“Miss St. John, we need to prepare a report tomorrow on the Red Hawk system. I have a meeting with Group Captain Clarkson on Monday morning. I want you to check the manufacturing status with the contractors of the main assemblies and sub-assemblies of the system and we will need that in the report. Would you get telexes out to each of the contractors today requesting reports by 10.00 a.m. tomorrow, please. Here is the file. You may need it.”
She took the file with a, “Certainly, Mr Griffiths. I’ll attend to that right away.”
Back in Newcastle, Hamilton had driven across to the RVI to see Louden. He had been stitched up with no serious injury, thanks to the blade hitting the ribs and not penetrating between them. The prisoner had been charged and put in a cell for the night. He would interview the man again the next day. Hamilton hoped to wrap things up by midday on the Friday so that he could get the afternoon express to Kings Cross and be home for the weekend.
***
Andy went for a walk around the base to kill time and get some exercise. He cut down past 13 Group H.Q. and headed for the airfield. There were a couple of Ansons parked outside the hangar and a Chipmunk taxiing out to the runway. He stopped to watch. Suddenly, the peace of the afternoon was shattered by two Hawker Hunter F6’s coming down in tandem to do ‘circuits and bumps’. The Chipmunk waited on the ‘approach’ as the fighters carried out their practice. From their squadron markings, Andy realised that they were based at RAF Acklington. After two runs, the fighters climbed into the eastern sky and the roar of their engines faded away. The Chipmunk taxied to the end of the runway and then, with its throttle opened wide, it raced down the runway, became airborne and turned onto a southerly course. Quiet returned to the airfield. Away from the buildings and toward the boundary fence, Andy noticed a couple of rabbits feeding. They must have become used to the noise of the aircraft and were undisturbed. He looked at his watch and saw it was 17.35 hours. Alice and her father should be home by the time he walked back to the telephone box. When he arrived there, he found it occupied and had to wait. The airman finished his call and Andy went in and placed his call to the Waltons. Judith answered the ‘phone and Andy briefly explained the situation. John and the twins were not back from work but Judith was sure the girls were not busy that evening. She suggested the he and Lance drive over for about 7.00 p.m. Andy thanked her and went off to find Lance and give him the news.
He found Lance with Dan in the NAAFI and gave him the news. Lance nodded his approval and, looking at his watch, suggested that they head for the mess for the evening meal. After the meal, Lance and Andy showered and changed to go out. Dan decided to leave his arrangements as they were. He was seeing Margaret on the Friday evening and for much of the weekend. Lance and Andy drove out of the base and headed for Corbridge to arrive about 19.00 hours. Judith had reported Andy’s telephone call to her husband and daughters over dinner. Alice was disappointed and wondered about the weekend arrangements. Her father told her not to worry. “Wait until Andy gets here and we can discuss it and work something out,” he said.
Judith said, “This is part of service life. I had the same problem with your father during the war. We just have to be flexible.” Alice relaxed somewhat after these remarks. Anne was secretly delighted that Lance was coming too. She would have more time with him before he left on Monday. They had been going out together for a while now and she was sure that they would be engaged as soon as she had her 21st birthday.
The sound of a car in the driveway and headlights on the lounge windows signalled the arrival of Lance and Andy. John Walton signalled that he would go to the front door and his daughters were to wait in the sitting room. He opened the front door and went out to greet the two young men. “This is an unexpected pleasure!” he exclaimed as the visitors got out of the car. The two greeted him as in chorus. “So you’ve had a change of orders, Andy? Any particular reason?” John Walton asked.
“I’m needed to help with preparations to receive the unit at West Sanby, so I’m told,” replied Andy.
John Walton noted the guarded tone in Andy’s voice but said nothing. He noticed Lance was quite relaxed but wondered about Andy. “Better come in so we can sort out the plans for the weekend,” John said. They entered the lounge and greeted the ladies.
“Come and sit down,” said Judith Walton. “Would you boys like a glass of port? We’ve just finished dinner.” They nodded assent.
“Well, Andy, what are your movement orders?” asked John Walton.
