1915 Fokker Scourge (British Ace Book 2) (27 page)

“Don’t worry Sergeant he will be fine and it is a lesson learned. You will be a better gunner after this. Did the sergeants tell you to load the magazines yourself?”

He looked surprised that a pilot and an officer would know such things.  “Yes sir.”

“Good.  You have to be as careful about our weapons as you do about the engine.  Carry on.”

Captain Marshall waved us over to the office; he looked excited.  When we entered the office the major and the colonel were both beaming like the cat that got the cream. The colonel strode over and shook my hand.  “Congratulations.  You have been awarded the Military Cross.”

Ted’s normally dour face was split by a beaming smile, “Well done mate!”

“Thank you sir.”

“You will be awarded the medal by the King but that will not be for some time; probably nearer to the summer but the award has been made.  We are all delighted.”

Archie shook my hand, “This will do wonders for morale.  After the recent losses we need something to give the lads the spring back in their step.”

Captain Marshall added his congratulations and said, “It will be back to patrols tomorrow.  We can only manage two flights.  We will have a morning one and an afternoon one.” He smiled.  “I assume you will be celebrating tonight and your flight has the afternoon one tomorrow.”

“Thank you sir.  Do I have your permission to teach Sergeant Sharp how to fly?”

The colonel looked surprised.  “Aren’t you happy with him as your gunner?”

“Of course but he would like to be a pilot. No disrespect to the younger pilots, but someone who has been an air gunner makes a better pilot.” I suddenly realised how arrogant that sounded, “I mean he…”

The colonel laughed and held up his hand, “You do not need to explain we agree.”

“And I daresay you would want Hutton back?”

“Well sir he is your gunner now.”

“I can do without, ‘
Captain Harsker did it this way
’ and ‘
Captain Harsker likes to…’
ringing in my ears the whole time. No you can have him back whenever Sharp manages to convince the colonel that he can fly.”

And so I began to teach Charlie in the old Avro.  It had been kept serviced for
one never knew when it might come in handy.  So far we had not had to bring it back into service but the mechanics enjoyed working on a different type of aeroplane.

I found it harder to teach than to learn but our shared experiences made Sharp a little more forgiving of my acidic outbursts than another trainee might have been and, once I saw what I was doing wrong, I was able to correct it. He was a fast learner.  We went out either on the morning or the afternoon depending upon our patrol times.  We would head towards the coast and then back. By the
middle of March we were ready for him to try the Gunbus. This was a much faster aeroplane and a pusher. I sat in the front cockpit for the first time in a long time and it felt strange.

He managed it well.

“Well Charlie, I think you are ready.  Take the Avro out yourself tomorrow.  Go solo.  Then we will see the colonel and ask him to test you.”

“Thank you sir. Do you think I can pass?”

“Of course.”

We both looked up when we heard the engines coming from the west.  It was the replacement aeroplanes and pilots. Lorries had been bringing spares, gunners and mechanics for a week and we knew that something was up.

“And it looks as if you have chosen the best time too. Something is up.”

The despatch ride
r who roared in was my warning that there was an important message for us.  When I was summoned within five minutes of his departure I became intrigued.

The colonel and the major were waiting.  “You know that, further south, the Germans have attacked the French at Verdun?”

“Yes sir, we heard the rumours.”

“Apparently their reconnaissance aeroplanes are being knocked out of the sky with alarming regularity and the French gunners are blind. It seems they want you and your flight for a couple of weeks until they can get their new aeroplanes delivered to the front. You will be based at Thierville.”

“But I don’t speak French sir
!”

He smiled, “Then let us say that you are continuing your education.  You will learn. Captain Marshall will arrange for a sergeant and two mechanics to accompany you in a lorry with spares. They will be leaving within the hour.  I would suggest that you do the same.”

The major handed me a map.  “It is about two hundred miles from here and you will be close to the German border. Do not get lost.” He was grinning.

Freddy and Johnny were happy about what they considered to be an adventure. They were still
little more than schoolboys. One good piece of news was that they both spoke French.  Lieutenant Holt had rudimentary French but Lieutenant Carrick could speak it well.

Ted was in the officers’ mess. “I’ll be away for a couple of weeks.  I have been ordered to take the flight down to Verdun.”

He looked disappointed, “It will be quiet around here without you.”

“Look after my letters for me will you. I am not sure how easy it will be to send them from the French sector.”

“Will do.”

I found Charlie by the FE 2.  “Sergeant Sharp, we will have to wait a while for the pilot test.  We are off to fight with the French down at Verdun.”

“Righto sir.  If you bring me your bag I will stow it here.”

“There is a lorry going down with spares.”

“Aye I know sir but that doesn’t mean it will get there before you need a change of clothes.  I’ll pack them on the bus it will be safer that way.”

We were ready to leave just ten minutes after the lorry left. “You two keep on my tail.” I showed them the map.  “We have to take a couple of detours because of German activity so make sure your observer keeps his eye on me.”

We took off, the aeroplane slightly heavier than usual.  Sharp had packed a can of fuel in case we needed it. We had a range of two hundred and fifty miles but that did not account for headwinds and problems along the way. 

The first hundred or so miles took us over unspoilt countryside.  Spring was just around the corner but there was still a chill in the air. When we neared the French sector we saw more evidence of fighting.  There were scars on the landscape showing where fighting had taken place.

