A Flight of Golden Wings (19 page)

By the end of May 1944 it was obvious that plans for the invasion were going ahead at a pace, and there was much speculation about the date. The weather was unusually hot for the time of year when Ruth took off in a priority Stirling for a new airfield in Wiltshire. Her flight engineer was Joyce Hammond, newly qualified and good at her job. Ruth was happy with her calm demeanour and businesslike way of carrying out her duties.

When they landed and climbed out of the aircraft, they gazed around in amazement at the huge gliders assembled there.

‘What do you think these are for, Ruth?’

‘I really don’t know, but they’d carry an awful lot of troops and equipment. They must be planning to use them for the invasion. We’d better go and check in.’

They’d no sooner done this than a taxi Anson landed, ready to take them back to White Waltham. There was an
air of expectancy everywhere, with an increased workload for all of them. Days off were forgotten, but no one minded.

Joyce’s stomach gave an audible rumble and she pulled a face. ‘We’re not even being given time to eat.’

‘That isn’t unusual. We’ll make sure we get something when we get back. Now you mention it, I’m hungry as well.’ Ruth smiled when she recognised the tall man waiting beside the aircraft. ‘They’ve put you on taxi duty, then.’

‘Hiya.’ Jack gave his usual lazy smile. ‘I’m only doing this one trip. There’s another Stirling waiting for you.’

‘My goodness, I am being spoilt. Two four-engines in one day.’ Ruth touched his arm and pointed across the field at the gliders. ‘Looks like the invasion’s on, doesn’t it?’

‘No doubt about it. This country is bursting at the seams with troops and equipment. Let’s hope the Luftwaffe keep away, because they wouldn’t be short of targets. I can’t understand why they aren’t coming across in waves to put a stop to this.’

‘When do you think it will be?’ Ruth knew this was the question on everyone’s lips, but she still asked.

‘Soon, it must be soon.’ He opened the door for them. ‘In you get. The aircraft are stacked up, waiting to be moved.’

As soon as they arrived back, Jack was off in a Lancaster. Ruth wished she’d been given that. They all agreed that it was a lovely plane to fly.

‘Good, you’re back.’ The head of ops handed Ruth a ferry chitty for the next delivery. ‘It’s all ready for you.’

Joyce cast Ruth a pleading look, and she knew what her flight engineer was asking. ‘We need to grab a sandwich first. Breakfast was our last meal, and that was six hours ago.’

‘All right, but make it quick. Your delivery is a priority again.’

The girls headed for the food at top speed. They were just finishing their hasty snack when Lucy bounced in and sat with them.

‘Food!’ Lucy pinched the last sandwich. ‘I’m starving. No one seems to realise that
we
need refuelling as well.’

She shot off and quickly returned with three mugs of tea and more sandwiches, which she shared out.

‘Thanks.’ Ruth watched as Lucy demolished the food. ‘Where have you been today?’

‘All over the place, but I’ve just delivered a Mosquito to the maintenance unit at Hullavington, and do you know what they were doing?’

Ruth and Joyce shook their heads.

‘They were painting black and white stripes on the wings of gliders and fighters.’

‘Did you find out why?’

‘No, but I’ll ask Dave when I see him. He’ll know.’

Ops came into the room. ‘I’m sorry to rush you, girls, but there’s a Stirling and Spitfire we want to get out of the way.’

‘Whoops.’ Lucy carried on eating as she stood up. ‘The Spit’s mine.’

‘Be careful when you land at Brize Norton, Lucy,’ ops warned. ‘You might find gliders parked near the runway.

‘I’ll watch it.’

‘More gliders,’ Joyce said, as they hurried out to the Stirling.

During the rest of May they worked hard, ferrying as many planes as they could during daylight hours. The weather was good, and all the time it held, they flew.
But with the arrival of June, the weather broke.

They were in the Mess waiting for the weather to clear so they could fly, when the door opened and a bedraggled pilot walked in. Ruth was immediately on her feet, ushering her into a chair. ‘Gussie, you haven’t been flying in this weather, surely?’