“I’m to get the train from Corbridge tomorrow morning and travel up to Alnwick. Then on Sunday morning I’ll have to get the train from Alnwick south to Doncaster and change for Grimsby. I’ll most likely have to change in Newcastle or York. I haven’t checked yet,” Andy replied.
John nodded and said, “That kills the idea of you hiring a car. We’ll have to think of something else.”
Alice chimed in, “Couldn’t I get the train up on Saturday morning, Dad?”
John looked at his daughter and said, “You could but I have another thought. If Andy’s parents were agreeable, would you like to go up with Andy tomorrow?”
“But what about work, Dad? There are things I have to complete for a client,” Alice responded.
Her father grinned and said, “What would happen to it if you were sick? I’m sure the practice can work it out.”
Judith was looking askance at her husband, feeling she should have a say in things, but Alice spoke again before she could say anything, “On that basis, I’m happy to agree with your suggestion, Dad. What do you think, Andy?” Clearly, Andy didn’t have much choice but to agree. He took another sip of his port before speaking.
“That sounds okay but when and how would Alice get back home? Would she come back with you after the dinner on Saturday?” he asked, looking at John Walton.
“Alice could,” he replied. “How about you telephone your parents and see what they think?”
Andy nodded and said, “Better give it another ten minutes to be sure they’ve finished dinner and then we could telephone them.” This gave everyone a chance to relax. Anne and Lance excused themselves and went off to the den after finishing their ports. Judith went and sat by her husband and quietly discussed the matter. Alice seemed to be floating on air at the thought of Friday off to be with Andy while he was feeling as though things were almost taken out of his hands. He took a few deep breaths as he talked with Alice. After the ten minutes, Andy asked if he could make the call and suggested he do it with Alice’s parents present. John nodded and pointed to the ‘phone. Andy picked up the ‘phone and booked the call. The operator was able to put him through immediately. Andy’s father answered. “Hi, Dad. Andy here. No doubt Mum has given you the news of my changed orders?” he asked.
“Yes, she has, Andy,” his father replied. “When do you expect to arrive tomorrow?”
“I have to check the times yet, Dad, but it should be about lunchtime. There is another thing. I’m at the Waltons and Mr Walton has suggested that Alice take the day off and come up with me by train tomorrow. What do you think?”
He waited for his father’s usual response and was not disappointed, “Hrrmph! Better talk to your mother about that one. I don’t mind if she’s happy with it.” Turning, he said, “Margaret, Andy needs to talk to you. John Walton has suggested Alice come up with Andy tomorrow. Over to you.”
Margaret Hill came on the telephone, “Hello Andy. That is a surprise. Can I talk to Judith Walton?” Andy murmured his agreement and held out the telephone to Judith Walton. It was what he had expected his mother to do. The two women talked for about five minutes — on other things as well as the matter in hand — then Judith handed the telephone back to Andy. “That’s fine Andy,” his mother said. “When you know your arrival time, please let me know. We are looking forward to seeing you.”
Andy replied, “Fine, Mum. I’ll call you in the morning. ‘Night.” He put the telephone back in its cradle and let out a big sigh.
Alice had a
big grin on her face and her mother had more of a resigned look while John Walton looked pleased with himself. “This requires a celebratory drink,” he said. “Do we still have some of your fruit cake, Judith?” She nodded and headed for the kitchen and inclined her head for Alice to follow.
After the women had left the room, John Walton spoke to Andy. “This change of orders seems to have more to it than what you said. You’re not relaxed when it is discussed. From my experience in Special Ops during the war, it would seem that there’s more to it and maybe tied up with that photo in the paper of someone who looked just like you holding an arrested person. I don’t want to pry but I want you to promise to protect Alice.” Andy was about to speak but John held up his hand and went on, “Although this is a rapid romance, I think you and Alice will be good for each other and will make a fine match despite your age difference. Alice is precious to me, as is her sister. You understand me?”
Andy nodded and said, “I understand you and I make that promise.”
