1914 (British Ace) (32 page)

With the help of our observers we told the major the sequence of events. We did not ascribe blame and we spoke factually but I could see the major becoming more and more angry. When I had finished I said, somewhat to my own surprise, “But he is a damned good pilot, sir.  I think only you or his lordship could have brought that aeroplane back.”

“The differe
nce is that neither of us nor you two would have put ourselves in that position.  You did well.” He forced a smile, “Your first kill Mr Murray, congratulations.”

After he had gone I added my own congratulations.  He shook his head, “It doesn’t feel like I should be celebrating, that poor observer is dead.”

“And we could do nothing about it. If anyone should feel responsible it is me.  Obviously I didn’t train him well enough.”

“He hadn’t been with us long enough.  Don’t blame yourself.”

Gordy was waiting for us in the mess. “I heard about today.  I know that you are thinking it is your fault.  I can see it on your face but you are not. When we are in our aeroplanes we are our own masters.  I hope the boss throws the book at him.”

As we sat down to our meal I said, “The trouble is we can’t afford to throw away good pilots.  We’ll have to make him better than he is.”

We looked up as Lieutenant Campbell walked in. Every eye was on him.  Every officer had heard what had happened and there was no sympathy for the man.  He kept his head down, collected his food and sat as far away from everyone as he could. Major Brack and Captain Marshall joined us.  The Major looked tired. No one said a word as the two men ate.  After they had finished they both lit their pipes and Major Hewitt closed his eyes for a moment.

“I suppose you are wondering what we are going to do about the careless Mr Campbell.” We all remained silent and he gave a dry, humourless laugh.  “It is written all over your faces. Well I am not going to do what I intended when I first heard what happened.  I am not going to court martial him.  It would not do morale any good and it would be a waste of time.
Lieutenant Harsker, you said he is a good pilot and God knows we need them.  I intend to use him as a gunner on my bus for a week and let him experience the front from the sharp end.  Hopefully he will pick up some good ideas and rid himself of this notion that he is a knight on a white charger and that this is some noble form of war.” He shook his head and relit his pipe.  “You know why he went towards those Germans?” We shook our heads. He thought he could out fly them and it was dishonourable to leave without, at least, firing his guns. Can you believe it?”

Captain Marshall asked, “Where did he get such ridiculous ideas from?”

“The damned newspapers at home.  Apparently because there are so many of the upper classes in the Flying Corps and the German Air Force the newspapers have got it in their heads that we are like knights jousting. There was some cartoon about it.”

The others shook their heads in disbelief.  I could believe it.  “I suppose,
sir, that it is easier to make up a lie like that rather than admit how many thousands are being slaughtered in the trenches. We have lost far fewer men since the war began than the infantry do in the first two minutes of battle.”

The major tapped his pipe on the table and then looked seriously at me.  “I keep forgetting that, alone out of any of us, you have experienced the horror of that war. Ah well…” He pocketed his pipe, “It will just be the two of you for a week but you will need tomorrow to sort out your buses.”

John and I stood and saluted, “Sir.”

“And get some rest.  You both did damn well today.”

Captain Marshall made his apologies and left.  There were just the three of us at our table. It was the first chance I had had to speak with Gordy in some while. “How is your flight working out then?”

He gestured across the room, “Compared with him?  They are superb.  In reality they still need work.”

“We ran into the Fokker Eindecker today. They are very nimble and fast.  They can fly rings around us you know.”

Gordy shook his head, “That’s all we need. Someone told me that the
re is a French monoplane which has a gun firing through the propeller.  Once the Germans get that then we will be like dead meat.”

“There may be a weakness with the monoplane.”

I looked at John.  He was the quiet type who rarely said too much. “What do you mean?”

“The reason we ha
ve two wings is for stability and strength. I wonder how they would cope with an inverted loop. We know we can do it but I wonder if they could.”

“You might be right.”

Gordy suddenly burst out.  “Did I hear right?  You fired the rear Lewis over Sharp’s head?”

I nodded
, “It gave us a better angle.  The lower one has the same trajectory as the observer’s gun.  It just means you have a better chance of hitting something.”

“How did you work that out?”

I confess, I didn’t know and I just shrugged, “It just seemed to make sense to me.”

Gordy nodded, “Well I may try that.”

I noticed something else today.  “When we landed I saw that the German bullets had gone through metal.  They are steel jacketed.  It explains why we suffer so much engine damage. We will have to watch out for the attacks from the stern. We need to keep the Germans in front.  If we do then we have a slight chance that we might actually win.”

The last week in April was, mercifully, quiet.  Perhaps we had hurt them more than we knew for we observed unhindered by the enemy.  I heard that the Germans had launched an attack towards Ypres but we were not involved.  That would come later. Lieutenant Campbell did his penance and he did see some action when the major was asked to patrol further south, towards the French Sector.  I saw the bullet holes in the aeroplane. When he climbed down from the front cockpit I saw him running his fingers over them. He now knew what a gunner had to do.

Contrary to what the major believed the mechanics managed to repair the F.E. 2.  We had many spares from previously wrecked aeroplanes.  When the replacements arrived I was summoned, along with Lieutenant Campbell to the major’s office. I had never seen the major as serious as that day.

“Lieutenant Campbell, you will never know how close you came to a court martial. Your actions were reckless.  In addition you disobeyed orders. I am of a mind to let you fly with Lieutenant Harsker again but before I do so I need assurances from you that you will obey orders but, more importantly, I need to know if the lieutenant will fly with you.”

