May interrupted her, holding up her hand. ‘By imbecile I am to presume you’re speaking of our good doctor here? The doctor who presides over all of White Waltham and is highly respected in his field?’
Face like thunder, Lizzie glared at her, while Doc appeared ready to explode. It wasn’t a situation May had ever had to handle before. What was it with this American woman? She seemed to rub everyone, herself included, up the wrong way.
‘How dare she speak to me like that!’ Doc threw his hands in the air. ‘Commander Jones, please tell me you’re going to reprimand this, this heathen of a woman? I will not stand for it!’
In truth, May had no idea what she was supposed to do, other than get to the bottom of the problem and put an end to the ugly name-calling. The Americans were guests here, not to mention well-trained pilots, but the doctor was equally as important to their operations. A big boom echoed outside and May grimaced, wondering what on earth the mechanics or male pilots were doing. It certainly wouldn’t have been one of her girls causing such a noise.
‘Doc, Miss Dunlop and her pilots are very important to our squadron, and vital to our relations with the United States,’ she said firmly, looking between the two of them as if she were reprimanding naughty children. ‘And Elizabeth, Doc here is a very capable and highly respected doctor, and I would like you to treat him as such. Can we keep all of that in mind, please, as we move forward?’
Lizzie gave her a pleasant smile, but May got the feeling that she was like a lion baring its teeth before going in for the kill.
‘Tell me then, good doctor, why exactly do pilots need to be examined in the buff?’ Lizzie asked, her perfectly arched eyebrows making her face look oh-so-innocent. ‘Would you like me to take my colleagues straight back home and tell the president exactly what perverted English doctors do to female pilots?’
Doc gaped first at Lizzie and then at May, his mouth starting to move but no sound coming out. May should have spoken up; she knew she should have reprimanded Lizzie, but in truth what could she say? There was absolutely no reason for them to be examined naked when he was primarily checking their height, weight, hearing and eyesight, and they’d all been made to feel uncomfortable at their initial medicals. She should have taken a stand herself well before now, but unlike the brash American, she’d been too afraid of women being turned away for being difficult. She lived in constant fear of speaking up in case they were discarded for being – well, for being women. In this case, she was going to let Lizzie get away with her insolence.
‘Pick up your stethoscope and get to work, Doc,’ Lizzie said, impatiently stamping her foot. ‘We’ve got planes to fly and I won’t stand for being grounded because of your utter incompetence.’
If this was a sign of things to come, then May was definitely going to have her hands full when the rest of the Americans arrived. But rocking the boat was one thing; she wasn’t going to let them capsize the whole bloody vessel. Later, when they were alone, she might have to remind Elizabeth that nothing was more important than assisting the war effort – no person and certainly no policy, no matter how much she might not like it personally. Lizzie needed to lead her women and understand how high the stakes were, because May didn’t have time to be a babysitter.
‘Jones?’ Doc spluttered. ‘Are you allowing this?’
‘You heard her, Doc. I’m not impressed with the delivery, but she’s right. Can we please get their examinations over with, and clothes on, please, unless you can give me a specific reason why they need to be naked?’ May said. ‘And the fact that it’s always been done that way frankly isn’t reason enough anymore.’
The door banged open and May looked round. To her surprise Ben stood there, his eyes scanning the room for her.
‘What is it?’ May asked, as he came straight to her.
‘There’s been an accident. You need to come with me,’ Ben whispered, leaning in close. ‘Now.’
Fear gripped May, slicing through her as she fought to nod and smile at the American women watching her.
‘May?’ Ben took her hand and tugged it. ‘Quickly, there’s no time to waste. You’re needed outside.’
She forced herself to walk as her mind ran wild. Had their lucky streak ended? Had she lost her first pilot? The second the door was shut, she came face to face with Ruby and Polly.
‘What is it? What happened?’ May asked, panic rising.
‘Fill her in, Ruby,’ Ben said. ‘I need to see if I can help.’
‘It’s bad. There was a big crash,’ Ruby told her, her voice shaking as they set off.
