1917 Eagles Fall by Griff Hosker Read Free Book Online Page B

them photograph our positions?”
    It was as near to a criticism as Hutton would go. “Point taken Flight Sergeant, let’s go and discourage them.
    A soon as I banked to cross their lines I knew that Freddie would follow. “Ready, Lumpy?”
    “Oh aye, sir.”
    I watched as he coked his Lewis. I cocked mine and regretted it immediately.  I had spasm of pain shoot up my left arm. I thanked God I would not have to do it again.
    We came down and across the flight of three which was flying in an arrow formation. It gave us our best chance for Lumpy could spray all three of them. I had meant what I had said; I was in no mood for heroics.  I merely wanted them discouraged.
    Lumpy opened fire and I knew that we had caught them unawares.  His bullets ripped through the fuselage of the first Fokker and into the tail and rudder of the second.  Then his gun jammed. I was ready with my gun and I opened fire.  Like Lumpy my bullet struck the fuselage and I saw it bank.  I must have either hit the pilot or something vital. I began to climb.  I did not want to lose the advantage of height. I heard Freddie’s two guns.  I swung to the west and saw that Freddie had downed the last of the Fokkers and the other two were heading east.  One had smoke from his engine. It was as good an ending as I could have hoped.
    We tootled around for another thirty minutes and then I led us home. Relieved but aching from my arm which was telling me I should not have flown.
    The other four aeroplanes had uneventful flights. I sat in the office, smoked my pipe and did the paperwork which mounted up every day.  Perhaps we could just send two aeroplanes a day up.  It would save wear and tear on the pilots and buses. Charlie asked, “What are you thinking sir?”
    I told him and he said, “We could always keep two aeroplanes ready to go in case we needed them.”
    He was right and I saw the advantage of an adjutant.  Another brain was always handy. For the next ten days, whenever flying was possible we used the technique.  We shot no more enemy aeroplanes down but we had no casualties either. I was changing in this long drawn out war.

Chapter 6
    I would be lying if I said I was unhappy with the return of the others in January.  I found the pressure of command just a little too much.  Charlie had been an excellent adjutant and showed a real skill. He liaised with everyone from the quartermaster to the cooks to ensure that everything ran smoothly.  His attitude and demeanour had changed dramatically following his meeting with Alice.  He was a different man. He could go far in the Corps after the war.
    I spent an hour with the major and Randolph and told them what we had done while they were on leave. “You’ve both done well.  Do you think that Sharp is ready for promotion?”
    “He does the same job as Gordy and Ted so I would say yes.”
    “Well we are getting replacement pilots next week ready for whatever the brass hats have in mind for us in spring so I’ll put the paperwork through.” He smiled, “Despite your little spat with Captain Ebbs our credit with the General appears to be high. Don’t tell him of his promotion yet in case it doesn’t come through but you can tell Hutton that he has been awarded the M.M..” He laughed, “You are quite the double act; the only M.C. and M.M. in the whole squadron!”  
    When I told Lumpy he was suitably modest.  “You should have got something.  We would both have died if it weren’t for you.”
    “Don’t worry Flight, I am more than happy with my M.C.”
    The weather gods smiled on us for we were unable to fly for the next ten days. It allowed us to meet with our new pilots so that we could tell them what to do once we were in the air.  They came directly from flying school and just wanted to get in the air and knock the Hun from the sky.  They could fly but they could not fight.
    Flight Sergeant Lowery had had a couple of his lads make models of German aeroplanes as well as