Our new home was just twenty miles from the front and I saw balloons along the front and adjacent to the airfield. This was a little too close to the Germans for my liking. As we circled I noticed that the aeroplanes were biplanes with tractor engines.  There looked to be the old Caudron G3 and the slightly newer Nieuport 12.  Some of our squadrons flew them.  I could see why they needed us. The Caudron was unarmed and the Nieuport had one machine gun in the rear cockpit.  They were like the BE 2; they were Fokker fodder.

Old habits die hard and I parked on the opposite side of the field from the parked French aeroplanes. I did not expect to see the lorry.  It would take at least twice as long as we had to reach Thierville. Sharp took out our bags and we slung them across our shoulders.  The others had sent their bags on the lorry.

We strode across the field to the buildings.  I was pleased to see that we would not be in tents. I saw a flag fluttering from a large hut and I headed for that.  It seemed logical that they would identify the headquarters thus. I knocked on the door. I recognised, “Entrez!” It was a good start.

“You sergeants wait outside. Have
a smoke. Sharp, watch my bag and you two come in with me.”

The three of us stepped into an office which reeked of the powerful Gitanes cigarette. It was a sergeant and he recognised our rank.  He leapt to his feet and saluted.

“Un moment.”

He stuck his head through the door of the inner office and fired off
a barrage of French.  I understood not a word. A captain came out and immediately began to chatter away in French.  I did not get one word.

I held up my hand, “Sorry.  I don’t speak French.”
I could order moules and frites, I could ask for a beer, I could even enquire about a room but beyond that and please and thank you I had not the first clue.

He looked confused.  I nodded to Carrick who spoke as rapidly as the French Captain. I was relieved when a s
mile appeared on his face.

“This is Captain Mandeville, he is the adjutant of the squadron.  He welcomes us to his field.”

He spoke again and Holt went towards the door. “He said he will take us to our quarters and introduce us to the commander.”

As we stepped outside I said to the sergeants.  “You
had best follow us.”

“Sir.”

Suddenly the French Captain stopped and pointed at our aeroplanes. “Captain Mandeville asked me if those antiquated machines are ours.”

I could answer this one, “Oui!”

The captain spoke again and I saw Carrick colour.  He pointed at me and began rattling words off. The Captain looked at me and said, “Vraiment?”

Carrick said, “Oui.”

“What did you say Carrick?”

“He said it was a shame to bring us all the way down here.  When we were shot down and killed our families would have a long way to come to visit our graves.”

“And?”

“And I told him how many Fokkers you had destroyed.”

More French resulted and Carrick said, “He apologises and looks forward to hearing how they cope with the fearsome Fokker.”

We walked to a barracks and Carrick said, “This is the Sergeants’ mess, Sergeant Sharp.”

“Righto sir,” he saw my frown, “don’t you worry, Captain Harsker.  We can manage.”

I picked up my bag and slung it over my shoulder.  Captain Mandeville gave me a look which suggested I had committed an indiscretion. I did not care.  We had been asked for and they would take us, warts and all.

“This is our barracks sir.  The captain apologises but we have to share a room.”

“Tell him that
is not a problem.” I dumped my bag in the small room with four beds, a small table and two chairs.  It would do.

Colonel Berthier was not what I expected.  For some reason I expected a French version of Lord Burscough but he was more like a French version of Ted. He did, fortunately, speak English
and he spoke it well with a slight American accent.  After Captain Mandeville had spoken briefly to him he shook my hand, “Welcome Captain Harsker. We are grateful that you have come. I understand that you have had some success against this Fokker menace?”

“I have shot down a couple.”

He smiled, “Do not be modest, Captain.  You have shot down ten and just been awarded a medal for your courage.  I look forward to flying with you tomorrow.”

That was a shock.  I had expected a day or so to become used to the area. “Right sir. I will go and see my crews and we will make sure that our aeroplanes are ready.”

He looked surprised.  “We have mechanics.”

“I know sir but it is just my way.  I prefer to help my sergeant work on the aeroplane.  That way I know it will not let me down.”

He nodded, “That is sensible and I wish that some of my officers would take such an interest.”

“Can I say sir
, that your English is excellent?  Where did you learn it?”

“America.  I was sent there as a young officer to see how they operated their aeroplanes.  It was most illuminating. I will see you at dinner.”

As we left I said, “Johnny, go and fetch the sergeants.  We have a great deal of work to do.”  Walking across the field I said, “Thank you for translating Freddy.  I don’t know what I would have done without you but don’t build me up too much eh?  It is a long way to fall.”

“Sorry sir, it’s just when he had a go at you and the bus I got a bit upset.”

“Don’t worry, I have thick skin and I can look after myself, but I do appreciate your sentiment.”

When the sergeants joined us I explained that we would be flying the next day. “Good job I packed a couple of extra magazines sir.”

“Well done Laithwaite.  Now, have you any idea where the fuel bowser is to be found?”

Charlie pointed to the far side of the field.  “When we have serviced them I’ll go and get Alain he said he would fill them up for us.”

“He speaks English?”

“Not exactly sir but it is amazing how far you can get with si
gn language and a couple of words in the other’s language.” He leaned in.  “Don’t tell the colonel but we have been saving our rum ration and Alain is partial to a drop of rum! That bit of barter helped too.”

The resourcefulness of the British soldier never ceased to amaze me. We worked until we heard the bell which signified the evening meal.  We had only to fuel the aeroplanes and we would be ready.

“Right chaps better wash up and keep your eyes and ears open.  I have no idea what customs they have here.  You are all bright lads.  I am sure you’ll manage.”

“Yes sir.”

As Freddy, Johnny and I washed up I said, “We are damned lucky with our sergeants. They are, all three, worth their weight in gold.”