May’s mind was racing. Who was flying right now? Who could have been injured? Were they dead or . . . She breathed deep as the screeching noise of the ATA fire and crash crew pierced the air.
‘What crashed? What actually happened?’ she demanded, breaking into a run. How had she not heard anything? Then she remembered the big bang, the boom that she’d rolled her eyes at, not thinking it could have been an aircraft landing. ‘Ruby, tell me what’s going on! Was it one of my girls?’
‘A Halifax,’ Ruby said, she and Polly running alongside May. ‘It came in out of nowhere on the wrong approach, and it tried to land but it didn’t go well.’
‘Oh hell! Move the planes, then!’ May yelled. ‘I want every plane parked here taxied away now!’
Why would a four-engine bomber be landing at White Waltham? It must have been an emergency because they didn’t have any bombers, let alone a huge Halifax, at their headquarters. At least she knew it wasn’t one of her pilots at the controls; none of them had been cleared to fly that type of aircraft yet.
‘I’m on it,’ Polly hollered back, sprinting off.
May caught Ruby’s panicked expression and grabbed her arm. ‘Get in the nearest plane and move it. Anyone you pass, scream at them to move one on, too. There could be bombs on board that aircraft!’
May kept running, leaving Ruby behind. Her only priority right now was getting all her planes out of harm’s way in case . . . The flames licked upwards as she watched and she hoped to God the fire crew managed to put it out fast. Where the hell had this plane come from, and who was in it?
‘Get those planes moving!’ she yelled as she passed pilots who’d emerged from a nearby building. ‘Get them out of the way!’
They were near a railway line and the last thing they needed was a stray bomb taking out any transport lines or, heaven forbid, any of the planes that were ready and waiting to be delivered. She rushed to the crash site and watched as crew members were pulled out. One of them, a young man of no more than twenty, was so badly burnt that it was almost a relief to see he was unconscious. But five others were taken safely out and she was impressed by how quickly her team had worked, the entire ferry pool jumping into action to help. The Halifax had a full crew of men and they must have ended up off course, or something had gone wrong with the plane. She took a moment to survey the scene, her head pounding. This could have been Johnny. This could have been him, injured, but with no one around to help, no one to pull him from his burning aircraft and drag him to safety.
‘Commander?’ Polly asked, suddenly appearing at her side.
May pulled herself together, tearing her eyes from the young men on stretchers. ‘Get that fire out and clear the site,’ she ordered, stepping back as the patients were moved. She looked at the planes being taxied away, knowing that she’d probably been overcautious but feeling comfortable with her decision nonetheless.
There was a Spitfire, one of her favourite planes, still too close for her liking, and she took it upon herself to move it rather than ordering anyone else to do so. She broke into a run, feeling clumsy in her big boots. As she reached the aircraft she burst into tears, sobs gasping from her lungs, the pain of seeing the plane engulfed in flames too much when it came to her base and her girls. And her memories.
‘May? May?’ Ben was behind her, his forehead creased with worry. ‘What do you need me to do?’
She met his gaze and breathe
d a sigh of relief, wiping her cheeks and taking a big, shuddering breath.
‘May?’
‘I’m fine. I just . . .’
‘You’re sure you’re all right?’ he asked.
She nodded.
‘Remember this morning, May. You know this plane is ready to go, and all the others are, too.’ He smiled and nudged her forward. ‘I’ve triple-checked every engine myself. You and all your pilots are safe. That wasn’t one of your crew back there, and it wasn’t a plane I’d cleared.’ He held out his hand. ‘Here, let me help you.’
She let him guide her up into the cockpit, angry with herself for letting her guard down. She didn’t go through all her usual checks or bother strapping herself in, just waved at Ben that she was off and hastily flicked switches, pumping the prop and then pushing the ignition to start the engine. She taxied in the rumbling plane to a safe part of the adjoining field. Her other pilots were climbing out and the planes were all lined up neatly as May forced herself to get out, too. She would have preferred to take off and leave all this behind her and just fly, but for now she needed to focus on being the commander in charge.
‘May, will we . . .’
