1917 Eagles Fall by Griff Hosker

Author:Griff Hosker [Hosker, Griff]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction, Historical, Military, War, Historical Fiction
Amazon: B00PKA3FDY
Publisher: Sword Books Ltd.
Published: 2014-11-12T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

Gordy and Ted looked at each other. Ted poured me another drink as Gordy said, “We’ll help out if we can.”

“Have we even got a squadron Randolph? My bus is damaged. We have no Gunbuses. Ted here is wounded.”

“I can still fly, Bill. Remember you did and this is just a scratch.”

“And you can fly Archie’s Bristol. He still has his gunner.”

I listened to Ted and Gordy. I knew they were trying to jolly me along but it wasn’t working. Randolph handed me a manila file. “And this is your bedtime reading Bill. These are the service and training records of the six crews who are ready to begin flying their Bristols when they arrive tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? I thought it would be the end of the week.”

“General Trenchard lit a fire under them. He thought he was doing us a favour.”

“Some favour.”

Ted said quietly, “Charlie thought so. He couldn’t wait to fly a Bristol.”

And he was right. Randolph gave it to me straight, “If Charlie was here Bill you know he would be right behind you and encouraging you to lead the new boys. He would be suggesting how to train them and volunteering to help.”

“I know! And he is not here!”

Gordy raised his glass and looked at the ceiling, “Then let us imagine he is here in spirit. Here’s to you, Charlie, you were one of the best.”

“Charlie.”

That was the point at which I nearly broke but if I had then I would have been letting down my gunner. I needed to be a good squadron leader, if only for Charlie.

“And the other thing is, well, the letters to the families of the dead crews.”

My heart sank. Ted came to my rescue. “That’s not fair, Randolph. We will divide them up. Otherwise our new leader will be in no condition tomorrow to lead us up into the wild blue yonder.”

And so we drank, smoked and wrote the ten letters which almost broke my heart. It was Airman Bates who stopped us. He knocked on the door. “Gentlemen, the mess is waiting for dinner. There may not be many of them left but those young men are hurting just as much as you are. Whatever you are doing may I suggest that you leave it until tomorrow?”

He might have been the lowest ranked soldier in the room but we all obeyed. We trudged before him to the mess. There were just three pilots there and then the new boys. All of them looked as though they had suffered. They had a drawn look about them and Freddie and Johnny looked to be on the verge of tears. I stood at Archie’s seat. “Gentlemen sit.” As they did so I said, “I apologise for the delay. Major Leach will be away for a while and I will be in temporary command. As you can imagine there is much to do and I hope that you will all help me.” I was gratified to see nods.

“We will fly as one flight in the morning.

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