1914 (British Ace) (19 page)

Ted shook his head, “And guess which unlucky bugger is flying in an
Avro today?” He pointed at himself. “Muggins!”

“We shouldn’t meet anything should we?”

Gordy shrugged.  “We could do. Make sure you check your Lewis and have your rifle ready.”

I exchanged the tobacco
. The armourer charged me more than he should have but I didn’t smoke and I would soon make up the loss. As I took the rifle to the aeroplane I wondered if it had been cleaned and degreased.  I would have to wait until we landed in France for that particular task. Having spoken to Gordy and Ted I knew that I had to pack the aircraft well.  Luckily I did not have too much gear to take. I draped the coat over the wing; I would not need that until airborne.  However I did wear the fur lined boots. I placed the Luger and rifle in the bottom of the cockpit. I still had the bandoliers from my days in the cavalry and I packed the ammunition in those.

I clambered into the cockpit to stow all the gear.  My two new friends had impressed upon me the need for balance. “Keep everything in the middle and don’t put anything in the nose.  That Lewis gun is heavy enough as it is.”

With everything stowed I checked the Lewis gun.  I had fired one before and knew the action.  I had one magazine fitted and a spare one.  I had less than a hundred bullets in the two magazines.  I did not fancy trying to reload the magazine in the air. It appeared to function correctly but I would strip it and clean it along with the rifle once we had landed.

Dawn broke and there was still no sign of his lordship.  I saw Ted and Gordy working on their aeroplanes.  I strolled to the engine.  In theory it worked the same as the Lanchester and the Singer although it was driving a
two bladed propeller. I knew how to check the oil and the fuel.  I did so and they appeared to be full. I knew that lines could wear and, although this was a new aircraft, I checked that all the lines had neither kink nor crack. I saw Gordy checking the cables and struts on the wing of his F.E.2b.  I walked over to him.

“What are you checking for?”

“Just make sure that the cables are tight and that there is no damage to the struts.  That landing yesterday might have shaken them loose.  Just tighten them.” He nodded over to Ted.  “Poor Ted has a harder job.  That is our oldest aircraft and every bugger has bumped that down at one time or another.”

I nodded, “Where do you stow the tool kit.  I imagine it is too heavy for the front.”

“There’s a compartment behind the roundel.  It goes under your seat.” He laughed cynically, “It is armour for your arse!”

My struts, wires and cables were all sound and so I stowed the tool kit and donned my balaclava, great coat and checked the maps while I waited for the officers. It seemed strai
ght forward.  I would fly along the river and then the coast until I reached Dover. I knew that you could see Calais from Dover so that short hop over the Channel wouldn’t be a problem. Once there we could fly down the coast and follow the river up to Amiens and the aerodrome. It might not be the quickest route but it would be both the most reliable and the safest.

The three officers finally strolled out.
Four privates strolled behind them with equipment which they loaded into the cockpits. I hoped they loaded it well. “Ah good morning, Flight Sergeant Harsker.  Everything ready?”

“Yes sir.”

“Route all planned?”

“Yes sir.”

“Jolly good.  Well let’s hope we see France and not Belgium eh?” The two young lieutenants who looked to be about fourteen years old both laughed. He turned to them. “You two keep on my tail.  If you have a problem get your observer to fire his Lewis in the air to attract my attention.” He grinned, “Not that I will be able to do much about it but at least I can write your people a nice letter eh?”

Their faces fell at the prospect. When we reached our aeroplane the captain showed me how to attach the rubber tubes which enabled us to speak with each other.

“Right then. I’ll go and get ready.”

It did not take him long and I heard, “Contact!”

This time I knew what to do and I put all my weight behind it.  There was a cloud of smoke and then the engine coughed into life.  I waited until it achieved a steady rhythm and then ran to the front.  I clambered in and then attached the tubes into my flying helmet which I then donned. I saw one of the privates waiting with the chocks.  In my ear I heard a muffled voice say. “Everything good there Harsker?”

“Yes sir!”

He must have waved his hands for we started to move forwards. I was about to fly to war. My life had changed, forever.

The aeroplane seemed slower to climb but then I realised we now had a full load of fuel and our baggage. “Well Flight, have you our route all ready?”

“Yes sir. 
Straight down the river and turn south at the coast and then a hop over to Calais.”

“Good.  I don’t fancy having to climb over the hills and waste fuel.  This way we can keep low.”

We did keep low. To me we appeared to be skimming over the rooftops but, later when we landed, I was told we were four hundred feet in the air. The warm boots certainly helped as did the balaclava.  It was cold and overcast. I was pleased that we were flying low.

I had the map folded so that I could trace our course.  I kept checking for the different landmarks and I told the captain time we passed one. “You are doing a fine job.  Could you stand and check that the others are still following?”

I couldn’t refuse an order but I was petrified. I undid the seat belt and then held on to the two sides as I stood.  I tried to crane my neck around but I could see nothing. I turned myself in the cockpit.  I was terrified.  The sides barely came to my knee.  I could be tipped out at any time. Eventually I faced the rear.  I could see the grin on the captain’s face. “Scary eh William?”

“Yes sir.  I’m just glad that the uniform trousers are brown.” I heard him laugh.  I could see the two planes. They were echeloned back from our port wing. The
Avro was slightly lower than the F.E. 2b. “They are both there sir!”

“Right then face the front and tell me when to turn.”

The journey was uneventful until we struck the coast and then flew over Dover. “Dover sir. We need to head due east.”

“Right Flight.
  Cock and arm the Lewis.”

“Sir?”
I could not keep the incredulity from my voice.  This was the English Channel.

