1917 Eagles Fall (13 page)

Archie nodded, “We’ll do it and if it fails… well we had a good run for our money eh lads?”

In theory there was no difference taking off in the dark as opposed to daylight but we weren’t used to it. The three Pups took off first.  I wanted us in position before the Gunbuses arrived. Even if we only took a few photographs it would be worth it. As we lifted off and began to climb I saw that the land below was completely black. I would have to use all my navigational skills to get us to our target. Ironically it was the Germans themselves who helped me to fix our position. As we crossed their lines some of their machine guns opened fire. As we were over four thousand feet above them they were wasted bullets but they marked the German trenches for us.

I used our air speed to determine roughly where our new sector was. Once there we flew lazy spiralling loops to gain altitude while we watched the sun rise in the east. Once the first rays lit the ground I was able to see that we were too far to the north and I led us south. The Gunbuses would take their position from us. We flew in line astern to maximise our chances of seeing any German fighters.  I alternated looking east to glancing west. I saw the Gunbuses as they lumbered towards me. I hadn’t realised how big they were.  It was fortunate they had no fuselage to speak of or they would be easy to knock from the skies.

As soon as they saw us Archie led the long line to a lower altitude. There were few guns and our only danger was the Hun. Each Gunbus was fifty feet from the wing tip of its neighbour. Archie was making sure we took some photographs, in detail, of a large area. If we took enough photographs then they wouldn’t need to send us out again.

We watched to the east. As we banked at the end of each circuit I breathed a sigh of relief. This could not last. The Germans must know what we were up to and, sure enough, ten minutes after the Gunbuses arrived I saw the black dots in the distance.  I waggled my wings as a signal for Archie. Someone must have seen me for the Gunbuses began to bank and climb west. I took my three Pups even higher before we headed west.  I saw the slower Gunbuses ahead of us.  They were at five thousand feet and just a mile or so ahead. We were still spiralling gently up so that, while we headed west, we could still keep an eye on the ten fighters desperately climbing to reach the Gunbuses.

The German front line was fully awake and ready.  The guns began to pop at the Gunbuses. Suddenly I saw Ted’s bus take a hit and smoke poured from his engine. The German gunners renewed their efforts.  The fighters would struggle to catch our aeroplanes and I levelled out and took us west. To my horror I saw a line of six fighters approaching the Gunbuses from the north.  As I banked to starboard I pushed the stick forward. I would attack this new threat obliquely from the side and hoped that the first Jasta would give up.

The bark of the machine guns told me that they were the new fighters. Smoke poured from Harry Dodds’ aeroplane; that meant two wounded birds. There was little point in saving ammunition and I wanted to distract the fighters.  I fired at a thousand yards. The tracer rounds told me that I was close. The rear Fokkers veered to starboard and away from the Gunbuses. I saw that these fighters had a green tail.  I stored that information for my report and then banked to port to attack the leader of this Jasta.

At five hundred yards I gave a long burst.  I struck the fuselage and tail. As I edged to port I fired a second burst and struck the engine. Johnny and Freddie added their fire and the second fighter was also hit. The ground fire from the British lines was the final straw and the Jasta headed east.

As we crossed the British lines I saw the Tommies cheering.  I waved back. I had been in the trenches and knew how they appreciated such gestures. Just beyond the trenches I saw Ted’s bus. He was dragging a wounded gunner from the cockpit as flames began to take hold of the wings. I looped around to watch.  To my relief he managed to pull him to safety just before the whole thing exploded. He waved to show he was safe and I waggled my wings. He was close enough to the field for medical help to reach him within the hour.

As usual we were the last to land.  As we approached the field I saw a lorry heading east.  I assumed it was for Ted. Harry’s gunner looked to be in a bad way and Harry looked shaken up.

Gordy ran to me, “What about Ted?”

“He walked away from this one but I am not certain about his gunner. His camera would be ruined.”

“We got plenty.  I think you were right to call this one. But I would not want to do it too many times.”

I reported the markings on the Jasta we had seen.  It was not the Flying Circus. Randolph filed the information and then put a large circle on the map to the north of where they had been seen.  He wrote on the map, ‘
Green tailed new Fokker Jasta’
. It built up a picture of whom we faced. So far we had been able to avoid the Red Baron.  We wondered how long it would last.

