The Spitfire Sisters

by Margaret Dickinson

  ‘But that’s only three days away,’ Daisy said.

  Jeff nodded. ‘That’s why we need your help. We’ve already managed to get a Special Duties pick-up pilot, even though it’s short notice. He’s on his way here now from Tangmere, but it’s quite a drive in the blackout. We’ll need you to brief him because you know the area and can point out William’s farm to him on the map.’

  ‘I do wish you’d let me go.’

  ‘Out of the question. For a start, you haven’t done any night flying.’

  Daisy grinned. ‘Not officially, no, but I’ve been very late back from trips once or twice because of delays that weren’t my fault. It was dark for the last hour of the flights. I did get a ticking off each time, mind you. I was told I should have landed somewhere and waited until morning.’

  ‘We’d get more than a ticking off if we let you do this,’ Jeff laughed, but Daisy only pulled a face.

  Whilst they waited for the airman from the squadron that handled many of the SOE missions, they discussed the logistics of the proposed mission.

  ‘It’s a slightly longer trip than we’re used to, so we’ll make sure they can refuel the Lysander if needed and that they’ll be able to light a runway in the field for him to land.’

  ‘A Lysander? Is that what he’s taking?’

  ‘Yes, we’re using Mitch’s aeroplane. It’s the most convenient aircraft for this type of operation and his has also got the additional fuel tank underneath. And it’s always on standby for us at Brooklands if we need it.’

  ‘You can fit two in the passenger seat if needed,’ Mitch said, ‘though it’s a bit of a squeeze.’

  ‘I’ve flown several of those,’ Daisy said quietly. ‘Including Uncle Mitch’s before the war.’

  Jeff stared at her for a moment. ‘Have you really?’

  Daisy nodded, whilst Johnny laughed out loud. ‘She won’t tell you herself because she’s too modest, but she’s flown most types of aircraft currently in operation.’

  ‘Not quite. I’ve still to pass the conversion course for Class Five and learn radio procedures. Then I’ll be able to fly four-engine aircraft.’

  There was a new respect in Jeff’s eyes. Then he chuckled. ‘I must have taught you well, Daisy.’

  Quite seriously, she replied, ‘You certainly did, Jeff.’

  ‘And you’re enjoying being in the ATA?’

  ‘Absolutely. I think we all are. All the women seem to have a passion for flying. We’re like a sisterhood.’

  ‘What is your favourite aircraft?’

  ‘The Spitfire,’ Daisy said promptly.

  ‘It’s a wonderful machine,’ Johnny murmured. ‘The Hurricane’s good, of course, but there’s just something magical about the Spit.’

  At that moment the pilot they were expecting arrived and the next hour was spent discussing his mission. When the meeting broke up, Mitch said, ‘I expect you two would like to hang around until all this is over. Meet Luke when he gets back.’

  Daisy glanced at Johnny. ‘Could we?’

  ‘I can, because I’m on sick leave until next week, but what about you?’

  Daisy bit her lip. ‘I can only ask.’

  ‘Leave it with me,’ Jeff said. ‘I’ll clear it with Hamble.’ He winked. ‘We might still need to pick your brains right up until the last minute.’

  Daisy grinned. ‘Thanks, Jeff.’

  ‘No, thank you, Daisy. Your knowledge of the area has been invaluable. I wish we had such detailed information for all our pick-ups.’ He turned to Mitch. ‘Where will you be staying?’

  ‘At Milly’s tonight – well, what’s left of the night – and then we’ll travel down to my house in Weybridge tomorrow to be near Brooklands. I’ve already telephoned her and she’s delighted to have three unexpected guests. Nothing fazes Milly.’ He glanced at Daisy and Johnny. ‘I’d take you to my flat, but I’m not really prepared for visitors.’ He turned back to Jeff. ‘You’ve got Milly’s number in case you need us again, haven’t you?’

  Jeff nodded. ‘So,’ he turned to the pilot, Tom Keenes. ‘Unfortunately, the weather doesn’t look too promising until Thursday night, which is cutting it a bit fine, I know. But maybe it’s not such a bad thing. They’ll need a bit of time to organize things that end. I’ll pick you up from Tangmere and take you to Weybridge to Mitch’s place on Thursday morning. All right?’

