hollow to us.
The last week of November in 1917 saw us wearily climb into our buses each day and attempt to hold back the German counterattack. We were no longer raiding their rear trenches and their lines of communication we were attacking their aeroplanes and their advancing troops. I even heard that the Cavalry, which had been meant to exploit the gains of the tank assault had been drafted in as infantry. In a way I was pleased for the horses would not be needlessly slaughtered. The constant sorties took it out on the buses and, for once, we did not receive either replacement aeroplanes of pilots. The end of 1917 was dragging out.
Both Archie and Ted had had their buses damaged so that on the last day of November I led the squadron on its daily meeting with death. There were just five Camels left airworthy and four Bristols. We flew in line astern. Johnny Holt was back as my wingman and Freddie guarded the rear. Jack Fall and George Jenkin made up the rest. Gordy and his Bristols flew behind Freddie. That was the day when the Germans attacked with twenty divisions and almost all of the gains of the first day were wiped out.
As we arrived over the front I saw the brown uniforms flooding west. “A Flight. British forces retreating towards the canal. Over.”
The Canal du Nord was a vital part of the gains we had made. By holding both banks we controlled large parts of the area before Cambrai. The Germans were racing over the ground. The lack of artillery damage and the frozen ground meant that they moved quickly. There was no time to waste and I led my squadron down to machine gun the advancing Germans. My pilots were experienced enough to know that they had to fly in line abreast. Gordy led the Bristols obliquely across the battlefield so that his rear gunner could rake the ground. The Germans hit the ground and took whatever shelter they could.
I banked and took us across the German advance. It looked to be all the way from Bourlon Wood down to Honnecourt. As far as I could see, as we machine gunned our way south, only the 6th Division at Ribecourt appeared to be making a stand. The bullets ran out before the fuel and I led us back to the field. As we landed I shouted, “Get them fuelled and armed we are going back up.”
I ran to the office. “Archie, they are flooding over our lads. I’ll have to take us back up. Get on to Headquarters and have the artillery ready to launch a barrage. I’ll get Gordy to coordinate it.”
“Have a rest, Bill. Just an hour or so.”
“In an hour or so we may find Fritz knocking on our door. What you could do is have any spare pilots to take over when I come back.”
“You want a third sortie?”
“Want? No. Need? You bet your life!”
I ran to Gordy who was examining his undercarriage. I saw that it had been hit by ground fire. “Direct the artillery Gordy. I’ll lead your lads.”
“Righto Bill. Bit of a cock up eh?”
I shrugged. “Nothing changes.”
I almost threw myself into my cockpit and screamed along the airfield. My squadron made a ragged take off. This was no straight line and regular formation. I did not wait for the stragglers to catch up. I flew the reverse of our earlier flight. I was appalled by how much ground had been lost in an hour. I flew low and my Vickers took a heavy toll on the advancing Germans. I saw the Camels behind me as they exploited my success. I saw that every German had taken cover. To my left I saw a line of our tanks advancing. There were fewer of them than on the first day of the battle but they might be able to hold back the enemy.
As I neared Bourlon I saw that we had lost the village but it looked like a retreat now and not a rout. I turned to fly south. My ammunition lasted one more burst. I saw Jack Fall in my mirror. Ground fire hit him and he began to descend. He was lucky, he was able to turn and head west. The frozen ground might mean that he would survive. I hoped so. He was too good a pilot to lose.
I was the first to reach the field and replacement pilots were waiting. Archie said, “I’ll fl
y your bus, Bill.”
“No sir, with respect. I have been there all day and you haven’t. I know where to go. Jack Fall has crashed. He should be near to Graincourt.”
“I’ll send a lorry for him.”
Bates scurried up with a cup of something hot and a sandwich. “Here you are sir. You are not leaving until you have drunk this soup and eaten your sandwich.”
I could not argue with him and I was hungry. “Go and get a couple of Mills bombs from the armourer, Bates.”