Ted and his gunner arrived back.  His gunner was badly wounded and we were now desperately short of both aeroplanes and gunners. That was the day, March 12
th
, that we received two pieces of good news. Our replacements would be here within a couple of days and we had two new Bristol two seater fighters delivered. 

Just as with the Pups there was a great deal of excitement as every pilot swarmed over them. We knew that one would go to Ted but we were not certain who would get the second. Senior Flight Sergeant Lowery made that decision. “It will have to be Mr Dodds, sir.  His bus is a right off. It is only fit for spares.”

The two pilots both looked happy about that but they had no gunners and the new buses needed checking.  We discovered that they had the same speed as the Pup and the same synchronised machine gun.  The rear Lewis was the one we were used to. However it was much longer and wider than the Pup.  We were still far more manoeuvrable. Our joy was complete when we discovered that a weather front prevented us from flying for the next three days.  Other squadrons would have to risk death alley and photograph the German lines.

That turned out to be our last reconnaissance flight for the Battle of Arras began on March 20
th
with a creeping bombardment. It went on until April 8
th
which was supposed to be Zero Hour. We had more than enough to do making sure the new pilots knew how to fly the Gunbus and working with the gunners, especially the replacements. Ted and Harry also had to become familiar with the Bristol.

Maddeningly we had three days where we could not fly.  When we could get aloft Major Leach watched from the ground to identify weaknesses in the four new pilots. Of course we had to reorganise the flights.  Harry and his Bristol joined Ted while three new pilots and David Garrick joined Charlie.  It did not make for neat flights but it was efficient.  The Bristols could go as fast as we could in the Pups.  We were all much happier with the five newer machines.  General Trenchard had been as good as his word. If we could survive this offensive then we would be given another ten Bristols.  That would make all the difference.

After three days of the creeping barrage we did not even notice it any more. It went on during the night and I dreaded to think of the effect on the trenches.  I heard later that they expended almost three million shells.  The Somme Offensive had not achieved all that it could when they ran out of shells. That would not happen this time.

The letters from home arrived in the last week of March. Inevitably there was some overlap. My mother’s letter told me of the death of Lord Burscough and the worry over the death duties. However John’s letter had lifted her spirits and, once again, she urged me to look after him!

Sarah’s letter was grim reading. She and Cedric were now the only servants left in the Big House.  Chunks of fine farmland had had to be sold off to pay the death duties and the children had had to come home from boarding school. She could not afford the fees. The one bright spot in the whole thing was that Lady Burscough had said the last thing to be sold would be the cottages.

I was pleased that I had saved Beattie’s letter until last. I was about to start to read it when Charlie knocked on my door.  “Er, Bill, I have a letter for you.”

“For me?”

He gave me a shy smile.  “Yes sir, Alice wrote to me and enclosed a note for you.  I haven’t read it.”

“Thank you, Charlie.”

He hesitated at the door and then said, “I’ll leave you to read it then.”

As he left I said, “If it relates to you I will tell you.”

I saw the relief on his face. “Thank you, Bill.”

He could have read it.  It was just a brief note.  It explained that the premises where they made their dresses had been damaged in a Zeppelin bombing raid and that they had had the idea of relocating to Lady Burscough’s estate until the war was over and it was safe to return to the city. I was relieved.  It solved many problems which I had envisaged. Alice would be back at home and mum and dad would not be evicted. It would be good for lady Burscough too.  Her home would not be taken from her. There would be hard times ahead but there was hope. I looked forward to reading Beattie’s letter even more. There was a black cloud but I had glimpsed a silver lining.

February 1917

Dearest Bill,

I saw your gunner today! I liked him when I met him the first time; he gives me hope for the future for even with one hand he is positive about his life. I am not certain I could be so cheerful. He idolises you. That makes two of us. He left hospital today, which is why I am writing this letter now.  He is going north, back to Durham.  He says he will visit with Jack Laithwaite’s widow so that he can give her Jack’s possessions. The men had a collection for his widow and Lumpy is going to give it to her. It will help her. He is kind. I have his address and I promised that I will write. I know that you might want to but you don’t have the time.  I do.