She waved at everyone in her usual boisterous way. Marriage hadn’t changed her and, although soaking wet, she still smiled happily. ‘I only had a short flight so I thought I’d give it a go.’ She shook the water out of her hair and then fingered it back into place. ‘Visibility was worse than I’d thought, so I decided to land here and come and see you.’

‘Wonderful. I’m so pleased you did. How’s married life treating you?’ Ruth settled down for a good gossip with her friend.

‘Just fine, Ruthie. I’ve got myself a good man in Harry.’ She glanced around. ‘Any chance of a cuppa? I’m gasping.’

‘Coming right up.’ Ruth got her a mug of tea, delighted with this unexpected chance to see her friend. They had seen very little of each other since the wedding. They had kept in touch by letter, but Gussie wasn’t much of a letter writer, and they’d all been so busy.

The rain was lashing down, making Gussie sigh as she looked at the streaming windows. ‘I’m not going anywhere tonight.’

‘Stay with us, we’ve got a spare bed.’ Ruth studied her friend’s wet clothes. ‘Have you got your overnight bag with you?’

‘Never go anywhere without it, and thanks for the offer of a bed, it will be like old times. I’ll just let my pool know where I am. Is Lucy around?’

‘Gone to find Simon. She believes he knows everything
and is keeping the date of the invasion to himself.’

Gussie’s face lit up with interest. ‘Is there something between them?’

‘No, I wish there was. She’s still crazy about Dave, even though his parents don’t seem to approve of her. They appear to have picked out a suitable wife for their son, and his involvement with Lucy has upset their plans.’

‘Oh, Lord, that poor girl could be in for a rough flight.’

Ruth nodded. ‘She finally told Jack about the meeting with Dave’s family. He wasn’t pleased, as you can imagine, but he says she’s got to make her own decisions. As much as he would like to interfere, he won’t do it.’

‘Wise man. And talking about the big man, where is he?’

‘No idea, but like everyone else, he’s pacing around like a caged lion.’

‘I expect they’re thinking they might be able to go home soon.’ Gussie saw Ruth’s expression and reached out to touch her hand. ‘I’m sorry, Ruthie, that was clumsy of me.’

‘Don’t apologise. You’ve only put into words what is constantly on my mind. Everyone’s thinking about the future. Simon’s going to start his flying school again and has asked me to join him. I’ll get my instructor’s rating as soon as I can.’

‘That won’t be any problem. You’re a damned good pilot.’

‘Thanks.’ Ruth smiled at her friend. ‘And what are your plans?’

‘Lots of children. We both want a large family. As soon as the war’s over we’re going to find a large house somewhere quiet, and create our own noise by filling it with kids.’

‘Sounds idyllic, and you’ll make a terrific mother.’

‘I think so too.’

They were both laughing when Lucy came in with Jack and Simon. They were all delighted to see Gussie. ‘How’s Harry?’ Simon asked.

‘Wonderful, and he’s grounded after completing another tour of ops. Which is a relief, I can tell you. So many of those bomber crews don’t come back. It’s heartbreaking.’

Simon nodded, and then lit a cigarette. ‘Germany’s taking a terrible pasting.’

‘So did London and other British cities,’ Jack pointed out.

‘I know, but you can’t help feeling sorry for the ordinary people who are suffering in this madness. Let’s hope the invasion starts soon.’

Jack grimaced as he glanced at the rain on the windows.

‘Everything must be in place now. Troops and equipment have been moving towards the coast for days, but they can’t go in this weather.’

‘And neither can we go anywhere.’ Gussie stood up. ‘So put away your gloomy faces and let’s find a pub with food and drink.’

‘You’re not going anywhere until you get out of those wet clothes,’ Ruth scolded.

‘They’re only damp.’ Gussie ran a hand over her sleeve. ‘I ran as fast as I could from the plane to here.’

‘Change!’ Ruth glared sternly.

‘All right, Mum.’ She grinned and held up her bag. ‘I’ll change in the ladies’, and then the food is on me.’

‘Now there’s an offer we can’t refuse.’ Simon stubbed out his cigarette. ‘I’ll go and get my car.’