  Tom nodded and shook everyone’s hands before setting off for another long drive back to his base through the blackout.

  ‘Right,’ Mitch said. ‘Let’s get to Milly’s. We’ll be just in time for breakfast.’

  ‘Dahlings!’ Milly greeted them, throwing her arms wide. ‘What a lovely surprise to get Mitch’s telephone call. Come in, come in. Breakfast is all ready for you.’

  ‘It’s very good of you to put us up at such short notice, Aunty Milly,’ Daisy said and then yawned suddenly. ‘Oh, sorry. We’ve been up all night and I was flying yesterday.’

  ‘Oh, you poor thing. You must have some breakfast and then go straight to bed. Your room’s all ready.’ She turned to Mitch and Johnny. ‘You don’t mind sharing the other spare room, do you?’

  ‘Of course not, Milly.’

  She regarded them with her head on one side. ‘You both look worn out. Have you been up all night too?’

  They glanced at each other and then nodded.

  ‘Then breakfast and off to bed for all of you.’

  ‘There’s just one thing,’ Daisy said. ‘May I use your telephone, Aunty Milly? I must get a message to Gill about Luke. She should be back at Hamble by now.’

  ‘Don’t tell her about what’s happening,’ Mitch warned.

  ‘Of course not, but she deserves to know that he’s alive. No one else will have told her.’

  The three of them slept for several hours but dragged themselves out of bed in the afternoon so that they could be sure of sleeping again that night.

  ‘We can’t tell you what it’s all about, Milly,’ Mitch began, but Milly held up her hand, palm outwards.

  ‘I’d rather not know, darling. You know me, I can’t keep secrets.’

  ‘Maybe not,’ he laughed, ‘but you have other qualities, like looking after three people who’ve descended on you without warning.’

  ‘It’s not a problem. The beds are always ready. Now, come and eat.’

  Fifty

  Wednesday was a difficult day for everyone; it was just waiting. The three families in Doddington, all worried about Luke, had no idea what was happening. Even Pips didn’t know. Messages were now going through the normal channels and she was no longer involved.

  In Belgium, William, Brigitta and Luke waited on tenterhooks. They’d learned from Waldo that the pick-up would be during the early hours of Friday morning and that a light aircraft would land in one of William’s fields. He and Waldo had chosen the field and Waldo had already organized three other Resistance workers in the area to help lay out a landing strip with three torches on the ends of poles set in an A shape to guide the aircraft in. Aircraft fuel was stowed in William’s barn, just in case it was needed. Everything was ready and all they had to do was wait. But waiting was always the hardest part.

  ‘Perhaps we should travel down to Weybridge this evening. There’s plenty of room at my house for all of us and my housekeeper keeps everything spick and span,’ Mitch said. ‘Jeff is bringing the pilot down tomorrow morning. Is that all right with you, Milly?’

  ‘Of course it is, darlings. We’ll have dinner early and then you can set off.’

  ‘Perfect.’ Mitch grinned and kissed her cheek, making Milly turn pink with pleasure.

  ‘You don’t change, Mitch Hammond,’ she giggled. ‘I’m pleased to say.’

  ‘Too late now, Milly old thing.’

  Milly smiled at him, a little wistfully now. She knew there was far more behind those words. Mitch would never change in all sorts of ways and that included his devotion to Pips.

  ‘Have you heard from Pips?’ she asked tentatively when
they were alone for a moment.

  His face was suddenly bleak and, as if not trusting himself to speak, he shook his head.

  ‘Of course, she’s very busy. Burying herself in work, I think. That’s the best thing she could do, but she rang me last week. I think she’s coping very well.’ She touched his arm. ‘Things will be all right, Mitch, once all this is over.’

  He forced a quick smile, patted her hand and turned away.

  As Londoners went home at the end of their day to be with their families, perhaps to listen to the latest news and to prepare for the blackout and what they hoped would be an undisturbed night’s sleep, Mitch, Johnny and Daisy set off for Weybridge in Mitch’s car.

  Just as Mitch had predicted, the house felt as if it was waiting for them; the beds were made up and there was even a tray of cups and saucers sitting on the kitchen table just waiting to be used.