Life is a little more hazardous here in the capital at the moment.  We have bombs being dropped on us.  It isn’t every night but they appear so random. The Zeppelins are silent.  None has been close to us yet but we are close enough to the palace for us to worry.

I know I am rambling on and you have far more to worry about but I didn’t want you hearing about the dangers from someone else. I will always tell you the truth. I am telling you not to worry, no matter what you hear or read about in the newspapers.  Your life is far more precarious. Talking to Lumpy has shown me that.

Take care, my love.  You are ever in my prayers and thoughts.  We will survive this war and we will be together.  We just need to have faith and believe.

Your love

Beattie xxx

I was glad that she and Lumpy got on.  The first brief meeting when I was in the hospital was over before it began. I was happy that he had a future.  I had no idea what it would entail but he was resilient and he would make the best of it.  In a way I was pleased that he had lost his hand for it meant he would survive the war. Over fifty pilots and gunners from our squadron would never have a future.

As April drew closer we received our orders.  We were to patrol the lines south of the creeping barrage and discourage Germans from either bombing or spotting.  We knew that we would soon be spotting for our artillery.  It was a necessary but unpopular job.  However we knew that the new German fighters would not be wasted spotting.  They would be the hunters preying on our slow moving reconnaissance aeroplanes and outdated fighters. At the same time we heard horror stories about the new Jastas wiping out six and seven aeroplanes at a time.  We had been lucky but I knew that our luck would run out soon.  It had to.

On the last day of March we prepared to patrol the lines. Archie had given us our orders. The five buses of B and C flight would be the high cover while the ten remaining Gunbuses would fly at a lower altitude.  Anyone spotting for German guns would need to be low but any German hunters would be high. Ted and Harry were keen to use the new Vickers.  We had extolled its virtues for the past month.  It was an overcast day when we took off and it was hardly the best conditions in which to fly for the cloud cover was low.

I decided to take us up and keep just inside the lower clouds.  It might hide us and we could emerge to check the skies. The barrage to the north was deafening for we were much closer to it.  If there were any Germans left on Vimy Ridge then they would be in no condition to defend their lines.  I wondered if the brass hats had got it right for once. The German technique of hiding whilst being bombarded and emerging once it stopped would not work in this Arras Offensive.

As we descended from the clouds to get our bearings I saw a Jasta as they headed for the Gunbuses below us. I waggled my wings and dived. I could see that amongst the Fokker and Albatros aeroplanes there were a couple of LVGs.  They were a two seater reconnaissance aeroplane. They would be spotting for the German artillery. I would let the Gunbuses deal with those.  Our priority was the eighteen fighters escorting them.

I signalled with my arm to indicate that Freddie and Johnny should flank me.  Ted and Harry would add their firepower behind us. We fell upon them like five hunting eagles.  The rear gunner on the LVG spotted us and I saw his arm waving as he tried to attract the attention of the fighters. The Fokkers were diving toward the Gunbuses. I opened fire at five hundred feet. I caught the pilot of an Albatros unawares and he looked around in panic for this unseen attacker. The other aeroplanes all began to climb to meet this new threat.  The two LVG headed east as fast as their aeroplanes would take them. No matter what happened now we had prevented them from spotting.

These were the Albatros D.III or at least some of them were. I saw the twin Spandaus. I gritted my teeth as I fired at the Albatros which was still wiggling like an insect on a pin. He must have been new. He was flying too straight. I kept raising and lowering my nose and banking to port and starboard. A fighter pilot needed lightning reflexes. I fired a third burst and saw the bullets as they struck the pilot and the cockpit.  The Albatros went into a steep dive.  I glanced in my mirror and saw Ted and Harry diving too.  I banked to port.  Flying in a straight line when Albatros D.III fighters were around was foolish. Bullets whizzed past my head.  I had taken evasive action just in time.  I put the stick over the other way and, as an aeroplane came into my sights, I fired my Vickers. The green tailed aeroplane was gone before I could fire another burst.

I pushed the stick down and then looped. As I came up I saw the same aeroplane. He was trying to loop inside me.  The Pup could turn on a sixpence and I gradually began to get the upper hand. The Le Rhone engine was screaming but it pulled the tiny fuselage around and when I saw his tail in my sights I fired a long burst.  I was so close I could not miss and his green rudder and the top of his tail disappeared. He was a good pilot and he straightened up and headed east while I was finishing my loop.