Later that night the three girls sat around the kitchen table enjoying a cup of cocoa, talking about their hopes for the future, and catching up on all the news.

‘Have you and Dave made any plans?’ Gussie asked.

‘Not really. Dave did say he’d come to America with me. I know his folks don’t like me much, but they adore him, and it would be hard on them if he did live so far away. I’m not sure I would be happy about that.’ Lucy sipped her drink. ‘Or I could stay here, but I’d miss Mom so much, and I’d hate being parted from Jack. We’ve always been together, and we’re more than brother and sister. We’re real good friends.’

Gussie studied Lucy carefully. ‘Want a bit of advice?’

‘Oh, please! I keep going over and over everything in my mind, but there doesn’t seem to be a happy solution.’

‘Don’t make any definite decisions yet. Even if the invasion begins soon, there will still be a long fight ahead. It could be another year before it’s all over, so you’ve got plenty of time to work out the best thing to do. Don’t try to cross your bridges before you get to them.’

‘Yeah, you’re right, Gussie. And what a great saying. I must tell that to my mom.’

Ruth had listened to all this and said nothing. Jack hadn’t mentioned what he intended doing after the war, but Lucy seemed sure he would go back home. She’d always known this, of course; after all, he’d been away for a long time now.

If she were in his position she’d be longing to return to her family. She couldn’t blame him for that, but when the time came it was going to be so damned painful. But she would also take Gussie’s advice and try not to cross that particular bridge until she came to it. A lot could, and
probably would, change before this war was over.

Gussie yawned. ‘Let’s get some sleep. Hopefully the weather will be better in the morning and we can get back to work.’

By morning the cloud had lifted enough for Gussie to complete her delivery. It had been lovely to be together again, and had given Ruth the lift she needed. Speculation was rife about an imminent invasion, making everyone on edge.

‘She’s happy.’ Simon stood beside Ruth as they waved to the departing plane.

‘Yes, I’m so pleased for her and Harry.’ Ruth gave Simon a wistful smile. ‘After all the loss and separation people have suffered it’s comforting to see that it’s worked out for some.’

There was amusement in Simon’s voice when he spoke. ‘Tell you what, Ruth, when our American friends have left us, we could get married. We’d make a good team.’

‘Now that’s a sensible idea.’ She laughed, knowing he was joking. They were good friends, but that was all they would ever be. The physical love she felt for Jack, and she was sure Simon felt for Lucy, didn’t exist between them. While marriages had been successfully based on friendship alone before, that wouldn’t work for them, and they both knew it.

‘I’m full of sensible ideas.’ He placed an arm around her shoulders as they walked back to the Mess. ‘We must see about getting you that instructor’s rating.’

‘Switch on the wireless!’ Simon hurtled into the Mess where they were all waiting for the clouds to lift so they could fly.

Ruth was startled, she’d never seen Simon so animated. ‘What’s going on?’

‘Shush!’ Sally motioned to Ruth to be quiet.

The tension in the room was palpable as they listened to the announcement. The invasion was under way and troops were already moving into France. There was much rejoicing as the wireless was switched off, and then silence as they all digested the news.

Jane broke the quiet. ‘I never expected them to go in this weather.’

‘Neither did the Germans,’ Jack said, nodding approval. ‘That was a smart move. They’re going to need planes in France, Simon, let’s go and see what we can find out.’

As the men left, Sally turned to Jane. ‘Do you think there’s any chance of them allowing women to ferry planes to France?’

‘Not at the moment. The RAF will probably handle that at first, but we might be needed later. We’ll have to see how things work out, but it will be the men who get the first flights.’

‘Now there’s a surprise,’ Sally said dryly, making them all laugh.

‘I wonder where Dave is.’ Lucy gazed out of the window. ‘We were supposed to meet two days ago, but he sent a message to say he couldn’t make it. Now I know why.’

‘The invasion fleet would have been given a fighter escort.’ Ruth joined Lucy at the window. ‘I expect he’s nipping back and forth across the Channel.’

‘Yeah, I expect he’s going to be busy for a while.’

‘And so are we, as soon as this blasted weather clears.’