  ‘A cup of something and then I’m off to bed,’ Mitch said, after he had shown them their rooms.

  Left alone at last, Johnny took Daisy in his arms. ‘It seems a long time since I was able to hold you and kiss you properly,’ he murmured against her lips. ‘I wish this damned war would end so that we can be together for always.’

  Daisy held him tightly but shuddered inwardly. Somehow, she knew instinctively that there was a long way to go before it was all over and that there was a lot more danger for them all to face before it was. Luke being posted missing had shown her that. She didn’t want to say anything to Johnny that sounded pessimistic; she was determined to live for the moment and not to dwell too much on what might happen, but not everyone was like her. Perhaps Johnny needed to be able to cling to plans for the future. It was what kept him going.

  They spent a precious hour together before Daisy said reluctantly, ‘We should go to bed. We’ll have a long day tomorrow and then we’ll be up all night waiting for Tom to get back with Luke.’

  The following morning, Mitch drove them to Brooklands. Daisy gazed around wistfully. ‘It seems an age since we were all here. Aunty Pips racing and then taking me flying for the first time and then, later on, Jeff teaching me to fly.’

  Johnny squeezed her hand. ‘It’s where we met, isn’t it?’

  For a brief moment, they gazed at each other. For both of them that very first meeting had been special.

  ‘I’m just going to check the aircraft,’ Mitch said. ‘I sent word to have it ready, but I like to make sure all is well. By the way, Milly’s arranged for us to have something to eat at the Vickers works.’

  Daisy and Johnny sat close together on Members’ Hill, the only visitors now. They held hands and talked quietly. When Mitch came back, they sprang apart hastily.

  ‘Don’t mind me.’ He grinned. ‘Everything’s ready. I’ve put a parachute for Luke in the passenger seat. Now, we just need a pilot.’

  Time hung heavily.

  ‘I wonder if my watch has stopped.’ Johnny frowned, consulting it for the umpteenth time as they walked outside again after a light lunch. Already, they seemed to have run out of things to talk about and, now, they were all feeling the tension. ‘I’m sure Jeff said he’d be bringing him down this morning.’

  ‘He did.’ Mitch said shortly and frowned worriedly. ‘Let’s go and wait in the hanger. There are some seats there.’

  After what seemed an age of waiting, they heard a car pull up outside. As they hurried out, they saw Jeff emerging from the driver’s seat.

  Daisy gasped in surprise – and concern. ‘He’s on his own. Where’s Tom?’

  As Jeff slammed the car door behind him, they could already feel his anger and frustration. ‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘The mission’s off. Silly bugger fell down stairs this morning and broke his leg. I’ve done my damnedest to get another pilot, but I can’t get one down here quickly enough to be briefed and to set off by the time we decided. And our contact over there was adamant that it had to be tonight or not at all.’

  They glanced at each other, disappointment and anxiety on all their faces, apart from Daisy’s. Quietly, she said, ‘Then I’ll go.’

  The three men stared at her and all spoke at once.

  ‘Oh no, Daisy.’

  ‘Impossible. I’d be breaking every rule in the book.’

  ‘Pips would kill me if I let you go,’ Mitch muttered.

  Cheerfully, Daisy said, ‘And I’ll kill you if you don’t.’ She glanced round at them and added seriously, ‘Just think about it. I’m familiar with the aircraft. I’ve flown at night and, we’re lucky, it’s forecast to be bright moonlight tonight. If it’s the same over there, I’ll have no problem in seeing the ground. I know what to do – I was there at the briefing, don’t forget. I know the route I have to take and the corridor over the coast to avoid the worst of the flak and, with the additional tank of fuel you have on your aircraft, Uncle Mitch, I may not even need to refuel.’

  ‘William will have some ready – just in case,’ Jeff murmured, glancing uncomfortably at the other two. Daisy could feel that he, at least, was weakening. It was his responsibility to get personnel home from enemy territory and there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Luke’s position was dire.

  She glanced round at them, her chin set. ‘I’ll go as a civilian, if you can’t back me officially, Jeff.’

  He shook his head. ‘No, you’d be better in your uniform. If you did get captured, remember all the information you give them is name, rank and number . . .’ His voice faded away as the other two stared at him.