He rushed off. I watched the rest of the squadron as they landed. George’s Camel spluttered its way down and Gordy’s bus twisted and plopped to the ground as the undercarriage collapsed. I would be leading six pilots. Fresh pilots jumped into the buses despite the protests of Freddie and Johnny.
“Gentlemen you have done well. It only needs one of us to lead this handful of aeroplanes. That will be me.”
Bates handed me the Mills bombs and examined the mug to ensure that I had drunk all of the soup. “Now you be careful Major Harsker. Your mother has had enough bad news she couldn’t cope with more.” He waggled a finger at me and I nodded.
“I’ll do my best. That was good soup. Thank you.”
This time I had to wait until the other five buses were ready. They would have to follow. Lieutenant Carpenter was the most experienced pilot I had left and he flew in the middle of the flight. I did not know the Bristol pilots but they were all reliable types.
The line was beginning to stabilise. Dusk would fall in less than two hours. I headed for Ribecourt. The 6th Division looked to have been holding and were digging in. I led the squadron east from their position. As soon as I saw the advancing grey uniforms I banked to port and flew along the line. They raised their guns to fire at me but I was too small, too low and too fast for them to hit. My bullets tore through them. I swayed the nose from port to starboard as I kept my fingers on the triggers. The Vickers’ reliability saved many a Tommy that day. They just didn’t jam.
When they clocked empty I banked to starboard and then flew towards their lines. I saw the flash of a mobile artillery piece. I prepared the Mills bomb and as I flew over I dropped it. I missed the gun but hit the ammunition tender. There was a whoosh behind me. The concussion knocked my Camel to the side. It saved my life as a machine gun stitched a line in my port lower wing. But for the exploding ammunition that would have been me. In retaliation for the death of Bert I took out the second Mills bomb. I banked to port and, as I flew over the machine gun dropped the bomb and then climbed. I saw the gun and crew in my mirror as they were torn apart by the explosion.
I headed home.
Two of the Bristols did not return. One was shot down and one suffered engine failure. Senior Flight Sergeant Lowery shook his head, “I am sorry Major Harsker but they can’t cope with three sorties in one day.”
“I know Flight but it was either that or lose all that we had gained. It was a sacrifice but it worked.”
And it had worked. The Germans had been halted. It had not just been our aeroplanes which had done it; the tanks had been sacrificed too and the Guards thrown in. That and the heroism of Tommies who refused to fall back even though they had lost meant that we held on to some of our gains. The Battle of Cambrai had not been a failure. Bert had not died in vain.
Chapter 15
We flew no more in 1917. Weather, aeroplanes flown beyond the limit and pilots on the edge of a breakdown meant that we spent the next week recovering. By the third of December the battle stopped and on the fifth we heard that Germany and Russia had signed an Armistice. All the Eastern Front troops would be heading west to reinforce the west. We were granted leave. General Henderson had no choice. As a squadron we needed both aeroplanes and pilots. The leave would begin on the twelfth of December and I used Randolph and his contacts to send messages to the hospital to tell all that the wedding could go ahead. I had almost forgotten the hotel and my family in Burscough when John said, as he packed my bags, “I have let Miss Alice know of the wedding and the rooms are booked.” He smiled sadly. “It will not bring your brother back but it might soften the blow for your mother.” He nodded. “I am looking forward to seeing them both.”
I was pleased that I had written to both Alice and Sarah to warn them of the impending wedding. I hoped that mum would be as understanding.
He was now more of a friend than a servant and I do not know what I would have done without him.
I had persuaded Ted to attend the wedding. In all honesty I do not know how he would have filled in the leave otherwise. Gordy and Mary would be there, of course. I knew that Mary and Beattie would be working as hard as possible to ensure that everything went off without a hitch. I had told Beattie by letter of Bert’s death and she knew how devastated mum and dad would be. From her letter in reply I knew that we had made the right decision. This was meant to be.
