The Iron Storm by CW Browning

Author:CW Browning [Browning, CW]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: CW Browning
Published: 2021-02-16T06:00:00+00:00

RAF Duxford

Miles strode into the lounge and nodded to one of the new pilots. “Good morning, Sawyer. Are you coming in or going out?”

“I’ve just come down, sir,” the young man said. “The CO took me up.”

“Did he indeed?” Miles clapped him on the shoulder. “Moving up in the world, are you? Before you know it, you’ll be one of us.”

“Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!”

Miles chuckled to himself as he walked over to join Rob and Chris in the armchairs near the fireplace.

“Poor sod. He’s that bad?” he asked, seating himself next to Rob.

“He overshot the landing strip last night,” Rob replied with a grin. “When Ashmore heard, he nearly burst a blood vessel. I heard him yelling all the way in here.”

“Good Lord. Is the plane all right?”

“I think so.” Rob went back to his newspaper. “Must be if he took it up again this morning.”

“How exactly does one do that?” Chris wondered, blowing cigarette smoke up at the ceiling thoughtfully. “I don’t think I could overshoot the landing if I tried.”

“No, you just land without wheels,” Rob retorted from behind his paper. “Typical of the Americans. Always wanting to do things the hard way.”

Chris laughed and leaned forward to offer Miles a light as he patted his jacket looking for a lighter.

“Thanks,” he murmured, leaning forward to light his cigarette. “Must’ve left mine in my room.”

“How did we luck out and get the late flight this morning?” Chris asked, sitting back in his chair again. “Not that I’m complaining. It was nice to eat breakfast and then mosey on in here and not have to rush out to the ready.”

Rob lowered his paper slightly and peered over the edge at Chris.

“Mosey?” he repeated, raising an eyebrow. “When on earth have I ever mosied, Yank? Do I look like a cowboy?”

“Not in the slightest. Have it your way. I mosied. You paraded. Better?”

Miles laughed as Rob sputtered behind his newspaper. “Much better, young Colonial,” he approved. “And I have no idea how we “lucked out,” as you put it. Perhaps Ashmore wanted to give the new chicks a taste of real life.”

“More like he wanted to get them up and down before the fun starts,” Rob said, lowering the newspaper with a rustle and tossing it aside. “What a lot of blasted nonsense. We still don’t know what’s happening with Chamberlain. According to that rag, he’s still hanging on.”

Miles opened his mouth to respond but never got the chance. Slippy rushed into the room, looking around frantically. Spotting them, he barreled across the room to the trio by the fireplace.

“My God!” he gasped, skidding to a stop beside Miles. “They’ve invaded Belgium!”

“What?!” Miles sat straight up, staring at him. “When?”

“Today. This morning. Now.” Slippy looked around, trying to catch his breath. “I ran all the way from the Mess. One of the flight crew sergeants heard it. Where’s the bloody radio?”

“Over there,” Chris said, motioning to the back corner. “For reasons known only to himself, the porter moved it.”

Slippy spun around and strode across the large room to turn on the radio.

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