“Good,” John replied, and then the door opened before he could say any more and the ladies returned with the fruit cake and other sweet food. Immediately, the two men turned with smiles and John Walton suggested they have something to wash down the fruitcake. The ladies opted for Cinzano while the men opted for Drambuie. Anne and Lance came in and joined the others with a lively conversation developing about the forthcoming weekend. John Walton talked about the place chosen for dinner in Morpeth on the Saturday evening. It was the Queen’s Head Hotel which had been a coaching inn since 1656. It had a reputation for being well-maintained and having a good restaurant. Lance and Anne were going to the Theatre Royal in Newcastle to watch the Royal Ballet. The Waltons had the local railway timetable and it was agreed that Andy and Alice would meet at 8.30 a.m. at the railway station since he would be dropped off by the RAF. The evening passed quickly and the two airmen excused themselves to drive back to Ouston and do some packing. This time it was the twins that saw them off while John and Judith remained in the house. Back at Ouston, Andy reflected on John Walton’s conversation with him and wondered how many thought as John Walton did — that the man in the photo was Andy Hill and not a plain-clothes policeman. It was cause for caution and not putting anyone else at risk, especially Alice.
CHAPTER 7
Friday morning (30th September) saw a lot of activity in the barrack block as people finished packing their gear so that there would be little to do on the Monday morning. After breakfast, Andy took his leave of his friends and reported to the M.T. section for transport to the railway station. He wore his civilian clothes and had a suitcase with his uniform and other gear in it. At the railway station he checked on the connections from Newcastle and Alnmouth to Alnwick and used the telephone box to call his mother with the expected time of arrival. Walking to the entrance of the station he saw Alice walking down the road with an overnight case. Seeing him, she smiled and waved.
It was 11.45 a.m. as the train pulled into Alnwick. Andy and Alice had found it a relaxing journey. They handed their tickets in at the barrier and, much to Andy’s surprise, his parents were waiting for them. He greeted his mother with a hug and shook hands with his father, then he introduced Alice to them. There were nods of approval as they shook hands with her. Mr Hill took Alice’s overnight case and escorted them out of the station to his car. Andy put his and Alice’s case in the boot of the car. They drove through town to their home which was on the northern edge of Alnwick, with views looking to the Cheviot Hills. It was a comfortable detached house with an attached garage and set in pleasant grounds. At the house, Margaret Hill fussed over Alice and showed her to her bedroom. Andy still had his old room and he dropped his case in and went down to talk with his father until the women joined them. Anthony Andrew Hill was of the old school and showed little emotion. It was the way of his generation. He was a boy when the First World War occurred and had a commission in the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers in the Second World War. He had seen service in North Africa and an injury had him repatriated to England for the rest of the war. As he looked at his son he was pleased with what he saw. His lad had matured and acted in a self-confident way. He would do well in the future. Andy had learned to read his father’s face and body language to know what he was feeling and he saw pleasure in his father’s eyes. He answered his father’s questions as best as he could about his travels and duties, keeping much of it to generalities in view of the Official Secrets Act. Tony Hill noted the enthusiasm in his son’s voice as he talked about Australia and wondered whether the country would draw him back one day. Their daughter, Victoria, was nursing in Canada, having gone on a two-year contract to Ontario. The British are still seeking far horizons, he thought. The women came down and joined them and, after a short chat, Margaret Hill excused herself to finish preparing lunch. Tony Hill led Alice and Andy out into the garden with its neatly manicured lawns, flower borders and almost weed-free vegetable patch. The view was to the hills with its patches of purple heather and the sheep roaming on the slopes.
While Andy and Alice had travelled northward, the RAF detachment had been busy assisting with the loading of the components of the radar at Wensley Electronics and ensuring that no problems occurred. Operationally, the radar would not be fully dismantled for transportation but at this stage it was to travel in a fully enclosed prime mover and trailer. The vehicle had a team of two drivers and would stop on RAF bases for the breaks that the drivers needed. There was to be strict security. By 11.30 a.m. the vehicles pulled out of the yard to head south. The RAF personnel were called together by Flying Officer Goodhew and issued with their weekend passes. Travel documents would be issued first thing on Monday at RAF Ouston. They would muster at 08.00 hours on the Monday. He thanked them for their efforts and then they were dismissed. A couple of them headed out to their own transport parked outside. The rest headed for the bus to go to RAF Ouston or be dropped off in Newcastle city centre.