I followed him. He was faster than me but I was still close enough to fire. My bullets struck his fuselage and he dipped the nose to escape across the German lines.  As soon as the German machine guns on the ground began to fire I started to climb.  I had damaged him enough to keep him out of the air for a day or two. I headed west.  My fuel gauges told me to get back to the field.

Despite our plans and our best efforts two new pilots and buses had been shot down by the Hun.  We had stopped them spotting and I had managed to shoot down a new Albatros but we were losing the war in the air. The four flight commanders trudged wearily into the office.  I don’t know what the others were thinking but I was thinking that this was the first day of our Arras Offensive. The ground attack had not started.  The Somme offensive had lasted months. At this rate the squadron would cease to exist by the middle of April!

Randolph put the bottle of whisky on the table as we gave our reports. I asked, “What happened to Jameson and Murphy?”

Charlie and Gordy looked at each other and shook their heads. Archie poured himself a glass of whisky.  “They panicked and crashed into each other.”

“They weren’t even shot down?”

“No. We were just getting into the circle and their wings touched.” He downed the whisky.  “I know, it happens all the time and we don’t crash but they both turned the wrong way.”

Ted rolled his eyes. “I don’t want to worry you, sir, but when we get the Bristol fighter for everyone then there is still going to be a problem.  They are almost as big as the Gunbus but they are faster and the engine is at the front. I know Bill mentioned it but it takes some getting used to a propeller in front of you when you are used to a Gunbus.”

“The Pup is only small but we have had some close calls and Freddie and Johnny are really experienced. Sir, we need to make sure that the pilots know what they are doing before they go up.”

Before he could speak Randolph said, “We have to patrol and the other squadrons are suffering more than we are.”

“Then why not just patrol with the new aeroplanes. At the moment the Gunbuses are just bait. When the next batch of Fokker fodder arrives spend a couple of days flying as many hours as you can over our own lines. Technically we are still patrolling.  Ted and I have the newer buses; we hold the fort.”

Randolph went to the map. “He might have something, sir.  Look at today.  We were here.” He pointed to a spot on the map. “That was just over our lines and the Hun came to us.  They are getting more aggressive. Having the Gunbuses a little further back might actually help and, at the moment, we are not needed for spotting. We just need to stop them spotting and the five new buses are the best equipped for that.”

Archie looked at me.  “Well Bill, how do you feel about that?”

“It was my idea.  I think it will work and I would rather have a full squadron later in the offensive.” I turned to Randolph. “And you need to keep on at Headquarters to get us the new Bristols.”

He shook his head, sadly, “I do, Bill, every day.”

I told my young lads what we would be about. They were surprisingly sanguine about the whole thing. “It’s only fair, sir.  We have the best and newest aeroplanes so we should take on theirs.”

“The trouble is Johnny, their aeroplanes are better than the Pup.  They are faster, better armed and have a better rate of climb.”

“I know sir but we are small enough to be annoying.  We have watched you sir.  You fly like a scrum half wriggling through tackles. The big boys are grabbing at fresh air.  Staying close to them works.”

Ted was listening to us.  “Well we don’t have the same advantage but at least I have a sting in my tail.” He actually smiled, “I don’t worry about the Hun in the sun so much these days.”

I laughed, “Ted Thomas is becoming an optimist.  You never know there may be some hope left for us after all.”

The five of us left first, the next day. We were well wrapped up because we were flying high and there seemed to be a cold front coming in.  The air felt too cold for April. We flew at five thousand feet to give ourselves plenty of room.  We had no Gunbuses to worry about. I realised I missed chatting to Lumpy as we flew along the lines looking east for the enemy. I nearly missed them for they were flying high.  They had adopted our technique of a high approach and then dropping down to a lower altitude to spot. I waggled my wings and we began to climb.  I cocked my Vickers and tried to identify them. They had two of the LVG’s they had used the previous day. Each one was protected by five Fokker D.IIs. I frowned.  They had had more the previous day.  Had we damaged them or was this a trap? Sometimes you could over think.