It took two days to reach London. The effects of the Battle of Cambrai lingered on and the casualties took priority on the trains. We still reached London before mum and dad and the rest of the family. At least I hoped they were on their way. I had not spoken to anyone and it was more an act of faith. Suppose I got to the chapel and there was no family there? Each time I thought that I glanced up and saw Bates. He would not let me down. They would be there. Randolph and Archie were torn. They both wished to attend the wedding but the chance to be with their families was just too tempting to turn down; they would have little enough time as it was. Poor Archie always wasted three days of his leave getting home.
We reached London on the fourteenth of December. I did not expect Beattie to meet me for she was at the hospital. Mary and baby Hewitt did meet us. Bates amused the baby in the perambulator while Mary and Gordy embraced. She turned to me after they had kissed and threw her arms around me. “Sorry to hear about your brother. You and Beattie deserve to be happy. This will be a lovely wedding.”
“When will it be?”
That made everyone laugh. Even the baby chuckled although I think that was down to the funny faces Bates was pulling.
“Honestly Bill! You need a minder! A week today. The shortest day. It was the only one we could get. The Chapel will be busy with Christmas services after that but everything is organised. We are having the wedding breakfast at our house, Gordy.”
“Suits me! I can just roll into bed when I have had too much to drink!” He turned to Ted and said, “Mary this is Ted. It’s all right if he stays with us isn’t it?”
I saw Ted about to object and Mary embraced him too and said, “Of course it is. Now Beattie is on lates tonight so you will have to wait until tomorrow to see her. You are both to see the chaplain at ten o’clock and he will run through the service with you. Beattie has three days of earlies and then she has been granted a week’s leave.” She hesitated. “Have you anywhere in mind for the honeymoon?”
I must have looked confused. Honeymoon?
John piped up, “It is all arranged Major Harsker. You and your bride are booked in at the Imperial Hotel, Blackpool for three days. We thought that it would mean you could travel north with your parents and then visit them on the way home. I know they would appreciate it.”
I was amazed at my manservant’s ingenuity. “Thank you John. You should do this for a living.”
“Who knows sir? When this madness is over anything will be possible.”
Bates and I took a taxi to the Mayflower and he filled me in on the details. “Your sister and Lady Burscough will be here on the 17th sir with your parents. I have booked them in the Mayflower until the 22nd. I will book the trains north tomorrow while you and Miss Porter see the chaplain. I took the liberty of booking you a double room sir. I know you will only need a double for the one night but…”
I caught the twinkle in his eye. “Very thoughtful Bates. Thank you.” He nodded as though he was just doing his duty.
Beattie had told the chaplain about Bert. “My condolences, Major Harsker. I seem to say that every five minutes these days. Old men like me sur
vive and fine young men like your brother die. It seems obscene somehow. Now then let us move on more joyful events. Miss Porter has made all the arrangements. The service will be at eleven o’clock. I am sorry we had no choice over the day but…”
“That is not a problem padre. I am just grateful that things have moved on so quickly.”
“I am sure you bright young things have got better things to do than talk to an old man like me. Now normally we have a rehearsal for these sorts of things but I am sure that you and your best man will…”
I slapped my head. “Best man!”
Major Osborne laughed, “Don’t tell me you haven’t got a best man yet? The next thing you will tell me you haven’t got a ring either.”
I stared at Beattie who smiled and looked down, “We haven’t had time yet, Major.”
“Well ‘pon my word.” He put his arms around our backs and said, “Shoo! Go this minute and get her a ring, Major Harsker!”
I think the fact we had thought so little about what other people took to be essentials showed that we were marrying for the right reasons. Beattie wanted just a nine carat ring saying it was harder wearing. I was having none of that. I barely touched my Major’s pay and I bought her a twenty two carat one. I also bought her an engagement ring with a single diamond.
“Bill this is extravagant!”
“No it isn’t and you only get to show it off for a few days but I want everyone to know we are to be married.”
1918 We will remember them Page 14