Hornet Flight (50 page)

“So you're the lass who flew the North Sea in a Tiger Moth,” he said to Karen, shaking her left hand.

“A Hornet Moth,” she corrected him. The Tiger Moth was an open aircraft. “I think we might have frozen to death in a Tiger Moth.”

“Ah, yes, of course.” He turned to Harald. “And you're the lad who invented the bomber stream.”

“One of those ideas that came out of a discussion,” he said with some embarrassment.

“That's not the way I heard the story, but your modesty does you
credit.” Churchill turned to Hermia. “And you organized the whole thing. Madam, you're worth two men.”

“Thank you, sir,” she said, although Harald could tell by her wry smile that she did not think that was much of a compliment.

“With your help, we have forced Hitler to withdraw hundreds of fighter aircraft from the Russian front and bring them back for the defense of the fatherland. And, partly thanks to that success, it may interest you to know that I have today signed a co-belligerency pact with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Britain no longer stands alone. We have as an ally one of the world's greatest powers. Russia may be bowed, but she is by no means beaten.”

“My God,” said Hermia.

Digby murmured, “It will be in tomorrow's papers.”

“And what are you two young people thinking of doing next?” Churchill asked.

“I'd like to join the RAF,” Harald said immediately. “Learn to fly properly. Then help to free my country.”

Churchill turned to Karen. “And you?”

“Something similar. I'm sure they won't let me be a pilot, even though I can fly much better than Harald. But I'd like to join the women's air force, if there is one.”

“Well,” said the Prime Minister, “we have an alternative to suggest to you.”

Harald was surprised.

Churchill nodded to Hermia, who said, “We want you both to go back to Denmark.”

It was the one thing Harald had not been expecting. “Go back?”

Hermia went on, “First, we'd send you on a training course—quite long, six months. You'd learn radio operation, the use of codes, handling firearms and explosives, and so on.”

Karen said, “For what purpose?”

“You'd parachute into Denmark equipped with radio sets, weapons, and false papers. Your task would be to start a new Resistance movement, to replace the Nightwatchmen.”

Harald's heart beat faster. It was a remarkably important job. “I had my heart set on flying,” he said. But the new idea was even more exciting—though dangerous.

Churchill intervened. “I've got thousands of young men who want to fly,” he said brusquely. “But so far we haven't found anyone who could do what we're asking of you two. You're unique. You're Danish, you know the country, you speak the language as natives, which you are. And you have proved yourselves quite extraordinarily courageous and resourceful. Let me put it this way: If you don't do it, it won't be done.”

It was hard to resist the force of Churchill's will—and Harald did not really want to. He was being offered the chance to do what he had longed for, and he was thrilled at the prospect. He looked at Karen. “What do you think?”

“We'd be together,” she said, as if that was the most important thing for her.

“Then you'll go?” said Hermia.

“Yes,” said Harald.

“Yes,” said Karen.

“Good,” said the Prime Minister. “Then that's settled.”

The Danish Resistance eventually became one of the most successful underground movements in Europe. It provided a continuous flow of military intelligence to the Allies, undertook thousands of acts of sabotage against the occupying forces, and provided secret routes by which almost all Denmark's Jews escaped from the Nazis.

As always, I was helped in my research by Dan Starer of Research for Writers, New York City
([email protected]).
He put me in touch with most of the people named below.

Mark Miller of de Havilland Support Ltd. was my consultant on Hornet Moth planes, what goes wrong with them, and how to repair them. Rachel Lloyd of the Northamptonshire Flying School did her best to teach me to fly a Tiger Moth. Peter Gould and Walt Kessler also helped in this area, as did my flying friends Ken Burrows and David Gilmour.

My guide to all things Danish was Erik Langkjaer. For details of life in wartime Denmark I'm also grateful to Claus Jessen, Bent Jorgensen, Kurt Hartogsen, Dorph Petersen, and Soren Storgaard.

For help with life at a Danish boarding school I thank Klaus Eusebius Jakobsen of Helufsholme Skole og Gods, Erik Jorgensen of the Birkerod Gymnasium, and Helle Thune of Bagsvaerd Kostkole og Gymnasium, all of whom welcomed me to their schools and patiently answered my questions.

I'm grateful for information from Hanne Harboe of the Tivoli Garden; Louise Lind of the Stockholm Postmuseum; Anita Kempe, Jan Garnert,
and K. V. Tahvanainen of the Stockholm Telemuseum; Hans Schroder of the Flyvevabnets Bibliotek; Anders Lunde of the Dansk Boldspil-Union; and Henrik Lundbak of the Museum of Danish Resistance in Copenhagen.

Jack Cunningham told me about the Admiralty Cinema, and Neil Cook of HOK International gave me photographs of it. Candice DeLong and Mike Condon helped with weapons. Josephine Russell told me what it was like to be a student ballerina. Titch Allen and Pete Gagan helped with antique motorcycles.

I'm grateful to my editors and agents: Amy Berkower, Leslie Gelbman, Phyllis Grann, Neil Nyren, Imogen Tate, and Al Zuckerman.

Finally, I thank members of my family for reading outlines and drafts: Barbara Follett, Emanuele Follett, Marie-Claire Follett, Richard Overy, Kim Turner, and Jann Turner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's Imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

 

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