‘Look!’ Sally pointed. ‘There’s a break in the clouds. I’ll go and see what the Met has to say. We might be able to get one delivery in today.’

Everyone got to their feet, eager to be doing something. They all knew the next few weeks would be crucial to the outcome of the war, and none of them wanted to be standing around wasting time.

One week after the start of the invasion, London was once again under attack from V1 flying bombs. These unmanned aircraft were coming over at any time, night or day. Every effort was being made to shoot them down before they reached their targets. The fighters were chasing them and trying to bring them down over the sea, and this was dangerous. Any that got through then came under fire from the ground guns, but many were still making it to London.

Ruth and the other pilots were ready to start deliveries for the day, but first they had an update on the situation.

‘Plan your routes carefully,’ Jane advised. ‘Stay away from the gun emplacements or you might come under fire if there is a flying bomb around. Be careful if your flight takes you anywhere near what is being called “Bomb Alley”.’

With their maps meticulously checked they set off for the day’s work. The invasion had been under way for nearly three weeks now, and although the news was encouraging, it was clear that there was not going to be a speedy end to the war. Ruth’s destination was Redhill, the group support unit, which had been set up to keep the Air Force supplied with aircraft. She had hardly brought the fighter to a halt when a man climbed on to the wing.

‘We’re right in line with Bomb Alley,’ he shouted above the roar of the engine. ‘You’ve got to take this to Bognor right away.’

She nodded, waited for him to jump down, and then turned immediately to take off again. When she arrived back at White Waltham and reported in, they were already aware of the situation.

The next morning all available pilots of No. 1 ferry pool at White Waltham were called together.

‘We’ve got a big job on our hands today,’ Captain Anders told them. ‘The GSU at Redhill has got to be moved to Bognor. The flying bombs are too close for comfort. If one lands there it would cause havoc.’

‘What,
everything?
’ Lucy gasped. ‘That place is packed with planes. How long have we got?’

‘One day.’ Andy looked around at the stunned
expressions. ‘Simon and Jack will be needed for the ferrying, so I’ll fly the taxi. And Jane will help with the ferrying. We’re going to need every pilot we can muster.’

Ruth smiled at Captain Anders, or Andy, as his friends called him. He was going grey at the temples now, but he was a very impressive man. She had been lucky enough to have him as her instructor for the four-engines, and she admired him enormously.

‘Right.’ Jane, who was standing next to Andy, glanced at the clock. ‘Let’s get this show on the road by nine o’clock. It’s going to be one hell of a day.’

Never a truer word had been spoken. It was ten that night before they stopped. The day had become a blur of trips to Bognor, then in the taxi back to Redhill, then to Bognor again.

When Ruth and Lucy finally arrived home, they were too exhausted to speak. They just flopped in chairs with a groan of relief.

After some minutes, Lucy muttered, ‘I don’t think I had any lunch.’

Ruth gave an inelegant snort. ‘I’m
sure
I didn’t.’ She tried to stir herself but couldn’t seem to make herself move. ‘We ought to get something to eat, my stomach’s complaining.’

‘Yeah, so’s mine.’

Neither of them moved until there was a knock on the door.

‘I’ll go.’ Lucy dragged herself up, staggered slightly, and then lurched for the door.

Ruth opened one eye as Simon and Jack walked in. Then her nose twitched. ‘Food?’

‘Hi.’ Jack leant over and kissed her, then whispered the magic words – fish and chips.

She was suddenly awake. ‘Where did you get those at this time of night?’

‘We have friends who took pity on a group of exhausted pilots.’ Jack pulled Ruth to her feet. ‘Come on, let’s eat before they get cold.’

They didn’t bother with plates or knives and forks. They just unwrapped the paper and dived in after sprinkling salt and vinegar over the feast. The pieces of battered fish were small, but there were plenty of chips. Not a word was spoken, and when Jack pinched a few of Ruth’s chips, she was in too mellow a mood to object. She just grinned happily at him. ‘Come on, where did you get this?’

‘We pleaded with one of the RAF cooks.’

‘Well, thank him next time you see him, and tell him he’s a wonderful cook.’

‘Sure will.’