Ruby’s question, called out to her as she jumped down onto the grass, faded as she noticed a column of smoke rising into the sky from the crash site. She held up her hand, about to speak, when an explosion boomed around them, like thunder echoing through the air. May watched as the aircraft disintegrated, the explosion taking the entire plane with it.
Holy heck. A jagged edge hurtled into the ground at her feet, a piece of the aircraft that had moments earlier landed at her airfield with no warning whatsoever. Thank goodness all the men had been rescued, and that it hadn’t been any closer to the railway line! And I thought the Americans were going to be the most difficult part of my day today.
‘Commander Jones!’ May turned to see Polly holding something, her eyes wide and fearful.
‘What is it?’ May asked, trembling now, the adrenaline that had been pumping through her disappearing and leaving her light-headed.
Polly placed a piece of paper into her shaking hands.
Senior Commander Jones,
Your immediate presence is requested at Hamble Airfield. We regret to advise that Commanding Officer Samantha Perry has suffered health complications and is no longer cleared for duty. We also require two more pilots to urgently join Ferry Pool No. 15 to train to ferry four-engine bombers. Ferrying those bombers is now imperative to the greater war effort.
Major Luke Grey
May stared at the urgent letter. She was so used to being at their civilian headquarters at White Waltham, where the majority of the ATA pilots were based, and she was settled in her role now. But if they needed her to move, then move she would. She knew only too well how few women had their Class V to train to fly those bombers, and if they didn’t get those planes to the front, they might never win this bloody war. Which meant she’d have to take Lizzie with her to the more advanced airfield whether she liked it or not. None of her own pilots were as experienced, and she knew Lizzie would pick things up quickly. Part of her wished she’d be training alongside them, but if she was taking over as commanding officer, she’d no doubt be buried in paperwork most of the time.
‘Is everything all right?’ Ruby asked.
May sighed. ‘Nothing’s ever all right these days. Gather your things, Ruby, and notify Lizzie that we’ll need her to accompany us. I’m transferring to the all-female ferry pool in Hamble, and I need our two best pilots with me.’
‘When?’ Ruby gasped, not bothering to mask her surprise.
May knew her protégé suffered a serious case of nerves when it came to believing in herself, but she could only hope that throwing her in at the deep end would be exactly what she needed. She folded the telegram and stuck it in her jacket pocket. ‘Today. And Polly? I’m going to reassign you. Once you finish training, you’ll be taking over Ruby’s role here at White Waltham as an executive officer.’
Polly’s mouth dropped open and May held out her hand, managing a smile despite the turmoil she felt.
‘Thank you,’ Polly whispered, as a huge grin crossed her face.
‘Congratulations,’ said May. ‘You certainly deserve the promotion.’
She watched as Polly and Ruby hugged excitedly.
‘Sanders, let’s get ready to go. And please tell the American for me that she’s no longer staying at the Savoy.’ May smiled at the idea of knocking Lizzie Dunlop down to size. ‘It’s time for her to put her money where her mouth is and show us what she’s made of.’ She was about to head back to her office, but then spun on her heel. ‘Oh, and Ruby?’ she asked. ‘Can you let Benjamin know we’re leaving and that I want him to join us, too?’
May wanted a flight mechanic with her that she could trust implicitly, who could anticipate what she needed, and Ben had been good to her from the very beginning. She thought about the way he was always there, as determined to keep them all safe as she was. He was a good man and a good mechanic, and if she’d been able to let down the tiniest section of the wall that she kept so carefully guarded around herself, she might have even admitted he was pleasant company, too. But she wouldn’t, not now, and maybe not ever.
‘You might be able to tell him yourself,’ Ruby murmured as Ben came running over. And not only was he running, he looked completely furious.
‘What is it?’ May called out. What on earth could have riled him so badly?
‘It’s the American. She’s just taken off without clearance for some sort of air display!’
May’s blood boiled as she looked up to see the Spitfire soar like a bullet through the sky above them. She’s taken a plane? Just like that? Without asking for permission?
‘How did she . . .’ May stammered.
