1915 Fokker Scourge (British Ace Book 2) (36 page)

It was at the end of my second week in the hospital.  I had been up and about for almost a week and I wore my uniform each day.  Nurse Porter was given permission to let me walk in Hyde Park, which I loved.
The days were filled with sunshine, laughter and the nurse’s pleasant company. One morning she suddenly burst into my room.  “Matron is coming and you have a visitor!”

I had never seen her as excited. She fussed around me as she had never done before. “Who is it?”

She shook her head, “You will never believe me and it will be better as a surprise.” That ruled out Mary and Alice who had both visited almost every other day and Lady Burscough had returned north.

And then Alice walked through the door looking beautiful in a brand new outfit with her hair done nicely and make up on her face. This was a surprise.  She stood on the opposite side of the bed. Matron and sister stood at the door and when they curtsied I wondered who was coming in. When King George V entered I think my mouth dropped open. I tried to get off the bed but he said, “No Captain Harsker, do not rise.  You are one of our heroes.”

There were two men in military uniform with him. One was a General I did not recognise but the other I did. It was the commanding General of the Royal Flying Corps, Brigadier General Sir David Henderson. There was also a foreign looking chap in a smart suit. Finally there was a cameraman with his camera poised. It was a crowded room.

“I am here, Captain Harsker to present you with two medals.”  General Henderson took out a velvet covered box. “This is the Military Cross presented to you for your courageous actions in saving the lives of brother officers over Northern France earlier this year.” He pinned it on my uniform.  I nodded. “Allow me to shake you by the hand
, Captain Harsker.” I shook his hand. There was a flash as the cameraman took the photograph.

“The second medal will not be presented by
me but rather the French Military Attaché Monsieur Jacques Lafitte.”

The gentleman in the smart suit stepped forward.  I noticed that the king stood a whole head taller than this diminutive Frenchman. “I have the honour to present you with the Legion D’Honneur. This award is for your bravery at Verdun where you slew many of our enemies and saved the lives of
many of our pilots.  This honour is rarely awarded to those who are neither French nor deceased but I know that you thoroughly deserve it.  Colonel Berthier was fulsome in his praise of you and your actions. This is the true spirit of Entente Cordiale.” He stepped up to me and pinned the medal next to the Military Cross.  Then he kissed me on both cheeks.  After the flash of the photographer he stepped back.

The King and the Generals applauded. General Henderson came over to me and shook me by the hand.  He leaned in to speak quietly to me, “Thank you for all that you have done and I am just sorry that you had to endure that ridiculous court martial.  I believe you are the future
of the Royal Flying Corps.  When you return to France you will find a new aeroplane waiting for you. We have created the best for the best.” He nodded and stepped back.

“Well I think we will leave you with your family, Captain. Thank you on behalf of the Empire.  We are grateful to you.”

And then they were gone and the room emptied, almost.  As Alice kissed my cheek there was a flash and the photographer said, “These will make nice little stories.  Jutland upset a lot of people.  This will make them a little happier.” He closed the door as he left.

Nurse Porter said, “Well I will leave you two alone.”

I reached out and grabbed her hand.  “No Beatrice, I would like you to stay and meet my little sister, Alice.”

Alice grinned and threw her arms around my neck. “And about time our Bill!”

My life was full and I was happy.

BEF- British Expeditionary Force

Beer Boys
-inexperienced fliers (slang)

Blighty
- Britain (slang)

Boche
- German (slang)

Bowser- refuelling vehicle

Bus
- aeroplane (slang)

Crossley- an early British motor car

Donkey Walloper
- Horseman (slang)

Fizzer
- a charge (slang)

Foot Slogger
- Infantry (slang)

Google eyed booger
with
the tit
- gas mask (slang)

Griffin
(Griff)
- confidential information (slang)

Hun
- German (slang)

Jasta- a German Squadron

Jippo
- the shout that food was ready from the cooks (slang)

Lanchester- a prestigious British car with the same status as a Rolls Royce

Loot
- a second lieutenant (slang)

Lufbery Circle- A aerial defensive formation

M.C. - Military Cross (for officers only)

M.M
. - Military Medal (introduced in 1915)

Nicked
- stolen (slang)

Number ones
- Best uniform (slang)

Outdoor
- the place they sold beer in a pub to take away (slang)

Parkin
or Perkin is a soft cake traditionally made of
oatmeal
and black
treacle
,
which originated in
northern England
.

Pop your clogs
- die (slang)

Posser- a three legged stool attached to a long handle and used to agitate washing in the days before washing machines

Pickelhaube- German helmet with a spike on the top.  Worn by German soldiers until 1916

Shufti
- a quick look (slang)

Singer 10 - a British car d
eveloped by Lionel Martin who went on to make Aston Martins

The smoke
- London (slang)

Toff
- aristocrat (slang)

V.C
. - Victoria Cross, the highest honour in the British Army

Courtesy of Wikipedia

This work has been released into the
public domain
by its author,
Gsl
at the
English Wikipedia
project
. This applies worldwide.

In case this is not legally possible:
Gsl
grants anyone the right to use this work
for any purpose
, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law.

The Battle of Loos

Map courtesy of Wikipedia

Battle of Verdun

Courtesy of Wikipedia

Historical note

This is my second
foray into what might be called modern history.  The advantage of the Dark Ages is that there are few written records and the writer’s imagination can run riot- and usually does! If I have introduced a technology slightly early or moved an action it is in the interest of the story and the character.  I have tried to make this story more character based as I have used the template of some real people and characters who lived at the time.

As with all my books I have used fictitious regiments and actions. The organisation of the Lancashire Yeomanry and the Cumbrian Hussars is compatible with actual regiments.  Their role is exactly that of the real Yeomanry.  Compared with the regular regiments and especially compared with the foot soldiers, the Yeomanry casualties were very light. The total cavalry losses for the whole war were 5,674 dead and 14,630 wounded.  Compare that to the Northumberland Fusiliers who had 16000 casualties alone. The Yeomanry losses were even fewer.

The Short Magazine Lee Enfield had a ten shot magazine and enabled a rifleman to get off 20-30 shots in a minute. It was accurate at 300 yards. Both cavalry and infantry were issued with the weapon.

For those readers who do not come from England I have tried to write the way that people in that part of Lancashire speak. As with many northerners they say
‘owt’
for anything and
‘eeh’
is just a way of expressing surprise.  As far as I know there is no Lord Burscough but I know that Lord Derby had a huge house not far away in Standish and I have based the fictitious Lord Burscough on him. The area around Burscough and Ormskirk is just north of the heavily industrialised belt which runs from Leeds, through Manchester, to Liverpool.  It is a very rural area with many market gardens.  It afforded me the chance to have rural and industrial England, cheek by jowl. The food they eat is also typical of that part of Lancashire. Harsker is a name from the area apparently resulting from a party of Vikings who settled in the area some centuries earlier.  Bearing in mind my Saxon and Viking books I could not resist the link albeit tenuous with my earlier books.

The rear firing Lewis gun was not standard issue and was an improvised affair.  Here is a photograph of one in action.