Soon there wasn’t a scrap left, and Simon groaned in satisfaction. ‘That was the best fish and chips I’ve ever tasted.’

Not one of them could disagree with that. They just hadn’t had time to stop for food.

Ruth then made a large pot of tea, and they sat around the table, talking about the day. ‘I didn’t believe we could shift that amount of aircraft in one day, but we managed it.’

‘Yes, it was a good team effort.’ Simon drained his cup and held it out for a refill. ‘Does anyone know exactly how many planes we moved today?’

‘No idea, I haven’t bothered to check yet.’ Jack sat back.
‘I felt sorry for Andy in the taxi. How many landings and take-offs did he do today?’

‘I dread to think.’ Ruth made some more tea. ‘But we had the right man for the job.’

Their meal finished, they retired to the other room and more comfortable chairs. There they talked and laughed about the day, and one thing was clear: it had been the most frantic day of ferrying, but a satisfying one.

The news was worrying. England was being attacked again by unmanned flying bombs, and Bet’s children were right in the thick of the danger. Her insides fluttered uncomfortably. When the Blitz had stopped she had been relieved, but now it had all started again. Just when she had begun to think that Jack and Lucy were safe, they had a new danger to face.

‘Bet?’ Kathy was looking in the back door and waving a letter, a huge smile on her face. ‘I’ve heard from Al.’

‘That’s great.’ Bet pushed away her own worries. Ever since the invasion had begun, Kathy had been worried out of her mind, knowing that her son would be part of the action. ‘Come in and tell me what he says.’

‘He’s in France, but he can’t tell me where, of course. He says they’re moving forward, and the French people are really happy to see them. I was scared to death that he wouldn’t survive the landings, but he’s OK.’

‘That’s wonderful news, Kathy.’

‘Yeah, but that bloody man Hitler won’t give up, will he? He’s bombing London again. Poor devils. Have you heard from your two?’

‘Not for a couple of weeks. Even Ruth hasn’t written, but I expect they’re all being kept busy.’

Kathy sighed. ‘They must be. I won’t be able to rest until the fighting’s over and our children come home for good. I don’t suppose Al can wait to get back to his horses. They’re keeping his job open at the stud for him, which will give him something to look forward to. What do you think Jack and Lucy will do when they come home? They’ll probably have had enough of flying by then.’

‘I doubt that. My two will always fly. It’s like lifeblood to them. Lucy might get married and settle down, but I think Jack will always be involved with planes. You know how I worried about him when he was growing up. His teachers said he had a fine mind, but all he cared about were engines.’

Kathy nodded in agreement. ‘He was only twelve when he took our car engine to pieces because Chas was having troubles starting it. “I’ll fix it,” he told us with such confidence. Chas couldn’t bear to watch as he spread the parts out in the yard. He was sure Jack wouldn’t get it back together again, but he did, and it worked like a dream.’

Bet chuckled as she remembered the incident. Chas had been sure he would have to buy a new car. ‘I had to watch him like a hawk. If he could get his hands on anything mechanical it ended up in pieces, always needing to find out how it worked. And he was so damned restless. I was sure I’d lose him to a big city somewhere when he was old enough, but flying gave him something he craved. And Lucy wanted to do everything her brother did. There’s four years between them, but they’re more like twins. I wasn’t surprised when Lucy wanted to follow Jack to England. It
near broke my heart to see them both leave.’ Bet gave a helpless shrug. ‘But what can you do? They’ve got to follow their own paths in life, haven’t they?’

‘They sure have. Chas wanted Al to become a doctor or something, but he only ever wanted to be around horses. He could ride almost before he could walk.’

They fell silent for a moment as they remembered the happy times when their children were young. Now this terrible war had taken them away, but with the invasion under way, there was hope that things would soon return to normal.

Bet broke the silence. ‘I think we ought to go somewhere for the weekend. Find a lovely spot, relax and spoil ourselves.’

‘Great idea!’ Kathy was on her feet. ‘It’ll only take me ten minutes to throw some things in a bag.’

Within half an hour they were driving along the highway, smiling like a couple of kids sneaking off for a forbidden treat.