A Christmas Baby at Goodwill House by Fenella J Miller

Author:Fenella J Miller [Miller, Fenella J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Boldwood Books

14

John paired up with Flight Lieutenant Thomas Shaw, known to everybody as Sandy Shaw, as he was the only other bloke who was married. They also had servicing airmen which made their team up to six. The Wing Commander, an old bloke with grey hair, explained what was going to happen but neglected to say exactly when they would be leaving.

Speke mess was at the old Liverpool civil airport and they shared it with Fleet Air Arm and RAF flyers as well as naval deck officers. The first time he’d gone there, he’d been astonished to see the perimeter and gates were guarded by airmen carrying pikes. It scarcely seemed credible that men were equipped with spears of wood with sharp metal tips in today’s modern warfare.

He received a second letter from Joanna just as he was told they were leaving so he didn’t have time to reply. He ferried his ancient Hurry to Abbotsinch in Scotland, where his first job was to supervise its loading onto a ship.

‘Crikey, John, I’m not looking forward to this,’ Sandy said after they’d been briefed as to what was going to happen.

‘We have to be sitting in the cockpit so we can retract the undercarriage and the kite can be put into the catapult,’ he replied. ‘That bloody wire doesn’t look strong enough to hold us. Let’s hope the man operating the crane knows what he’s doing.’

He clambered in and took several deep breaths. Slowly he was hoisted into the air more than sixty feet above the sea and his hands unclenched when some silly sod dropped something heavy, which hit the tailplane, sending the joystick forward so it smashed the instrument panel.

He swore out loud and was glad no one had heard his foul language. The Hurry settled more or less comfortably onto the catapult and his fitters and riggers assured him they could repair the damage.

On returning to Speke with his crew, they got ready to embark on the Eastern City which was joining a large convoy off Merseyside, its destination America.

There was no time to think about what might happen as he was too busy checking and storing the spares, tools and ammunition whilst they sailed ahead in the centre of the convoy.

For the first few days, fighters and other escort vessels constantly circled, keeping a lookout for the Luftwaffe in the air and subs under the water.

‘It’s up to us now, Sandy, we’re too far away from shore for the land-based kites to keep up their patrol.’

He was lucky because he had Sandy so didn’t have to stand to in flying kit from dawn till dusk like those who only had one flyer on board.

‘How do you want to do this? Three hours on and three hours off?’

‘Sounds okay to me,’ John replied. ‘You’re senior officer here so you can take first shift.’

‘In which case I should be giving the orders but I’m an easy-going sort of chap so will stand to first.’

‘Do you think we’ll have to deploy? If we do, let’s hope it’s whilst we’re still within flying distance of the shore.

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