“Intelligence has it that there are a couple of Hun
s around.  They sometimes fly over Dover.  Keep an eye out eh?”

I knew that I would never be able to discriminate a German from a British plane. I had to unfasten my seatbelt to stand and to cock the gun. I quickly sat down and fastened my seatbelt again.  I pulled out my rifle and loaded it.  It may sound cowardly but I worked out I could fire the rifle from a seated position. I was not ready to fight quite yet!

The water looked grey and cold from our lofty position.  I stirred myself.  I was supposed to be watching for the enemy. I was happy when I saw the old Medieval Tower of Calais appear ahead.

“Calais, Captain Burscough.  Turn south and follow the coast.” I knew that I would need a compass to give him more precise directions in future. So far we appeared to be on course and, I think, making good time. I knew that we were faster than the Avro and so the captain could go faster if he had to.

We reached the river and I told the captain to head south east.  We were almost there.
I saw what looked like a bird in the distance.  The hairs on the back of my neck told me it wasn’t and I took no chances, better to appear a fool than be killed the first day on the job.

“Sir, I think there is a
n aeroplane ahead.” I took off my belt and stood. I pointed directly ahead. Putting both hands on the Lewis gun I braced my knees against the side of the cockpit.

“I see it.” There was a pause. “I can’t tell yet whose it is. Signal to the others.”

I half turned and waved at Gordy. I saw him stand and wave back.  He waved to Ted. I looked ahead again and saw that the single bird had become two and they were closing with us.  They were biplanes but I could not see any markings as they were head on.

“Keep an eye on them, Flight. If they are the Hun then they will try to climb and drop down on us.”

I looked at the map and saw that we had less than twenty miles to go to the airfield. How could the Germans operate this close to our lines?”

Then I saw them begin to climb and as they did I saw the black crosses on their wings.  They were Germans. “They are the Hun sir.”

“I can see. Don’t fire until we are much closer and only use short bursts.”

“Sir!”

Even though they were some way away I tracked them with my gun. I knew you had to lead a target but these aeroplanes could travel at almost a hundred miles an hour.  That was faster than any target I had fired upon. My only consolation was that there were three of us.  We outnumbered them.

“What kind are they sir?”

“Albatrosses I think.  I am not sure if they are armed but if they are climbing to attack then they must think they can.”

Suddenly the climb stopped and I saw them swoop down towards us.  They were heading for Gordy’s
aeroplane and they were in one line. I aimed ahead of the screaming German.  I heard Gordy fire and so I did too.  The bullets missed the tail of the first aircraft.  I tried a second burst with the second aircraft and this time I saw a couple of pieces of fabric detach themselves from the tail.

The gun jammed.  I took off the magazine to clear the blockage and the captain banked the aeroplane at the same time.  If I had not been holding on to the Lewis gun I would have been over the side. I cleared the blockage and replaced the magazine. I looked for the Germans but could not see them. I heard the captain’s voice in my ear. “The cunning blighter’s are going overhead where the Lewis can’t fire.”

I sat down and brought out the Lee Enfield; my rifle could.  I felt much more comfortable seated and I raised the gun.  I could hear the Albatros’ engine as it moved above us less than fifty feet away. I wondered why they hadn’t fired on us. As soon as I saw the engine and propeller in my sights I emptied the magazine and then reached down for the Luger. As I looked up I saw two things: the pilot aiming a rifle at me and then smoke and oil coming from the engine. I aimed the Luger and emptied the magazine at the pilot.  I didn’t hit him but as he had been flying at the same speed as us, I had managed to hit his aeroplane and I saw the holes appear just behind him.  The pilot banked and headed north, away from us.  The second one followed the damaged leader.

“Good show William! You are a bag filled with surprises. And just in the nick of time too. It looks like our airfield is right ahead.”

I risked a look to the left and saw that both aeroplanes were still there although the Avro had an oil trail coming from its engine.  As we came in I noticed that there were clusters of aeroplanes around the field.  It looked to be the base for a number of squadrons.

The second landing was much smoother than the first and we rolled to a halt close to the other aeroplanes from the squadron. When the engine stopped I closed my eyes and said a quick prayer of thanks. We had been lucky.  I was only a novice airman but I knew that the day could have ended badly for us. If Gordy had not advised me about the gun then it might have gone ill for us.

I clambered out of the cockpit and I have to admit I was shaking. It had been both exhilarating and terrifying.

Lord Burscough slapped me on the back.  “I say, well done.  I didn’t know you had a Luger
.”

“A souvenir from Flanders but at least it made him shift.”

“It did indeed.”

We turned as the Avro limped in. “Looks like Lieutenant Devries had a few problems there.”

I looked around.  There were tents laid out and a mess tent.  I could only one wooden building.  It was in the far corner of the field and looked to have nothing to do with the aircraft parked on the grass.   It was back to the life in the cavalry.  I knew I would cope.  If I ever felt sorry for myself I would think of Doddy and Tiny; they would happily change places with me.

Two privates ran over with chocks.  They saluted both of us. I returned the salute but I was not used to it.  We had been much more informal in the Yeomanry.

“Right, I’ll go and report. Bring my stuff to the main tent and I will see where we are billeted.”

I realised then that I was a servant still.
“Sir.”

I took out my gear first and then found the bags the captain had brought on board.
When I had collected them all Gordy and Ted wandered over.

“Nice shooting. Those Huns can climb better than we can.  You did well.”

I turned to Ted, “Did you get hit?”

“Nah, it was just a seal
which went.  It looked worse than it was but I will have to strip it down tomorrow.”

Gordy nodded with his head.  “Come on let’s go and get our tents sorted.  We can service the aircraft later.”

I was surprised.  “We have to service them as well as fly them?”