By this time, Hamilton had already been to Wensley Electronics and finished there. He had also been into the Pilgrim Street Police Station to again interview George Pattison. It had turned out that he had no previous criminal record but his army service record was not good. He had done National Service in the Durham Light Infantry but had often been in trouble for fighting under the influence of alcohol. It appeared that he had links with the Communist Party although not a card-carrying member. The prisoner’s story couldn’t be broken so the interview was ended and he was charged with assault and causing grievous bodily harm with intent to kill and resisting arrest. The link that Hamilton had hoped for could not be established. He visited the Royal Victoria Imfirmary to see Louden and found that he was being discharged so agreed to wait and take him home. Hamilton would be on the afternoon train to Kings Cross.
Major Garasov had spent the morning sifting through information gathered about the aircraft and equipment that had been displayed at the Farnborough Air Show. Of great interest was the Hawker P1127 with its vertical take-off capability. There was also interest in the civil aircraft developments. These presented little challenge when it came to industrial espionage. The aircraft manufacturers gave a lot of information away without the need to spy. He thought it laughable. Garasov preferred the challenge of military espionage where he had to pit his skills against those of similar persons in Military Intelligence. Not that he was doing so well on the Red Hawk system lately. A frown crossed his face. He noticed that it was time for lunch and decided to relax. After all, he had a pleasant theatre engagement that evening and he decided to put the Red Hawk project out of his mind for the time being.
Air Vice-Marshal Denby was coming out of a meeting that had been discussing aircraft serviceability and the trials on planned maintenance versus breakdown maintenance. One of the issues had been the procurement of spare parts, formerly through the Ministry of Supply. Many of those public servants had been transferred to Air Ministry but the old problems seemed to be perpetuated. Thinking about that issue gave him an idea. I
t could be advantageous to put a RAF person on temporary detachment to Air Ministry for liaison purposes with the procurement team. He smiled to himself at the idea. It needed pursuing. He decided this deserved lunch at his club.
***
Back in Alnwick, the Hill family and Alice were sitting down to a steak and kidney pie, a specialty of Margaret’s that she knew was a favourite dish of her son. Not having seen their son for so long, Andy was the focus of attention. Alice didn’t mind because she could listen and learn more about this man that she was so attracted to. No doubt the attention would turn to her later in the day and she would have to be ready to answer the questions that would come her way. After lunch, Tony Hill said that he needed to see a client in Alnmouth and suggested that they all go over there together. While he saw his client the others could walk the beach and then they could all have afternoon tea together. There was general agreement to the idea. At 2.30 p.m. Tony Hill dropped his passengers off near the Alnmouth Bowls Club so that they could walk down to the beach easily. He promised to meet them back there in about thirty minutes. Margaret Hill suggested that Andy and Alice go for the walk on the beach as she wanted to do some shopping. She turned and headed back towards the main street.
The young couple looked at each other and smiled. Alice took Andy’s hand and they headed for the gap in the dunes that led to the beach. It was a sunny day but there was a cool breeze as they walked onto the beach. There were white caps on the waves and they could see the white foam of waves breaking on the rocks of Coquet Island about three miles to the south. A mix of white and grey clouds scudded across the sky and the grass on the top of the dunes bent in the breeze. Dead seaweed and small lumps of black coal marked the high tide level on the beach. They turned and walked towards the river mouth that carved its way through the sand. “It’s hard to believe that this used to be an important wheat port over a hundred years ago,” Andy remarked. “The river changed its course and cut through to separate the church from the rest of the village. It also became too shallow for the wheat ships. Still, I like it the way it is.” As they turned alongside the river and went inland, they saw a few small yachts moored in the river. Out of sight of other people on the beach, Alice snuggled more closely into Andy and looked up at him expectantly. He stopped, put his arm around her and kissed her. Alice put her arms around his neck and kissed him back. They stood still, lost in each other’s arms. It didn’t last long as there was a bark and a spaniel bounded up to them. They looked round and saw its owner coming round the bend in the riverside and drew apart. Alice bent down and rubbed the dog behind the ears, much to its pleasure.
Red Hawk Rising Page 16