I saw the look of horror on Campbell’s face.  His eyes pleaded with me.  In all conscience I could not refuse.  How could
I, a groom’s son from Lancashire, ruin the career of an obviously gifted airman?

“He can fly with me sir, if he obeys orders.”

The relief was pitiful, “Oh I promise I will obey orders, thank you both.”

The major nodded.  “Then get a good night’s sleep.  You have the dawn patrol.”

As we headed back to our quarters he was like a puppy which had been naughty. “I know you were right sir and when…” He stopped me and faced me.  “I thought we had enough firepower to destroy them.  I had heard that you have shot down balloons and aeroplanes….”

“And if a sergeant could do it then a gifted pilot like you would be able to shoot down even more.”

He hung his head, “Captain Dixon said that you were an uncanny shot and the coolest gunner he had ever met.”

“That is very kind of the captain but
remember this, Lieutenant Campbell, our job is easy compared with the poor sods down there around Ypres.  They have to advance through mud and barbed wire and face many more machine guns. Our job is to win the war and make life easier for them.  It is not to put little marks on a blackboard. This is not a public school and you are not going for the headmaster’s prize!”

I went into my room without another word. I had said enough.

The quiet ended the next day.  The major summoned all of us to the briefing room. “Gentlemen, the Germans are attacking Ypres and they have used poison gas!”

We all gasped.  When I had been in the cavalry we had laughed at the thought of having to wear gas masks.  I still remembered trying to get Caesar’s mask on.  I was grateful he had been spared a gas attack.
Now the unthinkable had happened the Boche had used that despicable weapon.  It was not war it was murder.

He waved his hands to quieten us
. “As you might expect they have made advances against both the French and ourselves. Tomorrow morning we are going on a bombing raid against their lines of communication. Unlike our last raid we will not be flying as a squadron but as flights.  We need to cause as much disruption behind their lines as possible.” His gaze seemed to settle on Lieutenant Campbell. “You will have no protection from enemy aeroplanes.  When you have dropped your bombs then use your guns to disrupt the reinforcements the Germans will be sending up.  I do not need to tell you of the importance of Ypres.  Enough brave Englishmen and Canadians have died there already.  Let us not waste their efforts. The armourer is taking the bombs out to your craft as we speak.  Your Flight Commanders have all used them before.” Again he looked at Lieutenant Campbell. “Listen to them and heed their advice about how to use them effectively.”

As we were walking out I turned to my two wing men. “They will be affixed to the outside of you aeroplanes.  Your observer will throw them from the aeroplane towards the target.  Now we only have four each and we should not waste them. Follow me in but wait to see the effect of my bombs. If mine have not done the job then you
drop yours. Hold your bullets until the bombs are gone unless, of course, we are attacked by German aeroplanes.” I could see the intense concentration on both of their faces.  I smiled.  “It is not as hard as it sounds.  You do not need to dive to release the bombs but your observer needs a good eye to hit the target. The railway lines are the easiest target.  If we destroy the rails then they cannot reinforce the front. It is as simple as that.”

I realised that Charlie was also a virgin when it came to bombing. I had an idea that he might be quite good at that. 
He had a mathematical mind and that helped. He was looking in some trepidation at the bombs being fitted.

“Don’t worry
Sergeant Sharp, you can get rid of them over the German lines.” The armourer grinned as he went to John’s aeroplane. I went to the rack and pulled the first bomb from its mounting.  “See, just give it a tug and it comes off.” I fitted the deadly projectile snugly back into place. “Here are the maps.” I had circled the first target in red and written number one next to it.  The others were similarly marked. “That is the order we will strike them.” He nodded but still looked worried. “I have done this before.  So long as you have us lined up over the railway I can tell you when to drop the bomb.”

He looked a little more relieved. 
“Right sir.”

It took time
to fit all of the bombs but I was pleased that both observers and pilots watched with rapt attention. Gordy and I left to wander back to the mess.  “I have heard we have some mail!”

“Excellent.
” That brightened my day.  It had been some time since we had had letters and it was always good to hear from home. My letters always made me feel more secure as though the world was still as I had remembered it.  Mother in the cottage and my sisters all working at the big house. I could picture my dad quietly seeing to the horses and it made all the death and destruction somehow worthwhile.

Gordy had two
letters and I had two.  We sat in silence and read them.

The first one was a short one from my mother.

February 1914

Dear Bill,

Just a short letter I am afraid.  Your dad was over the moon with his pipe and tobacco. He was really touched. It came a fortnight ago.
Thank you for my photograph of Princess Mary.  Your dad made a frame for it and it is over the fire with the photograph of you in your uniform.

The reason it will be a short letter is that our Alice has come down with something and I have to look after her.  Albert is still desperate to join up but he is listening to your dad and still working for his lordship.

I pray that God continues to watch over you.

Your loving mother,

xxx

It was short but welcome for all that.
The fact that they appreciated the presents was not a surprise.  I did not know she had a copy of the photograph.  Major Burscough must have given it to her.  He had had the photograph taken when we had first arrived in France.  I was secretly pleased. I like the way I had looked in the photograph.

The second one was from our Sarah.

March 1914

Dear Bill,

I pray that you are still safe. I feel awful for not writing before but I knew that
Mum wrote to you and I have terribly busy. I have been promoted to housekeeper now which is a great responsibility. It means I cannot get home as often as I would like.

Kathleen is still seeing the curate. 
I am still not keen on him and even Mother thinks he is a bit wet but Kath likes him.  I think there will be wedding bells there before too long.