‘She ran out to help move the aircrafts,’ Ruby interrupted. ‘I told her to put the Spitfire somewhere safe, but I had no idea she’d do this. I’m so sorry.’
The plane flew low, rolling and then diving before being pulled up at the last minute and rocketing into the sky again.
‘She’s amazing,’ Ruby whispered.
Polly laughed beside her, their heads tilted back as they watched the sky. ‘Imagine having the balls to fly like that.’
‘Even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t have the confidence,’ May heard Ruby say with a sigh. ‘My Tom, he flies like that. I was always going to try those kinds of tricks, but he never seemed to think I was ready.’
May nudged Ruby hard. ‘Stop watching her as if she’s something special,’ she fumed. ‘Flying a plane like that might take confidence and ability, but it’s also reckless and inappropriate to show off, especially given what’s just happened here.’
Ben touched her shoulder and she met his gaze. Clearly, he was as angry as she was, but he was shaking his head. She looked at Ruby, at the horror on her face that she’d done something wrong, and realised that she’d projected all her anger at the wrong person.
‘I’m sorry,’ she muttered. ‘It’s Lizzie I should be saying all that to. You know perfectly well why we’re here and how to be part of a team.’ Hearing her protégé speak as if she wasn’t as capable, though? It irritated her that Ruby’s fiancé, a man who was hundreds of miles from them, could still influence her so deeply.
‘Do you, ah, do you want me to get her?’ Ruby asked. ‘When she lands, I mean?’
‘What I want is for you to pull her down a peg,’ May fumed as she stormed off. ‘And remind her that this isn’t some jolly overseas experience, because we’re in the middle of a bloody war, in case she hasn’t noticed!’
Lizzie might have the fancy training and acrobatics in the air, but Ruby had skill and the quiet respect of the other women. Seeing her watch the American slack-jawed and in awe was more infuriating right now than Lizzie’s insubordination.
She’d been asked to take her best two pilots with her to train to fly four-engine bombers, but was she putting her own reputation on the line by tak
ing Lizzie with her? If she couldn’t rein her in and she turned out to be a loose cannon, all hell would break loose – not just for her, but for all the women who flew for the ATA. One bad egg could affect the lot of them. But the four-engine bombers were the only planes that women were not cleared to fly outside of training yet, and if she didn’t take Lizzie? She gulped. Then she might be signing the personal death warrant of the men who were waiting for them; getting those big bombers to the front was the only way they stood a chance of winning the war, and she knew it.
PART TWO
CHAPTER FIVE
HAMBLE AIRFIELD, HAMPSHIRE,
JUNE 1942
RUBY
‘Great flying!’ May called as Ruby took off her helmet and shook her hair out.
Ruby was breathless, the thrill of training in the big bombers like nothing she’d ever experienced before. She grinned. The rumble and power of the aircraft had stayed with her, still thrumming through her body even now that she had both feet on the ground.
‘How did it feel?’
‘Amazing!’ Ruby answered, walking over. She watched as Lizzie climbed up into the other plane, her shoulders straight, her smile steady as she waved out to them. Ruby waved back, refusing to let Lizzie know how easily she rattled her even though it took every inch of her strength to do it. ‘But no doubt she’ll show me up. Again.’
‘That’s enough,’ May scolded. ‘You’re every bit as good as her – you just haven’t admitted it to yourself yet.’
Ruby didn’t tell her that without Tom’s steady, calm voice coaching her, she was as jittery as could be. Lizzie flew like she’d been born in the pilot’s seat, with nerves of steel and an unwavering belief in her own ability. It made her easily the best flier among them, and Ruby knew she’d always be chasing her tail in the air and on the ground. She was good at her job and she’d mastered the bomber well enough, but Lizzie was something else. From that first time she’d seen her take off in the Spitfire without clearance, Ruby had known she was always going to be in the American’s shadow. They had both already surpassed the other pilots on the training programme, but May kept telling them they were still neck and neck in the running to be the first woman to fly a Halifax for the ATA. May’s superiors wanted to make a big deal out of it, putting all the pressure on one woman to prove exactly what they were capable of.
The Spitfire Girls Page 7