  ‘I’ll go,’ Mitch said, but Jeff shook his head. ‘I can’t let you do that. You haven’t got Daisy’s know-ledge of the area and at least she’s a member of the services. I can’t let a civilian go.’

  Johnny opened his mouth, but Jeff forestalled whatever he had been going to say. ‘Nor you, Johnny. You haven’t flown Lysanders, have you, and you don’t know the area. It’s Luke’s only chance, Mitch. You know it is. We have to let her go.’

  Mitch groaned and Johnny turned pale.

  ‘Right, it’s decided. I’m going. Now, let’s go over everything one more time and then if we can get something to eat . . .’

  ‘We’ll go back to my place. I’d arranged for Mrs Pearson to cook dinner for us anyway before Tom had to leave. We’ll just be one short.’

  After going over the details once more, they sat down to dinner, but none of them felt much like eating or talking. Daisy couldn’t wait to be on her way and the other three were still silently wrestling with their consciences.

  Just before midnight they set out for Brooklands once again. ‘You should be there and back across the coast before dawn,’ Jeff reminded her.

  As they all walked out to the aircraft, Johnny squeezed her hand. ‘Luke’s a lucky bloke,’ he murmured. ‘Would you do this for me?’

  Daisy grinned and squeezed his hand in return. ‘In a heartbeat.’

  As Daisy trundled the aircraft along the grass and rose into the air, the three men stood watching her. She waggled her wings just once in farewell.

  ‘If anything happens to her, Pips really will kill me,’ Mitch murmured.

  ‘She’d have to stand in line, Uncle Mitch,’ Johnny said grimly and, for once, he wasn’t joking.

  They stood watching her until they could no longer see or hear the aircraft.

  ‘Now,’ Mitch murmured, ‘all we have to do is wait.’

  Hans stood at the window of his office in the German headquarters in Ypres and looked down at the silent, moonlit street below. From a back room across the corridor came the sounds of a raucous party. Drink flowed and his men were enjoying themselves. It was just as he had planned. Through the early hours of Friday morning, they would be sleeping off a hangover.

  ‘We will have a leaving party on Thursday night,’ he’d told his men. His eyes had twinkled. ‘Friday night will be too late. I don’t want you bleary eyed for your new commander on Saturday.’

  The soldiers had laughed. They loved any kind of party and were very willing to give Hans a good send-off. Although
he had only been there a few months, he had been a good senior officer; he had done his job but he had been lenient and as friendly towards his men as his position allowed. They were sorry to see him go.

  Hans lifted his gaze above the buildings and watched the night sky. Somewhere up there, only a few miles away, he hoped there was a little aeroplane coming.

  Fifty-One

  ‘Do you know what time he’s coming?’ William whispered to Waldo. Alongside Luke and the three Resistance workers, they were waiting beneath the shadows of a hedge at the side of the field they had chosen.

  ‘I’ve been told approximately three a.m. GMT. He wants to get back across the coastline before dawn, I think.’

  They’d been keeping watch since two o’clock and were beginning to feel stiff and cold. They were listening intently, not only for the sound of an approaching aircraft, but also for any enemy patrols that might be out. But all was silent. Just before three o’clock, Waldo’s sharp hearing caught the distant noise of a Lysander. He’d met several on pick-up missions and knew the sound.

  ‘He’s coming,’ he whispered urgently. ‘Light the torches.’

  Stealthily, the three Resistance men hurried towards the torches and turned them on. Now everyone was gazing towards the sky as the noise of the aircraft’s engines came nearer and nearer . . .

  Above them, Daisy saw the lights switched on. Jeff had explained everything that would happen. ‘They’ll set torches in the shape of an A or an arrowhead, whatever you like to call it, so you follow it and set down as soon after the point as you can. They’ll have chosen a field where there’ll be plenty of length. Turn the aircraft at the end and wait there for your pick-up. They’ll have fuel, if you need it, so be sure to check your gauges just before you land, though I don’t think you’ll need to. Don’t turn off the engine and don’t get out. You must leave as soon as possible, just in case a patrol has seen you. They will know to get Luke aboard as quickly as possible . . .’